Anti Imperialist Action Ireland denounces in the strongest terms the latest cowardly attempt by imperialism’s servants in Ireland to drag the Irish people into NATO.
The Free State’s so-called “Consultative Forum on International Security Policy” is nothing but a showcase for the NATO war machine, another attempt to bludgeon the Irish working class into accepting collaboration with and even membership of the Anglo-American imperialist alliance or a future EU Army.
Rather than any sort of consultation or forum this is a one sided series of lectures by rabid warmongers, neoliberals thinktanks, intelligence ghouls and establishment politicians with the singular purpose of providing legitimacy for NATO in Ireland. Speakers at the event include NATO Director of Security Policy James Mackey, Roberta O’Brien the Free State attaché to the NATO “Defence Capacity Building” unity, Matti Pesu of the Finnish NATO research programme, CEO Ross Frenet of the British government funded Moonshot counterinsurgency company and Conor Kirwan of the “European Defence Agency”
The vast majority of those speaking at this event are explicitly pro NATO and support militarisation. ost of the remainder are supposedly neutral on the issue. Representatives from a various NATO member countries are set to attend including recent recruits Sweden and Finland.
The chairperson of the event, “Dame of the Order of the British Empire” Louise Richardson, is a self-described expert on “international terrorism” who, despite being born in Ireland, has openly denounced the 1981 Hungerstrikers and supports British and American imperialism around the globe. They provide advice to imperialist states on how to carry out counterinsurgency. This is the so-called neutral arbiter of this imperialist roadshow.
The Free State administration is to pay this pro-British warmonger 650 euros a day for the privilege of her “expertise”. It has already been estimated that the 4 dates of this “forum” are to cost €200,000, to supposedly debate an issue that for the vast majority of the Irish people is already settled.
The imperialist circus will discuss “emerging threats” to the security of Ireland. Britain has been the only major security threat to Ireland for 850+ years. The only security threat to be concerned about is the ongoing British occupation and the presence of Britain’s other allies in NATO. We are told that we must be weary of fantastical cyber attacks by Russian hackers while ignoring the thousands of British combat troops on Irish soil who have murdered countless Irish citizens down the centuries.
Shannon Airport continues to be used by American imperialism as a forward operating base for its war machine. The British RAF is given permission by the Free State to patrol Irish skies. NATO warships freely enter and patrol Irish waters. All of this has been permitted and actively encouraged by successive 26 County administrations without any consultation with the Irish people and despite active opposition by the Irish people.
This pathetically transparent “consultative forum” is no different. This is just another attempt to undermine the anti-imperialist sentiment of the Irish working class. The garrison class know they cannot join an EU Army or NATO by any “democratic” means, so they resort to sleight of hand.
As a founding and key member of NATO, British imperialism has been allowed to occupy 6 counties of Ireland, murder Irish citizens with impunity and terrorise nationalist communities for decades. And they dare to say that NATO represents peace. Tens of millions of oppressed people around the world murdered by NATO bombs can attest to the crimes of this internationsl gang of war criminals.
As Irish Republicans, Anti Imperialist Action Ireland will continue to oppose any and all attempts to drag the Irish working class into military alliances and send Irish youth off to die in imperialist wars. The sovereignty of the Irish nation and the rights of the Irish working class are not matters for debate. We call on the Irish people and all Republicans, socialists and progressive in uniting in opposition to these sinister plans by imperialism and the garrison class in Ireland.
Say No to NATO!