Seanad debates
Friday, 21 March 2003
Foreign Conflicts: Motion.
The Minister of State said Ireland would not participate in this war. Does he know anything about law? Does he know what is the legal definition of the word "participation"? It is "knowingly giving assistance to". That is a simple phrase which should be comprehensible to anybody. In the light of that legal definition, is there any doubt that we are giving assistance knowingly to the United States of America by refuelling its aeroplanes? As somebody asked at the demonstration last night at the United States Embassy where I was proud to be – I am not a member of any of these crank groups which Senator Bradford in his disgraceful speech tried to tar – if one knew that an armed robbery or bombing was going to take place and knowing this put petrol in the tank of the vehicle used, would one not be responsible, both legally and morally, for it? That is what we are doing. We know we are fuelling vehicles with bombs in them. That is participation. Will the Minister of State, please, not dishonour this House by lying? He should tell the truth and say it like Senator Mooney. There is no morality, in which we are not interested. He should say it like Kevin Myers, that we need to be on the side of the big boys, that Bush is going to win and we have to be on the side of the winners. That is the Minister of State's morality but the people defy it. Some 100,000 protested in O'Connell Street and more will do so.
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