John Lannon

Published in Peace Planet News, Spring 2020

According to its Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland’s foreign policy is based on a set of core principles that include the maintenance of peace and security as enshrined in the UN Charter; promoting and protecting Ireland’s interests abroad; respect for and the promotion of human rights; and a commitment to the rule of international law. Over the past two decades these commitments have been eroded however. This has been particularly evident in two key areas. The first is Ireland’s participation in the European Union's Permanent Structured Cooperation initiative on security and defence (PESCO). This is the part of the EU’s security and defence policy (CSDP) in which 25 of the 27 national armed forces pursue structural integration. PESCO member states are expected to increase defence budgets, provide troops for use in EU Battle-Groups, and join “structures partaking in European external action in the military field”[1]. The second clear and obvious breach of Ireland’s commitment to the maintenance of peace and the rule of international law is the ongoing use of Shannon Airport on the west coast by the US military. The effective transformation of Shannon into a US forward operating base in 2002/2003 was, and still is, deeply offensive to the majority of Irish people. In allowing it to be used for the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Irish government at the time was guided more by a desire to accede to the demands of the Bush administration than to serve the interests or wishes of its own people. Almost two decades later, US military and military contracted planes still pass through Shannon on a daily basis.

Omni Air US troop carrier N846AX arrived at Shannon from Kuwait early this morning, refuelled and took off again at 5.45am heading for Pope Air force base in North Carolina.

Also heading in the opposite direction is Omni Air US troop carrier N378AX coming from Fort Hood Texas - due to land at Shannon about 2.20pm this afternoon.

Photo shows both of these aircraft together at Shannon on 15th December last.

We are saddened to report that our peace activist friend and colleague John Jefferies has passed away. John had been unwell for a number of years but his home in Cobh overlooked the entrance to Cork harbour, and he kept us informed of all NATO warships entering Cork's neutral harbour enabling us to organise not-so-welcoming protests, including doing some appropriate paint work on the conning tower of a Dutch Nato submarine.

Many thanks to our dozen committed peace activists who turned out for the Shannonwatch peace vigil today in spite of dreadful weather, with a storm blowing and heavy rain.

The photo was taken as we ended our vigil and after several activist had left, including octogenarian Margaretta D'Arcy who travelled from Galway by bus. Spare a though and a prayer for migrants who endure even worse weather conditions in grossly inadequate concentration camps.

Omni Air number N378AX arrived at Shannon Airport early this morning having collected US troops from Robert Gray air base in Texas and from Pope air base in North Carolina. It has since flown on to deliver these US troops to Kuwait and to Al Udeid air base (which is the biggest US air base in the Middle East).

Its been a wet windy evening at Shannon Airport but that has not stopped US warplanes and other suspicious aircraft refuelling there.

Western Global Air does lots of work for US military. Its aircraft number N412SN arrived at Shannon from Dubai in the UAE at about 4pm.

Yesterday US vice president Mike Pence met with US troop during a refuelling stop at Shannon Airport. As thejournal.ie reported, Pence disembarked Air Force Two to meet the soldiers who were on their way to Iraq, while they were also refuelling at Shannon. 

“I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to get off Air Force Two and tell you how grateful we are to each and every one of you and your families that are going to keep the home fires burning during this deployment." said Pence.

This is the second time in six months that Pence has deliberately abused Irish sovereignty by using Shannon Airport to greet US troops. He must know that the troops are also breaching Irish neutrality by transiting through Ireland on their way to wage wars of aggression in Iraq. 

Today in the Dublin Circuit court Colm Roddy and Dave Donnellan had a preliminary hearing designed to pave the way towards confirming their trail date as 2nd March. The offence they are charged with is linked to their attempts to search and investigate some US military aircraft at Shannon on 25 May 2016. That's almost four years ago.

The wheels of justice move very slowly in Ireland if you are a peace activist charged with attempting to ensure that the Gardaí at Shannon do their duty and apply the law as it should be applied.

Tonight at 7.15 pm a United States Marine Corps KC-130J 16-9228 landed at Shannon Airport. It was most likely coming from a Norwegian air base called Bardufoss where it was probably participating in a NATO exercise.

We had a wonderful turnout at Shannon today to oppose the US military use of the airport. Almost 100 people in total, gathered in opposition to the US military use of the airport. So great to see people from near and far, united in campaigning for peace. We walked from outside the aerodrome to the airport, with songs of peace and solidarity ringing out. And the usual one hour presence on the "peace' roundabout was also observed.