Open Letter to Members of Oireachtas
The following letter was sent to all members of Oireachtas na hEireann (Parliament and Senate) today by Shannonwatch's Edward Horgan.
Subject: Ending Irish complicity in US war of aggression and war crimes in the Middle East
Dear Oireachtas Legislators,
Peace activist individuals and groups from all parts of Ireland have been monitoring, and protesting against, US military use of Shannon airport particularly since October 2001, but also previously during the First Gulf War in 1991. Successive Irish Governments by allowing foreign military forces to transit through Irish territory and Irish airspace, while still maintaining that Ireland is a neutral state, have been acting in clear breach of international laws on neutrality. More importantly, such assistance to a military force engaged in wars of aggression makes Ireland and the Irish people complicit in the multiple war crimes and clear breaches of international laws, including the UN Charter that have been committed by US forces. Since 1991 up to one million children and several million adults are estimated to have died directly and indirectly due to war related reasons across the Middle East. Other countries and groups apart from the United States have also been involved in wars of aggression and war crimes in the Middle East, but none of these have been actively assisted by successive Irish Governments.