Press Statement - Victory for Irish Peace Movement

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | press release Friday August 18, 2006 02:50 by Sinéad Ní Bhroin on behlaf of - PANA pana at eircom dot net www.pana.ie

PANA Press Statement 18.08.2006
For more detail contact Roger Cole 0872611597

VICTORY FOR IRISH PEACE MOVEMENT

The Peace & Neutrality Alliance welcomes recent figures which show a massive two-thirds drop in the number of US troops going through Shannon Airport on route to execute America’s new imperialism in the Middle East.

Roger Cole, Chair of PANA said "PANA welcomes the massive drop in the number of US troops using Shannon airport as a pit stop on their way to their Imperialist War in the Middle East. Ours was the first organization to hold a peaceful demonstration at Shannon airport in May 2002.

Since then we & many other Irish anti war groups have demonstrated against the decision of the Ahern & Harney Government to cumulatively destroy Irish Neutrality. This Government has continually supported Bush, Blair & Israeli PM Olmert’s war for oil and military domination of the region.

These anti war demonstrations & the non violent actions of peace activists have played an important role in forcing planes carrying US troops to opt to re-fuel in Germany. This change in US overseas military policy is a victory for the Irish anti war movement. A victory which gives our broad movement an incentive to continue our work until Shannon Airport is finally free of US military.

The defeat of Lieberman by Lamont in the Democratic Primary illustrates that war is an election issue. PANA is determined to make Bertie Ahern & Mary Harney’s support for Bush's war an election issue in Ireland as well. We encourage all anti war & social justice networks to do the same"

ENDS