Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 October 2014
83. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will ensure Shannon Airport is not in any way being used to facilitate US military action in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37745/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAfter the last US war in the Middle East claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and utterly destroyed Iraqi society, the United States and its allies are bombing again in the Middle East. Already the indications are that the consequences will be disastrous. The Minister might be aware that in recent days, all the major al-Qaeda affiliates in Pakistan and the Middle East who were previously fighting against ISIS have pledged their support for it. Incredibly, against this background of a disastrous move by the United States to bomb in Iraq and Syria, we continue to facilitate the US war machine at Shannon and the Government, like its predecessors, refuses even to search the planes going through Shannon to establish whether they are carrying arms and whether they are participating in a war effort in what is supposed to be a neutral country. Can the Minister offer us any hope that the Government will do more than the previous Government to protect our neutrality against a background of US warmongering?
Successive Governments have made overflight and landing facilities available at Shannon Airport to the United States for well over 50 years. The Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952 gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in this jurisdiction. Arrangements under which permission is granted for US military aircraft to land at Irish airports are governed by strict conditions. These include stipulations that the aircraft must be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and must not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flights in question must not form any part of military exercises or operations. Under the Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973, the carriage of weapons on commercial aircraft, including chartered civilian aircraft, is prohibited unless an exemption has been obtained in advance from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. The majority of US troops transiting through Shannon Airport are carried on chartered civilian aircraft. Where it is proposed that troops on such a flight should be accompanied by their personal weapons, an exemption request must be sought in respect of each individual flight.
There are no plans to curtail or to stop the movement of military aircraft through Irish airports and air space which takes place in accordance with those strict conditions. I am satisfied that the arrangements are fully consistent with Ireland’s policies and legal requirements, including our long-established policy of military neutrality which involves non-participation in military alliances.
I was one of the organisers of what was probably one of the biggest marches in the history of the State in 2003, namely, the march against the planned war in Iraq. At the time we warned that the US bombing campaign would possibly claim up to 50,000 lives. Some estimates suggest that nearly 1 million people died in the war, and certainly it was several hundred thousand. It was an utter disaster that devastated Iraqi society. Now, 13 years later the United States is doing the same thing again and already the consequences look disastrous. It is shoring up support for the crazy and dangerous people in ISIS among other extremists in the region and beyond. A potentially explosive and dangerous cocktail is being fermented by US bombing. Against that background and the clearly demonstrated support in this country over many years for Irish neutrality, how can the Minister justify the passage of US troops through Shannon Airport to conduct a disastrous repeat of the war we saw in the Middle East?
Likewise, how can the Minister justify the fact that the planes are never searched? He told this House that he depends on assurances from the American Government that it is not doing anything that it is not telling the Government. During the previous war the number of US troops going through Shannon dramatically increased and I have no doubt the same will happen again this time around. Why is the Minister allowing that to happen and not even searching planes when the US is involved in conducting a war?
The Deputy will be aware of long-standing practice in that regard. The more he wishes to alarm Members of this House and the Irish community, the more the issue becomes surrounded in hyperbole of a type to which the Deputy is most accustomed. Lest there be any misunderstanding, let me repeat that the use of Shannon Airport by US military is a long-standing practice that has been in place for more than half a century. The period covers many crises and military confrontations. We have never withdrawn or suspended the facilities at any stage during that period. The transiting of US troops and aircraft through our airport will continue to be subject to the strict conditions of which the Deputy is fully aware and which I have outlined to the House.
Let me assure the Deputy and the House that there are no implications arising for Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality, which involves the non-participation by Ireland in any military alliance.
We have not entered a military alliance with the US or any other country or organisation and permitting the use of Shannon Airport neither challenges nor undermines our position in any way. Of course there are strict rules and regulations. Deputy Boyd Barrett has made wild allegations on the use of Shannon Airport by US personnel time and again and if he has evidence that Ireland is in breach of national or international obligations he should come forward with it.
The problem is the Minister told this House that foreign military aircraft passing through Ireland with the permission of the Government are not subject to routine searches or inspections. How can we get evidence when the Government refuses to search the aircraft? The Government relies on assurances given by the US Government - the same government that told us there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and used that lie to justify the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and the devastation of society in that country. The current actions of the US Government are even more dangerous and this is not my hyperbole as, in a recent interview with "USA Today", the former director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Mr. Leon Panetta, said we are now looking at a 30-year war. A lead spokesperson for the al-Nusra Front, which operates in the area of Syria near Irish troops and previously fought Islamic State, ISIS, was recently reported as saying it may support ISIS to fight the foreign crusader. Numerous groups are starting to support ISIS because of US bombing and Ireland is facilitating the military machine that is involved in that disastrous policy. Does this worry the Minister? Irish troops are in the area and Shannon Airport is facilitating this.
I assure the Deputy we will follow the practice of successive Governments on this, in accordance with international practice. My Department and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport are kept fully informed of all developments. In spite of his assertions to the contrary, the Deputy will be aware that the vast majority of the flights in question concern civilians and have no military capacity.
The aircraft have troops on board.
There may be troops but the transit of troops is in accordance with long-established practice.
There is time for brief supplementary questions from Deputies Timmins and Wallace.
I come at this issue from a different angle to Deputy Boyd Barrett but, in fairness to him, this matter has been on the agenda for over ten years due to the ambiguous type of neutrality adopted by Ireland. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, would do this country a great service if he opened a debate on Irish neutrality, given the sham neutrality that has operated here. Successive Ministers have lacked the political and moral courage to have such a debate.
They ran away.
The Minister must have felt inadequate when he was in New York recently due to the Irish position on this. I heard his response to earlier questions but is there not something inadequate about a nation that refuses to defend what it believes to be right. It is time we matured and this Government should give the Irish public an opportunity to pass judgment.
The Minister says Ireland's military neutrality has not been breached, our non-participation in military activity is solid and we have not breached our international obligations. I beg to differ. Can the Minister explain why Shannonwatch has reported a serious increase in activity in recent weeks? The use of Shannon Airport by the US military is directly linked with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, a region that has been destabilised and devastated beyond recognition by US military activity. When will Ireland work for peace in the Middle East instead of supporting those who favour war and the arms industries that put them in power?
I assure Deputy Wallace that Ireland will continue to use its powers to promote peace and diplomatic relations. As I said in an earlier reply before the Deputy entered the House, Ireland always opts for political, diplomatic and humanitarian aid solutions over military solutions.
The Government facilitates those who favour military solutions.
Deputy Timmins wants to join NATO.
It strikes me as extraordinary that Deputy Finian McGrath, the Reform Alliance and Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett appear to be ad idem on this.
Deputy Timmins wants to join NATO.
Lest there be any misunderstanding, I inform Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett that, in accordance with international best practice, foreign military aircraft passing through Ireland with the permission of the Government are not subject to routine searches or inspections.
Why not?
The principle of sovereign immunity applies automatically to foreign state or military aircraft in the same way that it applies to Irish State or military aircraft abroad.
Why did Bank of Ireland close Cuban accounts?
