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| Campaigns:
Ireland and PfP. |
AFrI believes that
the joining of PfP seriously undermines Ireland's traditional
independence and non-aligned stance. The recent pledge of £300
million to the Irish Defence Forces heralds the beginning of
increased expenditure on weapons. Moves to create a European
army will mean deeper involvement with NATO, an alliance that
is increasingly motivated by economic and political interests
rather than humanitarian concerns.
A serious threat to Ireland's already fragile independence
is its involvement in PfP - ironically named Partnership for
Peace. The aim of PfP is to develop a base for co-operative
military activities in relation to peace keeping and peace
enforcement. It must not be forgotten that PfP is a creation
of NATO and involves an agreement negotiated directly with
NATO which is largely controlled by the US. Far from being
motivated by humanitarian concern and human rights violations,
NATO, the voice of the USA will be motivated by protecting
their economic and strategic interests. And Ireland as a member
of PfP will be involved in this violation.
"The price of entry to NATO
is not cheap. A US Congressional study warned that membership
could increase the defence expenditure of an East European
country by as much as 60%. NATO estimates the total cost
of expansion as 3 billion while the US Defence Department
estimates between 17 - 22 billion" T. Webb.
PfP has been described as 'a waiting
room' for NATO membership. Poland, the Czech Republic and
Hungary who joined PfP have since become full members of NATO.
Decisions relating to co-operative activities between NATO
and the countries involved in PfP will be made by these parties.
Individual national governments lose control over further
decision making and programme implementation once they have
become a partner in PfP. These huge decisions are then made
by NATO's decision - making bodies. In Ireland's case the
Ambassador to NATO who is at present the Ambassador of Belgium
will represent Ireland's "interests" in PfP. He will be guided
and advised by Ministers of the Irish government.
The financial implications in regard to Irelands joining PfP
are far reaching. In order to update the Irish Army's weapons
to NATO's standards, the Irish government has decided to spend
£40 million on 40 armoured personnel carriers. This is only
the beginning of increased Irish expenditure on weapons. Poland
has estimated it will spend £1.08 billion over the next 15
years in order to meet the terms of NATO membership. The Irish
people have not even been given the opportunity to decide
if they want to join NATO's PfP. Despite a pre-election pledge
to hold a referendum, given in the Fianna Fail manifesto,
no such referendum was held, yet a high percentage of Irish
tax payers money will now be spent not on job creation or
easing the current housing crisis but on military hardware.
Further Worrying Trends.
The "Irish Peace Process Cultural Training Act of 1998" was
signed into law by President Clinton on Friday October 27,
1998. It directs the Secretary of State and the Attorney General
of the United States to establish a program to enable young
people from Northern Ireland and the six border counties of
Ireland to enter the United States to "develop job skills
and conflict resolution abilities in a diverse and co-operative,
peaceful and prosperous environment"(Department of State Task
Order Statement of Work, US Department of State, September
15, 1999) The State Department is authorised to issues up
to 4,000 non-immigrant visas ("Q-2s") per year to participants,
over a three year period. The program is named after Congressman
Walsh from New York who was the chief person pushing the bill
through Congress. It is known as the Walsh program.
"It seems bitterly ironic
that a company involved in- preparing military forces for
war should be chosen to administer a project whose stated
aim is to 'encourage grassroots support for long-term peace'."
Mr. Joe Murray, AFrI.
While this step holds great potential for the chosen participants
in terms of experience, training and job opportunities, it
is alarming that the appointed administrators have been named
as Logicon. Logicon's main activity is "providing exercise
planning and scenario development expertise for warfare exercises
world-wide."(From Logicon's own website - address in website
listings.)
The stated justification for choosing Logicon as the administrator
of the program is their IT skills. Logicon officials have
begun discussions with Fás and its counterpart in the North,
the Training and Employment Agency. AFrI have called on Fás
and the Training and Employment Agency, to reconsider their
involvement in this programme until its real aims and objectives
are satisfactorily clarified and a new administrator is appointed
by the US Government.
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