Public submission to the Defence Forces Commission

national | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis Saturday April 10, 2021 14:50 by Joe Terry

A media news item reads: “EU pledges support for Ukraine amid Russian military buildup along borders.”
Irish soldiers could be used as sandbags for on-coming Soviet air-to-ground missiles. A real possibility in the future, if Ireland does not pull back from the growing EU militarisation program.

‘The “Defence Forces Commission” is constitutionally flawed. Foreign agents should have no place on a neutral Ireland Defence Forces Commission pertaining to State security. Of the fifteen commission members, nominated by the Government, two-thirds are pro-EU ex-military men and officials that are in favour of expanding military spending, people that benefit from enhanced career opportunities, have vested interest in remuneration, careers, promotions, salaries and pension resulting from an enlarged military budget allocation. The list of members does not represent a cross-section of neutral Ireland citizens in a balanced way.
I deem the setting up of the commission, inviting public consultations, to be a covert exercise, designed to rubber-stamp the Government’s pro-EU/Pesco militarization expansion agenda.

In a recent clip on TV, the Minister of Defence has said national defence is five-dimensional, land, air, maritime, space and cyber. My assessment is that terrorist’s attacks from within the improperly-vetted immigrant population are a greater threat, borne out by what’s happening in England, France and Belgium.

In December 2017, a media survey asked 14,000 participants.“Do you want Ireland to sign up to the EU defence deal?” The poll results showed; 59% said no, 34% said yes and 6% said not sure. Two days later, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TD’s in the Dáil coalesced and voted in favour of joining PESCO.
Those in favour of the contentious European Union military pact argue that there is no danger of the Republic of Ireland military getting involved in future EU offensive military operations due to a triple-lock safety mechanism. But, who has control of the master key to the triple locks; powerful persuasive participants of secret Bilderberg Group meetings?

The Republic of Ireland does not need extensive military forces cloned from an empire in another era, an Army, Navy or an Air Corps. For a century the country has had no foreign enemies to protect against nor has it had any intention of attacking another country. There is no reason to expect that situation to change, except when neutrality is relinquished by being tricked into participating in an EU army. By partaking in any way with the imperialist EU military, the ROI has a high risk of acquiring enemies from non-Western aligned countries throughout the World.

No need exists for the ROI to have a €71m warship armed with a 76mm cannon gun picking up refugees in the Mediterranean when the LÉ Aisling sold for €110,000 including €16,000 of fuel onboard would satisfy the humanitarian need. In any event, Irish navy ships should not be operating under NATO/EU command.

A reason given for the establishment of the European Economic Community was to prevent European nations from going to war. Europeans are still at it, not killing each other but with ever-increasing military capability unleashing deadly weaponry on North Africans, Iraqis and Afghans. Lies have been told to justify unjust invasions and attacks. Remember; Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction - The protection of Libyan civilians?

The ROI does not need an Air Corps burning expensive aviation fuel shooting spectacular aerial photo snaps to be published in journals. And looking forward, no reason exists for squadrons of Irish jet fighters to be shadowing Russian Bear bombers to accomplish nothing, except, observing pilots from the bombers waving through their cockpit windows in a friendly manner.

Instead of an Army, the ROI needs a cost-effective National Guard, the majority of participants holding full-time civilian jobs whose purpose would be to backup the Civil Guards and perform humanitarian assistance in a national crisis.

Instead of the present Navy setup, the ROI should have a fit-for-purpose Coast Guard Service with small fast boats to prevent smuggling and for the protection of fishing and coastal subterranean natural resources.

A national security priority is that the ROI should reestablish its neutral independence, take back its fisheries and natural resources. The ROI should exit the European Union, get well away from its ever-increasing imperial militarization.

Security of the state is jeopardised by the accommodation of Shannon Airport by the use of foreign countries on military missions. This activity should cease.

The ROI should disengage from the EU, the Euro currency, PESCO and the United Nations (not a peacekeeping service, but an enforcer for the agendas of the superpowers).

The increase to two per cent (six billion euros) of GNP towards military spending promised by ex Taoiseach Varadker to the EU and his declaration to contribute more when Great Britain leaves the EU would be better spent in solving the problems within the health service and national housing crises.
If the promoters of expanding the Irish military get their way (those advocating increasing funding, numbers of personnel, promotions and pensions, of military hardware and service medals) there will be no end to achieving grandiose ambitions; an Irish Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system pointing nuclear warheads at imaginary enemies across the globe, an Irish submarine fleet patrolling the Indian Ocean, and perhaps like Thailand, a plane-less aircraft carrier on the inventory?
End of Submission.’