Green Party shame over Shannon

clare | anti-war / imperialism | news report Saturday December 19, 2009 10:42 by RSF - Republican Sinn Fein

GREEN WAR FUTURE FOR SHANNON SLAMMED

The very idea that the future of Shannon Airport should be dependent on American conflict around the world is the latest U turn from the Green Party in Clare, a spokesman for Republican Sinn Fein said today.

Paddy Kenneally from Crusheen, a party spokesman in North Clare said that the latest statement by the Green Party Councillor Brian Meany in relation to the future of Shannon Airport is an insult to all the Irish people who have campaigned against imperialism and American military expansionism.

To say that more American troop carrying planes should transit Shannon Airport and that the Airport should go after this business is an appalling statement to make.

The very idea that the future of Shannon Airport should be dependent on American conflict around the world is the latest U turn from the Green Party in Clare, a spokesman for Republican Sinn Fein said today.

Paddy Kenneally from Crusheen, a party spokesman in North Clare said that the latest statement by the Green Party Councillor Brian Meany in relation to the future of Shannon Airport is an insult to all the Irish people who have campaigned against imperialism and American military expansionism.

To say that more American troop carrying planes should transit Shannon Airport and that the Airport should go after this business is an appalling statement to make.

The Green party representative seems to forget that his own party is very much against the American use of Shannon Airport and in fact would be the first to object to American war plans in areas of conflict.

While Shannon Airport is in a difficult financial situation and the coming year looks bleak because of the continuing conflict with the budget carrier Ryanair, this is purely a commercial decision and it should be resolved in the normal way of business.

To advocate more American troop carrying flights as the financial saviour of the Airport is an insult to everyone who has campaigned against American war planes using the civilian airport.

Shannon is a civilian airport that has survived against all the odds on the west of Ireland supported by the people in the Mid West from Clare and Limerick and Galway and Kerry and Tipperary.

The idea that Shannon should be dependent on American wars is alien to the spirit of freedom ingrained in the Irish people and the least the Green Party can do over this appalling statement is to publicly apologise to the people of the Mid-West for even suggesting such a dreadful course of action.