Ireland.com Poll establishes Shannon is an election issue

national | anti-war / imperialism | other press

Tuesday September 26, 2006 18:21

by Sinéad Ní Bhroin on behalf of - PANA

pana@eircom.net
www.pana.ie
Contact Roger Cole 087 2611597

PANA’s Chairperson Roger Cole today welcomed the results of the weekends Ireland.com poll. 52% of respondents answered ‘Yes’ to the question ‘Will the use of Shannon airport by the US military be an issue in next year's general election, as suggested by anti-war groups.’

Cole said “we congratulate the team at Ireland.com for taking this initiative. Far too often the anti-war sentiment of the country’s citizens has been ignored by the media. The result of this poll clearly establishes the use of Shannon Airport by the US Military is an election issue. The current pro-war policies of the Ahern led Government do not reflect the wants nor indeed the needs of the Irish people.”

Yesterdays papers carried the report of 16 US intelligence agencies who have concluded that the war on Iraq has boosted the threat of global terrorism. Out of US imperialist oppression resistance has grown leaving ordinary people throughout the Middle East in an increasingly politically destabilized & violent situation. This report validates what the global anti war movement has been saying since 2003, the US war on the Middle East is making our world a more dangerous & uncertain place.

Cole also noted "the small numbers attending last Saturday’s anti war demonstration do not illustrate the scale of the anti war sentiment in Ireland. We have been demonstrating for 3 years now & still Ahern prefers to pander to the US administration. Last weekends online poll is a clear indicator that the Irish people intend making their voices heard through the ballot box.”

Cole concluded, “Over the coming weeks our campaign will be writing to all political parties asking them to make a commitment that if elected into Government they will end the use of Shannon by the US military. We will also be seeking a guarantee that this commitment will be honored in any coalition Government formation that the parties might be obligated to. We will take these commitments to the Irish people through our nationwide campaign to ensure Shannon remains an election issue”

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Comments (1 of 1)

Shannon

by John

Tue Sep 26, 2006 20:24

All you're doing is guaranteeing the return of the FF/PD government by highlighting the incompatibility between the parties in the alternative coalition. FF and the PDs will most definitely reply in the negative to your request. There is total unity between them. So, its no problem for them. But, from the alternative coalition FG will also say 'no' to your request while Labour and the Greens will probably say 'yes'. Totally incompatible positions. As long as Shannon isn't a major issue in the election, no one will notice. But, if you succeed in making Shannon a major issue, the alternative coalition will break up even before the campaign starts since you can't have a coalition government between parties (Labour and Greens) who solemnly pledge they won't go into government unless the Americans are booted out of Shannon and a party (FG) who can be one hundred per cent guaranteed not to agree to that. Of course, the other possibility which I haven't taken into account in the above analysis is that Labour and the Greens might make a solemn and binding pledge before the election not to go into government unless the Americans are booted out of Shannon and and then totally forget about it after the election.

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Ireland.com Poll establishes Shannon is an election issue

Comments (1 of 1)