Post by Papa C. on Aug 1, 2006 10:20:33 GMT
There was some interesting discussions on Indymedia.ie about the Lebanon situation. I thought this was a particularly interesting post.
Ahern gets moral kudos for doing absolutely nothing.
author by anon - publication date Mon Jul 31, 2006 20:57
Sorry if Im being tireringly cynical here and in the 'never happy' brigade, but Ireland didn't 'ban' Israeli bombs from travelling through Shannon, It didn't take moral stance on anything because there was nothing to ban. The Irish Times has headline today 'State bans US arms flights to Israel quoting yet another official.
Ahern has been granted much moral kudos for doing absolutely nothing.
In light of the changing situation since the conlfict has escalated, any request to transport weapons through Shannon for use in that conflict.
But then later its quotes the Dept of Transport says that Ireland gave permission for heavy weapons to travel to Israel on civilian plane as recently as the 11th of May, and goes on to say thatThe Department of Foreign Affairs has rejected charges that is has already refused permission to Israeli-bound arms carrying aircraft, insisting there was no request made. The government has also denied it has refused request by military to transport consignments through Shannon of 600lb "bunker-buster bombs" that are responsible for of the worst damage in Lebanon.
In particular the Department of Foreign Affairs said it was untrue that a US charter aircarft carrying munitions for Israel had to use Prestwick in Scotland after it was refused permission to land in Shannon.
Which blows half of the Scottish stories, which is why Im so annoyed when I have seen people say 'good on ya Ireland' after they read the stories in UK and Irish newspapers because Dermot Ahern and Irish officials are obviously playing it up and people are lapping it up.
Scottish MPs and journalists jumped all over Mr Aherns obscure statement to use as comparison and a stick to beat Blair etc with, a tactic we are all fond of doing along with speculation like this. There is terrible amount of speculation in the Scottish newspapers about whats going through Prestiwck but should Ahern get any praise for it? And again here news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1104532006 Opposition critics last night seized on the situation. Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said: "It is highly significant that Shannon put its foot down and drew back from allowing the transport of bunker busters, which could become the tinder to escalate dramatically the Middle East conflict." So Ahern words don't mean a thing if these bombs were never going through Ireland anyway.
Bombs destined to be used by Israel are being flown via Scotland because the Irish government refused to allow them to land on its soil, according to Scotland on Sunday and the Sunday Herald.
The Irish spokesman says that they have been no request for this type cargo since 11th of May.
This from the Sunday Herald
One Irish official said that the bombs would never have been allowed on Irish soil.
The source said: "There is absolutely no way that we would allow munitions or weapons to be shipped through Shannon to a location where there is an actual war going on. We would not allow it. It is correct that we allow the US to transport troops to Shannon, but sending bombs to Israel is another matter and completely out of the question for us."
Just read this again and laugh.
"The Irish Government has refused to allow its airports to be used as a stopover for munitions."
This is the sentence that is used in this report news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and...4.stm
? Since when has this been the case?
We've had Israeli Apache helicopters through our Shannon and the Irish government have seen for years what they've done to the occupied terroritries of Palestine, no moral objections then. Buts that what happens when you an Anatov maintenance base at your airport.
So Ahern has been granted much moral kudos for doing absolutely nothing.
I maybe getting confused bewteen Irish airports and Irish airspace but here again
Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said the Irish Government had refused to allow its airports to be used as a stopover for munitions. Again no they didn't according to their spokesman.
The Irish Civil Aviation Authority last night confirmed they refused one plane permission use their air space when it set off from Prestwick for Israel after refuelling. It did? Not according to Irish officials today.
They added: "It is normal practice to use Irish airspace to travel from Prestwick. On this occasion permission was denied. I am not able to say why." This from the Sunday Mail for context.
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/07/346478.html?c=on...ments
Irish airspace www.iaa.ie/images/IAA_map2.jpg ? Do it take off in a swinging loop from Prestwick?
Ahern gets moral kudos for doing absolutely nothing.
author by anon - publication date Mon Jul 31, 2006 20:57
Sorry if Im being tireringly cynical here and in the 'never happy' brigade, but Ireland didn't 'ban' Israeli bombs from travelling through Shannon, It didn't take moral stance on anything because there was nothing to ban. The Irish Times has headline today 'State bans US arms flights to Israel quoting yet another official.
Ahern has been granted much moral kudos for doing absolutely nothing.
In light of the changing situation since the conlfict has escalated, any request to transport weapons through Shannon for use in that conflict.
But then later its quotes the Dept of Transport says that Ireland gave permission for heavy weapons to travel to Israel on civilian plane as recently as the 11th of May, and goes on to say thatThe Department of Foreign Affairs has rejected charges that is has already refused permission to Israeli-bound arms carrying aircraft, insisting there was no request made. The government has also denied it has refused request by military to transport consignments through Shannon of 600lb "bunker-buster bombs" that are responsible for of the worst damage in Lebanon.
In particular the Department of Foreign Affairs said it was untrue that a US charter aircarft carrying munitions for Israel had to use Prestwick in Scotland after it was refused permission to land in Shannon.
Which blows half of the Scottish stories, which is why Im so annoyed when I have seen people say 'good on ya Ireland' after they read the stories in UK and Irish newspapers because Dermot Ahern and Irish officials are obviously playing it up and people are lapping it up.
Scottish MPs and journalists jumped all over Mr Aherns obscure statement to use as comparison and a stick to beat Blair etc with, a tactic we are all fond of doing along with speculation like this. There is terrible amount of speculation in the Scottish newspapers about whats going through Prestiwck but should Ahern get any praise for it? And again here news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1104532006 Opposition critics last night seized on the situation. Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said: "It is highly significant that Shannon put its foot down and drew back from allowing the transport of bunker busters, which could become the tinder to escalate dramatically the Middle East conflict." So Ahern words don't mean a thing if these bombs were never going through Ireland anyway.
Bombs destined to be used by Israel are being flown via Scotland because the Irish government refused to allow them to land on its soil, according to Scotland on Sunday and the Sunday Herald.
The Irish spokesman says that they have been no request for this type cargo since 11th of May.
This from the Sunday Herald
One Irish official said that the bombs would never have been allowed on Irish soil.
The source said: "There is absolutely no way that we would allow munitions or weapons to be shipped through Shannon to a location where there is an actual war going on. We would not allow it. It is correct that we allow the US to transport troops to Shannon, but sending bombs to Israel is another matter and completely out of the question for us."
Just read this again and laugh.
"The Irish Government has refused to allow its airports to be used as a stopover for munitions."
This is the sentence that is used in this report news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and...4.stm
? Since when has this been the case?
We've had Israeli Apache helicopters through our Shannon and the Irish government have seen for years what they've done to the occupied terroritries of Palestine, no moral objections then. Buts that what happens when you an Anatov maintenance base at your airport.
So Ahern has been granted much moral kudos for doing absolutely nothing.
I maybe getting confused bewteen Irish airports and Irish airspace but here again
Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said the Irish Government had refused to allow its airports to be used as a stopover for munitions. Again no they didn't according to their spokesman.
The Irish Civil Aviation Authority last night confirmed they refused one plane permission use their air space when it set off from Prestwick for Israel after refuelling. It did? Not according to Irish officials today.
They added: "It is normal practice to use Irish airspace to travel from Prestwick. On this occasion permission was denied. I am not able to say why." This from the Sunday Mail for context.
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/07/346478.html?c=on...ments
Irish airspace www.iaa.ie/images/IAA_map2.jpg ? Do it take off in a swinging loop from Prestwick?
