No to PESCO, to an EU ARMY

national | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis Friday April 27, 2018 15:00 by Joe Terry

The Republic if Ireland should conduct a serious assessment of military institutions of the State.

A media survey of 14,000 participants were asked: “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, TDs from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael coalesced and voted in the Dáil 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 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.

The ROI should conduct a serious assessment of military institutions of the State, cloned from an empire from another era.
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.

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 Afghanistan’s. Lies have been told to justify unjust invasions and attacks. Remember Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction? The protection of civilians in Libya?

The ROI does not need an Air Corps burning up expensive aviation fuel shooting spectacular aerial photo snaps to be published in journals. Instead of an Army, the ROI needs a cost-effective National Guard, the majority of participants holding fulltime civilian jobs whose purpose would be to backup the Civil Guards and perform humanitarian assistance in a national crisis.

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

A national 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.

Joe Terry
Tower Blarney Co Cork

See also: May 09 @ 7pm Cork: IREXIT / anti-PESCO Rally