DON'T FIGHT (Week Three, September 26 - 30)
September 26, 2001
The Irish Times (Alison O'Connor, and Mary Minihan)
The Government does not expect that Ireland, as a neutral country, is in danger of attack with biological or chemical weapons... The Government spokesman said since Ireland was not part of any military alliance there was no expectation of becoming involved in a war situation....
Mr Joe Murray of Afri] said the Irish Government was out of touch with public opinion, which he said was opposed to military strikes.
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September 26, 2001
The Irish Times (Roger Cole)
The US with only 4 per cent of the world's population controls 36 per cent of military expenditure. If they used their resources for justice instead, the world would be a better place. If their reaction is to use their resources to bring food to the Afghans then the suspects will be handed over... They are a crime against humanity and those responsible should be brought to justice before the international court established by and responsible to the UN.
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[See separate menu: DROP THE DEBT]
September 26, 2001
The Irish Times (Vincent Browne)
So we know... that the bombardment undertaken in Yugoslavia and Iraq and, apparently, now being planned for Afghanistan, is necessarily indiscriminate and necessarily involves the taking of innocent lives, almost certainly in the thousands. And we also know that such a campaign, while it might satiate the lust for revenge and give the impression of something being done, is unlikely to "take out" the terrorists responsible for the US attack. Indeed, its most likely consequence is that similar or even more horrific attacks will take place.
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September 27, 2001
The Irish Independent (Susan Garraty)
Mr Powell told reporters the minister [of Foreign Affairs] Brian Cowen promised that Ireland would "go beyond sentiment to action".
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September 27, 2001
The Irish Times (Mary Holland)
Ironically, we are in a very good position to remind the United States and the international community that intractable conflicts can only be resolved by addressing the grievances that produce terrorism. That was the policy to which Americans gave their unstinting support in Northern Ireland.
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September 27, 2001
The Irish Times (Mark Hennessy)
Public opinion has become much less supportive of possible attacks on Afghanistan, Green Party TD Mr John Gormley has said...." ... to state that the terrorist attacks had nothing to do with American foreign policy is naive," he said ...."
The party also criticised the stance of Fine Gael and Labour. Mr Gormley said: "We want to smoke them out. They have been trying to face both ways. That isn't possible.
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September 28, 2001
The Irish Independent (Frank Khan)
And the bishops also expressed concern for other "innocent people" who are suffering following the tragedy. In a statement after their general meeting in Maynooth they said: "Countless Afghan people are fleeing their homes and country and facing a most uncertain future."
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September 29, 2001
The Irish Times (Breda O'Brien)
In the second World War, the bad guys deprived millions of their democratic rights and millions more of their lives. But the good guys obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki....
When Bertie Ahern, without the consent of the Irish people, offered the use of Irish airspace and airports, he gave moral backing to whatever course of action the US decides to take... And he cannot claim a UN mandate. The Security Council... did not authorise or require any use of force - it only expressed its "readiness to take all necessary steps". Thus, it clearly was not an action resolution.
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September 29, 2001
The Irish Times (John Horgan)
The prospect of a "cycle of retribution", involving the United States and its allies on one hand and Islamic fundamentalists and even states on the other, was the bleak scenario outlined by Prof Terry Karl of Stanford University, a leading US expert on international relations....
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September 29, 2001
The Irish Times (Vincent Brown interview with Professor Patrick Hannon)
VB: How then would it be possible for America to exercise its right to self-defense against terrorists, presuming that Osama bin Laden and his organisation were involved in the World Trade Centre and Pentagon bombings. How could they exercise the right to self-defense against such an organisation without killing innocent civilians, not deliberately but as what might be described as collateral damage?
[Fr. Patrick Hanlon]: That's for them to work out....
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September 30, 2001
The Sunday Independent (Dr Colum Kenny)
A changed world too complex for Bush's Texan plain talk .... President Bush's language is inadequate when it comes to his 'War on Terrorism'.
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September 30, 2001
The Sunday Independent
Emma Philbin Bowman distills what spiritual leaders have been saying; Deepak Chopra: All violence is injustice the only antidote to violence is compassion. And what is compassion made of? It is made of understanding .... To understand, we must find paths of communication so that we can listen to those who desperately are calling out for our understanding because such an act of violence is a desperate call for attention and for help.
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September 30, 2001
The Sunday Independent (Jody Corcoran)
Irish back Bush but don't want to fight -
Only 6% would join battle against terrorism but 63% back use of airports. The Irish people have backed President Bush's response to the terrorist attacks in the United States by a six-to-four majority, according to a Independent IMS opinion poll.
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