Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 45: To ask the Minister for Defence the contributions Ireland has made or is considering making to the recently established EUFOR Libya military mission; if he envisages that the Nordic Battle Group will be deployed in this context; and the assurances he has received that EU forces operating as part of EUFOR Libya will not be confused with the forces of EU member States which are attacking Libya as part of Operation Unified Protector. [8389/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

On 1 April 2011, the Council of the European Union adopted the decision, underpinning the mandates of UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973 (2011), establishing an operation called "EUFOR Libya" to stand ready to support humanitarian assistance in the region if requested by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA. This decision provides the legal framework for Operation EUFOR Libya. However, any decision to launch the EU military operation would require a further decision of the EU Council and must be preceded by a request from OCHA.

The aim of this mission would be to contribute to the safe movement and evacuation of displaced persons and support, with specific capabilities, the humanitarian agencies in their activities. To ensure the European Union is in a position to respond quickly to any such request from OCHA the Council decision provided for the establishment of an operational headquarters in Rome to undertake initial planning for any such mission. It also provided for the appointment of an operational commander. Ireland has been requested by the operational commander to deploy two Defence Forces personnel to the headquarters in Rome. This matter is under consideration in my Department and any such proposal will be subject to Government approval under the Defence Acts.

At present, the UN position is that there is currently no requirement for the deployment of military assets for humanitarian purposes. OCHA has reiterated that military assets should only be used for humanitarian purposes when all civilian alternatives are fully explored and it is operating on this basis. Therefore, it is unlikely the European Union will be called upon to deploy such a mission in support of OCHA in the immediate future.

As I understand it, there are no plans to deploy the Nordic battle group as part of the EUFOR Libya military mission and we did not have any discussion in that regard. If deployed, EUFOR Libya would not be an occupation force but an operation to support humanitarian assistance in the region. All EU forces operating as part of EUFOR Libya would honour the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs guidelines on impartiality and neutrality. The operation, if launched, would remain independent of any armed or political faction and exclude any occupation of or attempt to occupy Libyan territory. Any deployment of EUFOR Libya would be conducted in close co-ordination and complementarity with the other international actors operating in the region and neighbouring countries, including Egypt and Tunisia.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

While I welcome the news that no definite decision has been made on deploying military personnel, I ask the Minister to indicate that Ireland will not consider deploying military personnel as part of this operation. Notwithstanding the humanitarian justification that may be provided, NATO forces are engaged in aggressive military action in Libya which goes far beyond the scope of humanitarian intervention, particularly in the aftermath of the joint statement made by Prime Minister Cameron, President Obama and President Sarkozy in which they refer to regime change.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy must ask a question.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Will the Minister provide a firm assurance that Ireland will not in any way provide assistance or deploy military personnel to what is revealing itself increasingly as an aggressive military action for regime change which is contrary to international law? It is increasingly clear that this is about big powers trying to secure their oil and other interests in Libya and does not have anything to do with humanitarian intervention.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I never cease to be amazed at the manner in which the Deputy approaches matters. He may have noticed that if not for the intervention of the British, French and Americans, the population of Benghazi would probably be under Gadaffi rule and many thousands of civilians would have lost their lives. The town of Misrata is under siege while the town of Ajdabiya has been subject to rocket attacks by the forces of the Libyan leader. Whereas we are not engaged in activities in the region, the deployment that has occurred falls within the United Nations resolution which is designed to provide a degree of protection for the population in that region.

I noticed with some interest that Deputy Boyd Barrett is chair of the steering committee of the international war movement.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It is the anti-war movement.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Last Friday, it engaged in the meaningful act of picketing the European Union offices about Libya. How did that go? Did the Deputy find after the picket that Colonel Gadaffi had stopped bombing and trying to murder his own population? Did he discover that this was a particularly effective approach to take in addressing the intent of a murderous regime?

Deputy Boyd Barrett has an unfortunate propensity to demonstrate public support for international political leaders who lack any real democratic mandate or inhibition in torturing or murdering their own people. In the circumstances, it is not surprising he should have raised his question in this way. While he is pretending, on the one side, to have some concern for the civilian population of Libya, in reality he is clearly a supporter of the Gadaffi regime. It is extraordinary that he publicly attacks western democracies which are seeking to provide protection for innocent civilians and even more extraordinary that he should be opposed to this State, should it be asked to do so, engaging in a humanitarian mission to save lives with our European partners.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I ask the Minister to withdraw what is an outrageous and unfounded claim that I am supporter of the Gadaffi regime. Not only am I not a supporter of Gadaffi, who is a brutal dictator, but I would like to see him overthrown. I have stood on a number of protests in recent weeks with members of the Libyan community who are opposed to Gadaffi and seek his overthrow and did not notice the Minister on any of the demonstrations. One of his former party colleagues, Peter Sutherland, signed an oil deal with Gadaffi in 2004, while western governments have armed and financed the Gadaffi regime, thereby giving him the means to butcher his own population.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A question, please.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Minister has no lessons to teach me about opposing dictators.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

What is the question?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Does the Minister accept, as many are now saying in Britain, including the British political establishment, and throughout the world, that the western military intervention in Libya goes way beyond the remit of a claimed humanitarian mission and is actually about regime change, as stated explicitly by Mr. David Cameron, President Nicholas Sarkozy and President Barack Obama? Will we state clearly that we will not involve ourselves in supporting, in any shape or form, an aggressive military intervention to secure oil interests in Libya?

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy seems to be of the view that his protesting is effective in stopping Colonel Gadaffi from butchering his own civilian population. That seems to be the Deputy's rather confused view.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Will the Minister withdraw the claim that I support Colonel Gadaffi?

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Unfortunately, so far, the Deputy's protests have not impacted greatly on Colonel Gadaffi.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Neither have the bombings.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Perhaps the Deputy might send Colonel Gadaffi a video of his protesting outside the European Union offices in Dublin. I am sure he will be impressed.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It got rid of President Mubarak.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

On the UN position, as I said, there is no requirement for the deployment of military assets for humanitarian purposes. With regard to the role of the NATO-led operation, Operation Unified Protector, to which the Deputy referred in his question, NATO-led forces are committed to full implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973. They are taking action to protect civilians and civilian populated areas in Libya under threat of attack and enforcing the no-fly zone and an arms embargo authorised by UN Security Council Resolution 1973. NATO is implementing all military aspects of the UN resolution. It can be taken from the Deputy's comments that he would prefer if there was no intervention of any description by the countries to which he referred and that it would be his preference that Colonel Gadaffi be left alone to butcher as many thousands of civilians as he chooses.