Irish Time

Monday, April 8, 2013

Wikileaks. US Concerns at Ireland





UK OK ?? http://bit.ly/PLJ9tK
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48 days ago

Wikileaks show US Concerns on Ireland

Whistleblower website publishes more than 1.7 million American diplomatic records dating between 1973 and 1976.


   
The United States was concerned in 1973 that Ireland could become “one of the more difficult” members of the European Community for it to deal with, according to the latest batch of diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks.
The whistleblower website this morning published more than 1.7 million American diplomatic records dating between 1973 and 1976.
According to Wikileaks, the cables include “significant revelations about US involvements with fascist dictatorships, particularly in Latin America, under Franco'sSpain (including about the Spanish royal family) and in Greece under the regime of the Colonels.”
The documents also include many references to Ireland. In one document dated October 9th, 1973, the US embassy in Dublin assesses Ireland-US relations.
Describing them as “excellent”, the cable says “those in the power queue of both major parties are generally well-disposed toward the United States”.
While interpersonal relations were described as good but requiring “attention”, the document warns of “areas of concern that could grow worse”.
Originally classified as secret, the document warns that Ireland’s neutrality and its position in Europe could become problematic in the relationship between both countries.
"In the years ahead we expect that Ireland will be one of the more difficult members of the EC for us to deal with, specifically in the area of defense, because of Ireland's traditional neutrality; and in the reduction of agricultural trade barriers, because ireland is a major agricultural country.”
“In both these secret matters, We expect to see the Irish aligned with the French, perhaps even out in front of them, until the development of the community itself realigns its internal forces.”
The embassy was also concerned at overtures made to Ireland by Soviet minister for foreign affairs Andrey Gromyko. Following a visit to the United Nations general assembly during which Minister for Foreign Affairs Garret FitzGerald agreed with his Soviet counterpart Andrey Gromyko to an exchange of embassies, the US embassy observed:
“We expect the Soviets to do what they can to exploit Ireland's psotion (sic) as the only neutral nation in the EC and the only area in western Europe with serious civil strife. The Irish govt is aware of the problem but may not yet be equipped to cope with it.”
On Northern Ireland, the document commented on efforts to end the violence by the Irish and British governments “by political compromise” and acknowledged concerns held by the Irish government over funding for the IRA.
“Odds probably favor painful and jerky winding down of conflict. But there is still a possibility of all-out civil war, the document said.
“Even more peace-keeping troops would then be needed (there are now some 15,000 British soliders in Northern Ireland), and there would be a chance of long-term instability throughout the island.
“US security interests could then be affected, though not so directly as those of the British. Short of this civil-war scenario, the wide area of Dublin/London agreement eases our policy decisions, because we can thoroughly agree with both.
“One source of friction remains: emotional involvement of the Irish-American community in the US. For us, this merely creates some inconvenince, but the Irish are very concerned about American contributions of money and arms to the IRA.
“For the sake of both the Irish and the British, as well as for our own interests in European stability, we must do what we can to discourage contributions to violence in Ireland.”
WikiLeaks' publisher Julian Assange said the latest collection of diplomatic records "covers US involvements in, and diplomatic or intelligence reporting on, every country on Earth.
“It is the single most significant body of geopolitical material ever published.”
The collection, referred to as the “Kissinger Cables” includes 205,901 records relating to Henry A. Kissinger who served as US secretary of state during the period covered by the documents.
Thousands of the documents are marked NODIS (no distribution) or Eyes Only, as well as cables originally classed as secret or confidential.

Comments (20)


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BrianClarkeNUJ

Then of course there is the small matter of Irish concerns wit. the US. Democracy was murdered with Kennedy as with the intelligence coup of the Wilson Government in Britain to be followed by the puppet meisters arrangement of the likes of Nixon, Reagan, the infamous Bush family and of course Thatcher followed by Blair. http://bit.ly/PLJ9tK


DavidSmith

The 'analysis' in these 'secret' cables is really simple-minded. Could the US government be that dumb? Or we just getting the dumb cables? I could have given them a better analysis of what went on down here and all I did was talk to a few fellas in pubs, read the papers and borrow a few books from the library.


MartinMurphy

The American analyst probably did the same as you, only he paid for his pints with US taxpayers' money.


SidJLGaro

Ireland and Texas State, are the only Makers of Micro- chips?


SealLesiomon

Why can't one comment on any of the Margret Thatcher articles? Is the IT worried what people will say?
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1172Flathead

Margret who?


ConO'Driscoll

Ask not for whom the bell tolls. That said today's was one Ding-Dong that many of us Munchkins will not be sad to hear.


Malleus Maleficarum

An important and useful triangulation corrective for anybody who ever believed the nonsense that the US pumps out through their foreign service channels.


NeilO'Brien

What a fascinating collection of documents, Julian Assange has done a great favour to the historians of the future. Open societies are healthier societies - contrast Canada's open democracy with the United States' closed secretive governmental apparatus. Our own government here even went to the steps of hoodwinking the people about the importance of Cabinet confidentiality and ran a successful referendum on it in the 1990s. Any government minister who discusses the cabinet discussions on the night of the bank guarantee would now be liable to prosecution for breach of the 17th amendment. The only way this can be overturned is by the most expensive route of a High Court application, or the establishment of a Tribunal by the Oireactas.

British Cabinet papers, whilst subject to a 40 year rule, provide exceptionally detailed discussions of Ministers deliberations rather than a brief outline of resolutions, whereas the surviving record from Irish cabinet discussions are sparse and give mere skeleton outlines without recording what the principles said or recommended. In Sweden Cabinet papers are published weekly online. In Canada foreign policy is published openly by the Department of Foreign Affairs and has been for over a century.

Which democracy is more secure and healthy: that of Canada and Sweden or that of Ireland and the US?


Hanora Brennan

The calibre of our electorate is low and even when a principled person is elected they end up as 'cute hoors' it appears to be the natural progression! Newly emancipated peasants with the straw still in their mouths.


StuPeters

"Canada's open democracy." No, we have an oligarchy just like every other country that claims to be a democracy.


ConO'Driscoll

So Ireland's "neutrality" was something the US considered a potential problem back then? Well they turned that "problem" into an opportunity 30 years later by making this filthy kleptocracy into a permanently moored and camouflaged war-plane carrier and vital cog in the 21st century aviatory Aushwitz Railway aka extraordinary rendition.

Note the prediction, on effect, that Ireland's "neutrality" would cease to be a problem when "development of" the (European) Community" "realigns its" or should we nowadays say "Her", "internal forces".

They knew well the agenda even back then was a sovereignty stealing democracy trampling hyper-military sEUperstate.

Pity all the greedy little bogshites mad to sell their Dead Generations' legacies for a mess of ECB pottage and thirty pieces of Yankee Warmonger silver didn't stop to think as they betrayed and dishonoured this suffering country and Her Cause and history with their national propensity to nod and wink and turn blind eyes to cowardice inhumanity and rapine.

So long as there's a buck in it for Paideen and Biddy and their greasy till.


JohnMcKeating

Oh, Holy God!


SealLesiomon

the British also had peace-keeping troops in northern Ireland? these cables are full of revelations!


PadraicO'Dwyer

You live and learn, Perhaps they were hiding somewhere


RobertBennett

What do you expect? The US has always been expansionist and warmongering. Wiping out Native Americans. Expanding to the Pacific thru war with Mexico. To the Caribbean islands and across the Pacific thru war with Spain and the invasion of the Philippines-killing 100,000 locals. Invasion of the Soviet union in 1918 and ensuring that Communism would develop on a war footing with a Stalinist type survivalist government. Guatemala, Iran, Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Angola, Nicaragua.........etc. The US a a very dangerous entity.


ConO'Driscoll

She's dangerous only because the US is a country of men; not of laws.  

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