US activist slams Irish role in 'war on terrorism'
A leading US peace activist has criticised Ireland’s complicity in US President George W Bush’s "war on terrorism".
Fr Dan Berrigan, who came to prominence amid protests against the Vietnam War, said it is appalling that the Government has allowed the US to use Shannon Airport for a war that is designed to increase US dominance in the world.
"We have no knowledge at home about the way in which Shannon Airport is being used by the US military," he said.
He said it was "appalling" to see Ireland was "part of a conspiracy of silence", he added.
Fr Berrigan told an audience of hundreds in Dublin last night that the Bush administration is comprised of "militarists posing as politicians" and that the US is abusing its position as the world’s only superpower.
He predicted that Mr Bush will press ahead with his planned war against Iraq, even if the rest of the world is opposed to it.
