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The Spokesman is the journal of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation


The Militarisation of the European Union



Interview with Ray McGovern & Roger Cole from 2017


GUARDIAN Article 19/5/21 on the Militarisation of the EU

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/19/hard-power-europes-military-drift-causes-alarm


Socialist Voice: EU Militarisation Article

Part 1:
https://socialistvoice.ie/2021/03/the-militarisation-of-the-eu-grows-apace/

Part 2:
https://socialistvoice.ie/2021/04/the-militarisation-of-the-european-union-grows-apace-part-2/


The Peace & Neutrality Alliance Submission To The Commission On The Defence Forces

05/03/2021


Coalition of the Unwilling

Coalition of the Unwilling available at Connolly Books


World BEYOND War

World BEYOND War is a major International Peace Group founded in the USA. This is the connection with a video interview by the Irish Chapter of WBW with Clare Daly, Member of the European Parliament on the USA Army's use of Shannon Airport, and the rapidly expanding militarisation of the EU Army.
Here is the link to the recording.

Then, join us next week with Dave Donnellan. Dave's talk will focus on the impact of war on the environment. Militarism cuts at the heart of the unique and sacred relationship we have with the planet. In preparation for the event, check out World BEYOND War's webpage on How War Threatens the Environment.


EU MILITARY UNION BY 2025

ENAAT and CORPORATE EUROPE are two important European research organisation, and DW is a German Public Broadcasting Service

The attached reports are on the drive towards the militarisation of EU, and the use of German weapons on the war on the Yemen.

Information that ENNAT has made a new folder about the EU Defence Fund (see attached file) and also a website. Here is a link: http://enaat.org/eu-defence-fund.

The EU has a plan to make a Military Union (Defence Union) no later than 2025 and it seems like the weapon industry has a lot of influence.

The military industry was behind the creation of the EU Defence Fund and the militarization of the EU: https://corporateeurope.org/en/power-lobbies/2017/12/arms-industry-lobbying-and-militarisation-eu.

See that Germany and France are exporting a lot of weapons to countries that participate in the Yemen war. The German DW made a video about how German weapons ended in Yemen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtUKZKaxtLU.


The wars by the US since 2001 has created 37 million Refugees*

Since 2001 Irish Governments have actively helped the USA create the refugees by allowing over 3 million US troops land in Shannon Airport on their way to these endless wars.
* Watson Institute/Brown University Report


US Military Operations and Shannon Airport (Ireland)

Download the Factsheet

Oibríochtaí Míeata Sam agus Aerfort na Sionainne

Bileog Eolais


Short video on the US military and climate disaster

This video is for all the people throughout Ireland, but is also specifically aimed at Eamon Ryan, Leader of the Irish Green Party and all those people in Ireland who voted for the Irish Green Party. Ireland has to stop collaborating with the US military/industrial complex by allowing US troops and in Shannon Airport (3 million and rising so far). The Green Party must ensure that it will not go into Government unless Irish Neutrality is restored by terminating their use of Irish territory on their way to and from their perpetual wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMozyspFuBM


General Election 2020

These two graphs show that the EU is planning a massive increase in military expenditure as it seeks to build an EU Army. It will mean massive cuts in health, housing, pensions and other social expenditure to pay for the weapons. We ask all the voters in the 2020 election to only vote for candidates that reject PESCO and the emerging EU Army.

European defence spending

European Security spending


KEN & TARAK passports' were returned by the High Court and they are now home for Christmas.
They will return for their trial in 2021. They still need support for their trial

Vets for Peace

Two members of the US Veterans for Peace Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff are making a powerful contribution to the campaign to terminate the use of Shannon Airport by the Army of the US as it pursues its doctrine of perpetual war to rule the world. Well over 3 million US troops and an unknown amount of military equipment have landed in Shannon Airport since 2001 with the total support of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail and the smaller parties when they go into Government with them, and with the support of the entire Irish Corporate Media, in contravention of international law as laid down in the Hague Convention of 1907. They are making the issue of the use of Shannon Airport an international issue in a way that PANA has never been able to do since our foundation in 1996. They need your support, you can contribute on their GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/support-vets-fighting-us-war-machine-in-ireland


Factsheet

The Road to the EU Army traces the steady progress towards the creation of an EU Army linked with NATO by the ruling political elite in the EU over decades. This process has been greatly accelerated as a consequence of Brexit. However the decision of "moderate" EU/US leaders to support war after war, especially on Libya and Syria has created a massive number of refugees, very many of which have sought refuse in the EU, a consequence of war which these "moderates" knew would happen, has inevitably led to the creation of major new political formations (which they did not envisage) that threatens the power of the "moderate" Christian Democrats and Social Democrat that supported the EU/US/NATO doctrine of perpetual war that creates refugees in the first place.
PANA since its formation in 1996 has opposed the CD/SD drive to create an EU Empire with its own Army, a process strongly supported by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. There are individual members in these parties that oppose this process,and their leadership tries to pretend it is not happening. Reality however cannot be ignored and the Democratic National State, is reemerging as the institution to which the people give their loyalty, in our case, the Irish Republic.


The European Union - Democracy or Empire

The European Union - Democracy or Empire PDF


No War

Support the Venezuela Ireland Network
Email: venez@outlook.ie     Twitter: venezuela Ireland Network
Facebook: Venezuela Ireland Network-hands off Venezuela
Recommended website: www.venezuelanalysis.com


The First International Conference Against US/NATO Military Bases
Peace Conference montage

To read the full proceedings of the First International Conference against US/NATO Bases in Dublin see:
www.nousnatobases.org

Brief Report on the First International Conference Against US/NATO Military Bases held in Liberty Hall Dublin on 16-18th November 2018

This was indeed an important gathering of environmentalists, climate change activists, and campaigners concerned about human rights issues, intervention wars, the ever-escalating arms race, and the unfettered exploitation, slaughter, and destruction in our world.

We got up to date information on the 1000 military bases around the world, that includes Shannon Airport, and how we must develop a more coordinated global opposition to militarism. Delegates explained how US imperialism on the African continent can be traced back to the Berlin Conference (1884) that ensured a Belgium Congo providing a cheap supply of rubber for the US car industry; and the environment session suggested we are avoiding the elephant in the room if we don’t highlight the link between US foreign policy and climate change.

Over 300 people filled the conference centre, as delegates from 35 countries came together and debated issues relevant to their own country and to the world, and then agreed a Unity Statement...

To see the Press Communiqué that was adopted by participants on Sunday November 18th or to watch the Live Streaming of this major event now on YouTube go to http://noforeignbases.org/

Videos of the First International Conference Against US/NATO Military Bases:

- Friday November 16, 2018: https://youtu.be/XF4TXgsRYb8

- Saturday November 17, 2018: https://youtu.be/W0-IQIWNFpI

- Sunday November 18, 2018: https://youtu.be/qEXUNcXXFLc

For pictures of this event go to: www.stopthesewars.org/ellen-davidson

To see the short documentary about Hiroji Yamashiro shown on Saturday night.
"Okinawa, the Island of Resistance" (14mins)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12v6j69o25vzKF2ftgsLEGr8pjYiZNa97/view?usp=drivesdk


Article 46. Treaty of European Union - TEU. (Lisbon Treaty).

5. Any participating Member State which wishes to withdraw from permanent structured cooperation shall notify its intention to the Council, which shall note that the Member State in question has ceased to participate.

The decision of the FG/Independent Government supported by FF to actively support the integration of the Irish Army into the emerging EU Army via PESCO is a clear decision to restore the values of John Redmond. Except this time the Irish will be expected to kill and die for the Army of the European Union instead of the Army of the British Union. It will also mean massive cuts in expenditure in health, housing and social welfare as our military expenditure increases from €946 million to something like €3 billion. If you have not joined PANA by now, it is time you did.


Peace Platform presented at the Mansion House Conference February 17th 2018

The People’s Movement and PANA commit themselves to campaign for the State to immediately formally withdraw from all military an financial commitments under PESCO.
We are further agreed to campaign both collectively and individually for such a withdrawal.
We call on the support of local and national groups, organisations and elected representatives. We commit ourselves to work with all Oireachtas members that oppose PESCO and to encourage them to form an Oireachtas Group to further opposition within the Oireachtas and to provide permanent liaison.
We pledge ourselves to work with like minded groups within the EU also committed to exposing the accelerated militarisation of the EU. Where possible we will seek to establish local Irish peace groups to campaign for these objectives.


THE DANISH PROTOCOL

PANA was established in 1996 to advocate the right of the Irish people to have their own independent foreign policy, with positive neutrality as its key component, pursued primarily through the United Nations. We did so because in 1996 we believed it was the intention of the Irish political parties that then totally dominated the Republic of Ireland to steadily destroy the policy of Irish neutrality and integrate Ireland into the EU/US/NATO military structures in support of its doctrine of perpetual war. In every referendum on the EU we opposed, commencing with the Amsterdam Treaty, we sought a legally binding Protocol that would exclude Ireland from the steady militarisation of the EU, similar to that which applies to Denmark. In response to the decision of the FG/FF alliance, to join PESCO, which establishes permanent EU military structures,in effect an EU Army in the making, PANA and the People's Movement organised a Conference on PESCO which included a speaker from Denmark, Lave K. Broch, who focused on the Danish Protocol.  

Lave K. Brock: Denmark has an opt out from the EU militarization (Word doc) - Denmark and the EU militarisation (Powerpoint)


PESCO

The Irish Government is considering joining PESCO. This will be one of the most important decisions this FG/Independeny Alliance will ever make. There needs at the very least a serious debate on the issue, and in any genuine debate form all sides in the corporate media. On the evidence so far this is highly improbable, as is their total lack of coverage of the use of Shannon Airport by US troops. Read more >>

 


Cabinet approval for Ireland's participation in EU Army violates Irish Neutrality – Ó Snodaigh

22 November

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Defence Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has expressed anger and disbelief at the decision of the Irish Government to approve Ireland’s involvement in the European Union’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) at a recent cabinet meeting. The issue was raised by Sinn Féin TDs Sean Crowe and Aengus Ó Snodaigh during a debate on the issue in the Dáil yesterday. Read more >>

 


Ray McGovern was a recent guest of the Peace & Neutrality Alliance and the Galway Alliance Against War. He spoke in public meetings in Dublin and Galway, had meetings with a number of TD's and Senators and the Lord Mayor of Dublin. He can be reached on: http://raymcgovern.com/

Ray was around in the fall of 1962 and watched the Cuban missile crisis up close and personal. He served as an Army Infantry/Intelligence officer from 1962-1964 and then joined the CIA AS AN ANALYST (never had to overthrow any governments or ship kidnapped people thru Shannon). During Ronald Reagan's first term (1981-85) he briefed Vice President Bush, the Secretaries of State and Defense, and other very senior officials in the morning with the President's Daily Brief. He was chief of the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch of CIA, had three of my analysts supporting the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) in Geneva and Vienna, and was in Moscow in May 1972 to take part in the ceremonies marking the signing of the ABM Treaty -- the pillar of strategic stability until Bush Junior walked out of the treaty. VIPS and Ray are now focusing very much on the new acerbic tone in U.S.-Russia relations, the intense public campaign to blame Russia for everything, and THEY ARE EXPOSING, WITH FORENSICS TO BACK THEM UP, THE FACT THAT "THE RUSSIANS HACKED LAST YEAR'S ELECTION" IS AS FRAUDULENT AS THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION OF 15 YEARS AGO.

The Legend of the Russian Hack

from the most recent to the VIPS Memo to President of July 24, 2017 (not to mention several earlier ones, including op-eds by Bill and Ray in the Baltimore Sun, over the past year)

https://consortiumnews.com/2017/09/20/more-holes-in-russia-gate-narrative/

A New Report Raises Big Questions About Last Year’s DNC Hack
August 9, 2017

Former NSA experts, now members of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), say it wasn’t a hack at all, but a leak—an inside job by someone with access to the DNC’s system.

By Patrick Lawrence
https://www.thenation.com/article/a-new-report-raises-big-questions-about-last-years-dnc-hack/

https://consortiumnews.com/2017/07/24/intel-vets-challenge-russia-hack-evidence/



Vigil outside the US Embassy

The Peace & Neutrality Alliance and Irish CND protests outside the Embassy of the United States of America in Dublin, and we would have done the same outside the Embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea if they had one in view of the very real possibility of a nuclear war between the two states which would lead to the deaths of millions of people not only in Korea but the entire region. We call for inclusive direct negotiations of all the parties involved.

 

Welcome to PANA

Latest News/Articles

Public Meeting The Irish Neutrality League and the Imperialist War 1914-18


Paul Murphy MEP on the EU:
https://vimeo.com/80116191
Speech by Paul Murphy MEP Socialist Party Dublin Constituency (Word Doc).

Frank Slijper on the EU:
https://vimeo.com/80204732
Speech by Frank Slijper, Senior Researcher of the Dutch Campaign Against the Arms Trade (PDF).

Filipe Ferreira on the EU
https://vimeo.com/80221206

Speech by Lynn Boylan, Sinn Fein candidate for the Dublin Constituency of the EU Parliament (Word doc).


THE DRUMBEAT of WAR with IRAN

The EU/US/Israeli axis is planning to go to war with Iran, a war which will be much worse that the Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan wars. PANA intends to do all it can to stop the war.
Download: Attacks_in_Iran.pdf and What_War_With_Iran_Might_Look_Like.pdf


The US Army and Shannon Airport

International Solidarity Campaign

President Obama and US troops in Shannon Airport

Since 2001 the Peace & Neutrality Alliance in Ireland has campaigned against the use of Shannon Airport by US troops during war in accordance with international law as stated in the Hague Convention of 1907.

Support the Irish peace movement’s campaign to terminate the use of Shannon Airport by US troops on their way to and from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

See the groups that have done so already.


* ABOUT PANA

The Peace & Neutrality Alliance was established to advocate an independent Irish foreign policy, maintain Irish neutrality and promote a transformed United Nations as the organisation through which Ireland should pursue its security concerns.

It is open to all groups and individuals that accept our objectives.

Subscribe to PANA news a free email bulletin that will keep you informed about our current campaigns.

Since 1996 PANA has campaigned against the integration of Ireland into the US/EU/NATO military structures, and in particular, the use of Shannon Airport by the US military on their way to and from their wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

In 2009 Ed Horgan, International Secretary of PANA was granted a 10 year visa to visit the USA. In January 2010 it was revoked after Ed had received an invitation to speak at a conference in Duke University, North Carolina on torture and extradition. After intensive lobbying Ed was granted a 3 month visa to attend the conference. This was a victory for the Irish and US peace movements. It was a defeat of those in favour of war and who seek to destroy free speech.
(Powerpoint presentation of Ed's address to the conference).

Part of that campaign is to for the first time actively seek to increase our individual membership. Please download this membership form, print out a few and distribute to your friends. These horrific wars will continue and the use of Shannon Airport in them will continue forever unless there are people willing to join PANA and/or other peace groups in large enough numbers to end them. Its up to you.

US Army out of Shannon poster    Restore Irish Independence Democracy and Neutrality poster
New posters available, click on the image above.


* PANA AGM

The AGM of the Peace & Neutrality Alliance was held on Saturday, December 4 in the Ireland Institute, 27 Pearse Street, Dublin 2.

Here is the text of two of the speeches from the AGM:
1. Building the New Republic by Roger Cole, Chair of the Peace & Neutrality Alliance 2. Scrap Trident by Alan Mackinnon, Chair of Scottish CND


* POLICY DOCUMENTS by PANA National Executive

NO to War NATO and the Lisbon Treaty 
(September 2009)

Irish Independence or European Superstate
A European Battle fought on Irish soil (February 2008)
By Carol Fox, Research Officer of PANA

The EU BATTLE GROUPS: Regiments of the Empire
by Roger Cole (updated May 2006)

The EU Constitution - Policy document by the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (November 2004).

 


* EVENTS

Shannonwatch holds a regular vigil on the 2nd Sunday of every month
from 2-3pm at the Shannon Airport Roundabout.
Contact Tel: +353 878225087

IRISH FOREIGN AFFAIRS EDITORIAL, DEC. 2018 by Brendan Clifford
The issue of neutrality is in the air again. It needs as a foundation a treatment of the one positive act of neutrality—the wartime neutrality—from the viewpoint that sustained it, and a cold look at the war in which it was sustained. And it needs to be understood that it was armed neutrality made effective by a will to fight.
Read more >>


Ray at the Mansion House

Pilger meeting

Recently two major internationally know figures that campaign against the US doctrine of perpetual war visited Ireland, Ray McGovern and John Pilger visited Ireland Ray had a meeting with the Lord Mayor of Dublin and with political activists while John spoke at a packed meeting in TCD. A free PANA badge will be given to the first person who contacts PANA with information of any coverage in the Irish national corporate media.
Email: info@pana.ie


A pro-EU defence of Irish Neutrality by David Alvey
This was first published as a two part series in the September and October 2017 issues of the Irish Political Review


Ed Horgan, International Secretary of PANA address two major international conferences in Denmark and Switzerland in August and September 2017. Following on from the two conferences PANA attended Brussels, they are a further indication of PANA's commitment to working with other peace groups in other states as part of our analysis that working for peace is both an international and national struggle.

Rule of Law – from local to global - v - Misrule of Force Presentation by Edward Horgan to Mut zur Ethik (Courage for Ethics) Seminar in Will, Switzerland 3 Sept 2017

Alternatives to European Union militarization? Presentation by Edward Horgan, PANA international secretary to Danish Peoples Movement 26 August 2017


WPC and No to NATO -N0 to War conference

A large PANA delegation attended the WPC and No to NATO -N0 to War conferences in Brussels to ensure its delegates were aware that the six counties of Northern Ireland as part of the UK, were and remain part of NATO since its foundation. The other key issue was to highlight the reality that the Republic of Ireland is not a neutral state, but a de facto US Aircraft carrier, with well over 2.5 million US landing in Shannon Airport in order to help it and its allies such as the UK, to destroy, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and the Yemen. After the horrific attack in Manchester, a city with very strong Irish connections, by terrorists supported by the UK when they destroyed Libya with a four month bombing campaign and supplied the terrorists with military and financial support, we wish to make it clear that PANA was the only peace movement in Ireland that did not support the "freedom fighters". Every effort we made to condemn Libya's destruction was ignored by RTE and rest of the Irish corporate media.

The photograph above shows the Chair of PANA. Roger Cole holding up the PANA/Shannonwatch document 'Shannon Airport & 21st Century War' which was widely distributed at both conferences. It can be downloaded from this site, or a copy is available by contacting PANA on: 00 3531 (0) 2351512.



* ARTICLES, DOCUMENTS, LINKS, ...

PANA pamphlets:

Shannon Airport & 21st Century War:
https://issuu.com/panaireland/docs/shannon_airport___21st_century_war_/1

Positive Neutrality is Ireland's Best Defence
PANA submission to Irish government's White paper on defence
https://issuu.com/panaireland/docs/55830_pana_white_paper_on_defence_l/1

Some Facts About Iran's Nuclear Activities
https://issuu.com/panaireland/docs/iran_booklet_re-print/1

The Battlegroups of the European Empire
https://issuu.com/panaireland/docs/battlegroups_booklet/1


Shannon airport and the 21st Century War
Download pdf (2.62MB)
Edited by
John Lannon and Roger Cole


Response to the White Paper on Defence
by Carol Fox, member of the PANA National Executive


RedC Poll on Irish Neutrality & Syria
(PDF - 335KB)


THE BATTLE GROUPS OF THE EUROPEAN EMPIRE

On July 1 for a six month period over 150 Irish soldiers are taking part in a 3,000 strong German led EU Battlegroup that can be sent anywhere in the world  including Syria or Iran to take part in a war if the EU Council of Ministers decide to do so. 

The PANA discussion document "The Battle Groups of the European Empire"  provides an analysis of how this happened and how the people of the different nations living in the emerging Empire need to work together to oppose it. 

Another Europe is possible.


The growing links between NATO and the EU were a key feature of the NATO conference in Chicago. One of the best sites based in the USA is STOP NATO run by Rick Rozoff.
PANA strongly recommends the site.

Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/messages

Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com

To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
stopnato-subscribe@yahoogroups.com


* ARTICLES ARCHIVE

- - - - full list of previous articles >

 

PANA
17 Castle Street, Dalkey, Co.Dublin, Ireland.
- tel: +353 +1 235 1512 - email: info@pana.ie - web: www.pana.ie