US Ambassador accused of ‘Bush spin’
In a letter delivered yesterday to all TDs, Ambassador James C Kenny complained that press coverage of the war in Iraq was negative and did not take into account the positive steps America was taking to help Iraqis.
“As sometimes happens in news coverage of “hot” topics, the emphasis tends to be on the negative while the positive is often ignored or under-reported,” Ambassador Kenny’s letter reads before going on to point to “some of the many positive developments that have taken place in Iraq and Afghanistan”.
But Green Party chairman and foreign affairs spokesman John Gormley last night took exception to the letter calling it “an example of George W Bush spin at its worst”.
Mr Gormley said the Ambassador “needed to realise that most people in Ireland opposed the war in Iraq and the use of Shannon Airport as a military stopover.”
But Ambassador Kenny’s letter goes on to say that positive developments in Iraq “would not have been possible without the support of friendly countries including Ireland”.
And ignoring the continued controversy over US troops transiting through Shannon, Ambassador Kenny said: “Shannon Airport has enabled the transit of humanitarian supplies and aid workers, as well as peacekeepers working in many countries, so you can take pride in these accomplishments too.”
Ambassador Kenny’s letter also includes two US Department of State information sheets on Iraq and Afghanistan in which positive achievements are outlined.
Mr Gormley disputed the letter’s claims saying Shannon Airport is being used as a “military stopover to assist this illegal, unjustified and counter-productive war”.
