War and peace as county takes aim at CIA

HAS Cork County Council declared war on the CIA?

That was the question some councillors were left asking following a rather unusual motion in their forum of local democracy yesterday.

After discussing a plethora of local issues, the debate suddenly swung to international affairs, and specifically the CIA’s policy of rendition.

Fine Gael’s Councillor Jim Daly wanted council officials to ensure the county was a rendition-free zone. However, nobody seemed to explain what council officials could do to ensure the most powerful intelligence agency in the world doesn’t fly over Cork airspace.

The Clonakilty-based councillor added, in his motion, that any covert activities should be logged by council officials on a register.

Councillor Joe Carroll (FF) said he sat, mouth open, wondering if he was hearing right.

“I’m having a small bit of difficulty getting a handle on this,” said the Skibbereen-based councillor. “I think, maybe, this motion would be better aired in Baghdad than here. Does he want us to put machine guns or surface to air missiles on top of County Hall?”

Shooting down American planes on rendition runs didn’t appear to impress the leader of Fianna Fáil on the council, Cllr Alan Coleman.

“I think he (Cllr Daly) should withdraw that motion considering America will soon have a new president,” Mr Coleman said.

He then proceeded to inform councillors that they could have a friend in the White House.

“Councillor (John) Mulvihill and I have met with Barack Obama and I don’t think he would be doing anything like that (rendition),” Mr Coleman said.

He proudly repeated the boast, pointing out that the meeting had taken place when a county council delegation was recently on a trade mission to the US.

As the debate swung into an Obama love-in, it seemed to upset Sinn Féin’s Councillor Martin Hallinan who said that Mr Daly’s motion should be treated seriously.

“I don’t think it’s a joke,” he said. “This is a very serious issue.”

Fine Gael’s Cllr Noel O’Connor quickly returned the debate to Obama-mania.

“The county council should send a letter of congratulations to president-elect Obama,” Mr O’Connor said.

“Yes, and while we’re at it could we ask him to make sure he leaves his multinationals here,” Cllr Deirdre Forde added.

So, is it war or peace? After the debate ended, nobody seemed to know.