Principles prove ‘biodegradable’ as party surrenders on Shannon and Tara

AT the Green Party conference on June 13, I argued against the party joining the Fianna Fáil Government because it risked being complicit in future human rights abuses and corruption.

I reminded the conference of the US military stopover at Shannon and Ireland’s complicity in the killing of innocent children, including the pregnant mother of Ali Abbas and three of his siblings in Iraq, and 15 Afghan children in two US air raids in December 2003.

On Tuesday last, according to news reports, at least seven children were killed in a US-led coalition air strike on a religious school in Afghanistan.

No one has a UN mandate to kill children. As with the suicides of prisoners in Guantanamo, US spokesperson Tony Snow tried to blame the victims: “… the Taliban and other terrorists try to transform innocents into human shields.”

Further evidence of Green surrender was acknowledged by John Gormley when he claimed he had no power to reverse Dick Roche’s decision on the Hill of Tara.

Michael Smith of An Taisce, and others, disagree.

The programme for government contains a statement by Fianna Fáil and the Green party that “this Government will maintain Irish neutrality”. The Green party negotiators were too ‘green’ to realise they were conned into signing up to the Fianna Fáil falsehood that Ireland is still a neutral state.

Trevor Sargent has stated that he was completely satisfied with Bertie Ahern’s finances. Green party principles are proving to be even more biodegradable than our compost heaps.

Let’s hope the Greens achieve something in government, although no such gains can compensate for the ongoing deaths of so many innocent children.

Edward Horgan

Newtown

Castletroy

Co Limerick