Spokesman Books

Public Meeting The Irish Neutrality League and the Imperialist War 1914-18 Tuesday 21st October, Liberty Hall, Dublin Speakers   Gerry Adams President, Sinn F éi n   Mary Carolan Sheehy Skeffington School of Human Rights and Social Justice   Jack O'Connor General President, SIPTU   Michael O'Reilly Dublin Council of Trade Unions   Dr. Margaret Ward Director of the Women's Resource Centre   Chair: Freda Hughes Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign www.pana.ie

The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation Ltd.   Russell House, Bulwell Lane, Nottingham NG6 0BT, England       MESSAGE   The leaders of 28 NATO member countries and others gather for a summit meeting in Newport, the third city of Wales, on 4-5 September 2014. For days together, this small city has been besieged while fences, gates and barricades are erected to protect those attending. The cost is substantial, and there is considerable inconvenience to the people of Newport and to the activists of the international peace movement who have organised a counter-summit there. NATO’s uselessness is never more apparent than when it rudely disrupts people’s lives in order to exult in 65 costly years of existence.   It was with some foresight, in 1949, that the distinguished Irish Foreign Minister, Seán MacBride, rejected an invitation, sent through the American Ambassador in Dublin, to participate in a meeting to discuss the fo...

The Russell Foundation has received a nice postcard from Margaretta D’Arcy, who is in Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison for protesting about US military use of Shannon Airport. We sent her some books by Bertrand Russell when she complained about the poor library at Limerick Prison, where she was held previously. The Irish Times published our letter about this on 14 February. Margaretta can now be reached at the address below. *** Margaretta D’Arcy 79759 Dóchas Centre Mountjoy Jail, North Circular Road Dublin 8 Thank you so much for the books which arrived safely at this jail. The women are delighted as of course they know about Bertrand Russell but have not read of him so there is strong [interest] there. Yours in solidarity, Margaretta D’Arcy

The use of Shannon Airport by US troops on their way to and from the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan has gained a good deal of coverage recently, primarily thanks to the wikileaks stories in the Irish Independent . In Ireland, the new programme for government says Shannon Airport should be used only in accordance with international law. As the Hague Convention of 1907, which has been a cornerstone of international law, says neutral states cannot allow their territory to be used in a war (no US army planes land in Zurich airport), PANA expects the new Fine Gael/Labour government to live up to its promises. In the meantime, please support the Shannonwatch demonstration at Shannon Airport on 12 June 2-3 pm. Also see www.globalintelligenceforum.com which promotes a conference on global intelligence on the 11-13 July in Dungarvan. The speakers include a former director of the CIA and many others. Since the decisive majority of the people of the US and GB want to see the end of these...

AN APPEAL FOR SIGNATURES Dear Friends, President Obama visits Ireland on May 20-22. Since 2001, the Peace & Neutrality Alliance (PANA) has campaigned against the use of Shannon Airport by US troops en route to Afghanistan and Iraq. We are seeking to ensure this is the major issue during his visit. We would therefore appreciate support for the following statement: "We support the Irish Peace Movement's campaign to terminate the use of Shannon Airport by US troops on their way to and from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq." Please email your support to: info@pana.ie Thanks Roger Cole, Chair Peace & Neutrality Alliance http://www.pana.ie/

Press Statement 8/3/2011 - Peace & Neutrality Alliance Victory for Peace Movement in new Programme for Government The Peace & Neutrality Alliance ( PANA ) welcomes the statement in the new Labour/Fine Gael Programme for Government, promising to implement international law in terms of the use of Irish airspace and airports by foreign powers. Under the section Foreign Affairs, ODA and Defence, the Programme says: "We will enforce the prohibition on the use of Irish airspace, airports and related facilities for purpose not in line with dictates of international law." PANA Chair, Roger Cole, a delegate to the Conference, asked for clarification of this statement in the Programme for Government. He pointed out that a key part of international law governing the behaviour of Neutral States is the Hague Convention of 1907 which prohibits the use of a neutral state's territory to prosecute a war. Switzerland quotes the Hague Convention to explain why no US planes land at Z...