The full incorporation of the Defence Forces into foreign military alliances has come a step closer with the announcement that Irish troops are to participate in “warfare training” as part of the EU Nordic Battlegroup set-up.
Troops based at Collins Barrack’s in Cork are to travel to Sweden next October to take part in the miltray excercises. Cork Workers Party Councillor Ted Tynan said he was appalled to learn that Swedish Brigadier General Jan Stephan Andersson had been in Collins Barracks at the end of March to inspect the troops who will be under his command next Autumn.
“We were told on numerous occasions”, said Tynan, “in both the Nice and Lisbon Treaty referendums, that the EU Battlegroups were about humanitarian missions and crisis management through the so-called Petersberg Tasks. We had it rammed down our throats that Irish neutrality was not at stake. Now we learn that Irish troops are to undertake warfare training and we have the spectre of a foreign military commander inspecting Irish troops on Irish soil in Cork City”
“This was no courtesy visit of a foreign dignitary, but a military inspection by a very senior officer who regards these as his troops and who will instruct them under joint EU / NATO command in a mission which is preparation for full-blown warfare and not humanitarianism”.
Tynan added; “Quite clearly the Irish people have been lied to once again and the integration of our defence forces into the EU / NATO structures goes on at pace while the myth of a neutral Ireland continues to be portrayed by the present Fianna Fáil / Green Party government. Their denials about Irish military entanglement in an emerging EU superpower are farcical. The lives of Irish troops and our national sovereignty and security are being put at risk by this government.”
The way to force the issue, I think, is by taking a Constitutional challenge to nip it in the bud. Surely there are some law professors out there willing to take this up?
Agree with EWI lisbon and neutrality has been debated ad nauseum, a court case might be the way to go,all the protest’s and factual statement’s are ignored.Law,Law not Jaw Jaw.
The problem with a constitutional challenge is that the people have been led by lies, threats and smokescreens into voting for the Nice, Lisbon and other treaties. The judiciary, as has been shown in the many cases taken against protesters at Shannon (not to mention their behaviour towards protesters in Mayo), have shown themselves to utterly partial towards the government. We need to keep up the protests and build them. This is very difficult in the present situation but is vital.