Gavin Mendel-Gleason
Speaking on the matter, Workers’ Party representative Gavin Mendel-Gleason said:
“Friday night’s attacks will doubtless have been welcomed with glee by the ‘Army of Islam’ jihadists who the Syrian army had only weeks previously successfully eliminated from Ghouta province outside Damascus.
“The victory in Ghouta for the Syrian army was a decisive blow against the control of Islamic fundamentalism in parts of Syria. It brought an end to the horrific abuses being carried out against anyone who did not subscribe to Army of Islam’s brutal religious region in the region, and has caged its opponents to use as human shields.
“I have absolutely no doubt, that these terrorists will rejoice at Western attacks on the Syrian government.”
Mendel-Gleason continued:
“The military strikes can only do one thing – that is, further destabilise the situation in Syria. Destabilisation of a government – regardless of its imperfections – without a clear, legitimate alternative to replace it, has caused decades of chaos in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a return of the human slave trade in Libya.
“‘Regime change’ has been well and truly discredited. It is not about ‘human rights’ or about ‘democracy’ – it is simply about exerting the influence of the US and its allies over more countries, without any regard for the welfare of those countries’ citizens.”
Mendel-Gleason concluded by calling for an immediate ban on US military aircrafts’ use of Shannon Airport, saying:
“In recent years, there has been a growing number of US military aircrafts passing through Shannon en route to destinations used by the US as military bases in the region of Syria.
“The use of Shannon makes Ireland complicit in US efforts to escalate the Syrian conflict. The Taoiseach should introduce a ban on the use of Shannon airport by US military aircrafts, effective immediately.”