An Phoblacht
May 15, 2013
Neutrality debate: ‘Cold War relic NATO should be shut down’
Heated exchanges at Dublin meeting
Mark Maloney
There was tension in the air on Tuesday evening as scores of people packed into Wynn’s Hotel, Dublin, to listen to a debate chaired by Irish Times journalist and security analyst Tom Clonan on whether or not the Irish state should join NATO.
Sinn Féin Justice and Defence spokesperson Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD was first up to speak and said Ireland should be proud of the role that the Irish Defence Forces play in UN peace-keeping operations. He said there is an increasing push for an EU army and that Irish neutrality is being gradually eroded, noting the deployment of eight Irish troops to support French and British troops fighting rebels in Mali.
Mac Lochlainn also noted recent comments by Defence Minister Alan Shatter who told NATO Review that neutrality “doesn’t have any major relevance” in the West’s “war against terrorism”.
“We never stood idly by,” said Mac Lochlainn. “We play our part in conflict resolution and active neutrality. NATO is a relic of the Cold War and should be shut down. What the UN and the world needs to do is address the causes of war, which include poverty and discimination.”
Dr Bruno Tertrais of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Paris and a former NATO committee director, argued that neutrality “makes no sense”. Tertrais claimed Ireland is no longer neutral as it allows US forces to use Shannon Airport and its airspace and is a member of the NATO ‘Partnership for Peace’ programme already.
“You are a de-facto member of the EU security alliance already,” he said. “Membership of NATO will give Ireland influence and help tip the balance towards Europe and away from the USA.” {!} He also said that it would allow Ireland to keep a “well-trained and well-armed force”.
Joe Higgins TD of the Socialist Party said that NATO and similar organisations just divide the world into militaristic blocs and that, were it not for the staunch opposition to NATO membership from the people of the state, the political establishment would have joined up already.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD of People Before Profit and the SWP argued that we should not have to choose “the lesser of two evils” and highlighted many NATO atrocities and also those that have been abetted by the Irish state despite it being officially neutral. Barrett said the fact NATO has a first-strike nuclear policy against other nuclear states should be reason enough alone for any state not to join.
Declan Power, a former Irish Army officer and author, argued in favour of NATO membership but could give few positive reasons. Instead, he argued that the state “cannot be a little bit neutral” and said it is out of touch. “We either engage or become irrelevant,” he said.
He claimed benefits would include better training and equipment for Irish soldiers. He then faced a grilling from the floor from a female former soldier who asked how he would justify sending young Irish men and women to fight wars for US interests. Power’s answer was that they should know there is a possibility of death or injury when they sign up.
Roger Cole of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) told the audience that “NATO needs war like Dracula needs blood” and outlined NATO indiscriminate attacks which have killed and maimed civilians.
Many audience members took the opportunity to highlight the waste of money on military equipment and argued that technology and research should be used for the benefit of people rather than to create weapons of war. Others called for the complete abolition of Ireland’s defence forces, something which only Joe Higgins agreed with.
The Irish Anti-War Movement said that a number of pro-NATO Labour Party representatives had been invited to talk at the event but responded by saying they had their views but are not willing to attend to air them publicly.
Fine Gael, which has publicly called for debates on whether the state should remain neutral, did not take part.
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