Republican News · Thursday 20 February 2003

Seán Crowe

Politicians have stolen Irish neutrality from the people

"The concept of establishing a free, independent militarily neutral state is deeply ingrained in Irish history, particularly, I am proud to say, in the republican socialist tradition.

Wolfe Tone called for neutrality in the face of an impending war between Britain and Spain in the 1790s. The commitment to Irish neutrality and independence was maintained in the 19th century by the Young Irelanders and was built on by the Irish Republican Brotherhood.

Arthur Griffith co-founded the Irish Neutrality Association to make the case that the war between Britain and the Boers should not involve the use of Irish soldiers as cannon fodder.

James Connolly argued consistently against involvement in the First World War. The maxim of the Irish Citizen Army, 'We serve neither King nor Kaiser but Ireland' summed up the feeling at the time.

In 1916, Roger Casement spoke of 'these artificial and unnatural wars, prompted by greed of power, are the source of all misery now destroying mankind'.

It is only by looking back over the years that we can see how clearly our neutrality has deteriorated, until we reached the stage where we are told by politicians and so-called intellectuals that our neutrality no longer makes sense.

Politicians have stolen Irish neutrality from the people. Successive governments have sold Irish neutrality piece by piece against the wishes of the people.

More than 100,000 men and women marched past Leinster House last Saturday and I congratulate everyone who took an active part in that demonstration and the organisers for making the day such a success.

Was the Taoiseach listening? Were those others, who have long claimed our neutrality was an anachronism, watching the television reports that night? Men and women who have never taken part in a protest in their lives flocked to Dublin in the hope that the government would finally listen to the people on neutrality.

They know we are assisting in a war that can have nothing but disastrous consequences for the Iraqi people and others living in the region.

The World Health Organisation has estimated there may be as many as 500,000 casualties. The government tells us that playing our part in the murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent people does not, and will not, affect Irish neutrality. The government is, not for the first time, lying to the Irish people.

Oil is fuelling the drive to war on Iraq. It is a war of aggression and domination. It is in the purest sense what Jacques Delors referred to in 1991 as a 'resource war'. I ask Members on all sides of the House who are concerned about this matter to speak out on it. I know there are Members who would have gone on the march on Saturday if they were allowed. They have a responsibility to speak out and they will have an opportunity to do and to vote to accept this Bill."