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No guys, it was not the Pentagon who secured the NO

Tue, 23/09/2008 - 14:32 — admin-b

Quite expectedly the YES side of the Irish referendum on the Renamed EU Constitution (a.k.a. The Lisbon Treaty) and specially the power-people in Brussels are now trying to put the blame on someone else rather than themselves for the failure to convince the Irish voters over the supposed benefits of their miscarried brain-child.

So where do they find their scapegoat? Well, not hard to guess. Which group in the NO camp had the most money, most media coverage and the least connection to the realities of the Irish political life? Surely Declan Ganley´s recently founded NGO Libertas which for example ran it´s campaign under dubious slogans such as “facts, not politics”.

This “story” has been pushed through as if to reveal who was “really” behind the Irish NO. Open Europe has pointed out many different articles appearing in the past and foremost during the present renewed attack against the NO by the EU-files:
- Independent, June 1st 2008,
- EuObserver.com, June 24th 2008,
- The Parliament.com, September 22nd 2008,
- Independent, September 23rd 2008,
- Irish Times.com, September 23rd 2008.

What these political Daltonists such as the President of the EP, Hans-Gert Poettering or MEP Daniel Cohn-Bendit fail to observe and recognise is the fact that there was the whole colourful spectrum of political organisations and civil-society pressure groups that ensured the resounding NO against the EU´s PR machinery.

If you still haven´t visited the website of the Campaign Against EU Constitution perhaps now is the right time to see for yourself who was there in Ireland working and sweating to get the truth out to the public.

And there were many, many others in the field and they surely will not take the “insult” of Libertas being singled out as the only organisation responsible for the democracy-saving NO. Some of them were even from the YES side scoring straight auto-goals.

Again, thank you Ireland!

Comments

Wed, 24/09/2008 - 13:26 — admin-b

An open letter to MEP Cohn-Bendit

Dear Mr Cohn-Bendit,

You have complained about American ‘forces’ interfering in the Irish referendum vote on Lisbon Treaty:

“We are awaiting confirmation of reports in the media regarding funding of Libertas’ campaign for a no vote to the Lisbon treaty in Ireland. If proved true, this would clearly show that there are forces in the United States willing to pay people to destabilise a strong and autonomous Europe. If this can happen for the treaty vote, it raises grave concerns for interference in next year’s European elections.”

I don’t see why Americans supporting the referendum ‘NO’ side should bother you, after all there are many Irish Americans who have an interest in the land of their origins and are concerned at the EU anschlussing of their country.

Furthermore, I don’t remember you complaining about American Government (CIA) money poured into the European Movement in the 1950s, 60s and 70s to subvert nation states of Europe against the wishes of the people, including Britain - my country. In today’s money some £20 million (is known of) was handed over in the ‘cause’.

In addition the then, EEC’s (now EU) London Information Office, interfered in the debate about the UK ‘going into’ the Common Market working closely with the British branch of the European Movement in promoting visits from Britain to Brussels. These Brussels’ junkets for ‘soft’ targets, continue to this day.

I would ask, if ‘Europe’ is as strong as you would have it, why would you be worried about a money from the other side of the Atlantic?

So, sounds bit like a case of ‘the kettle calling the pot black’ to me.

By the way, whilst you are considering this, you might put in a good word for we in the UK having a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. After all the British people were denied a referendum on the Treaty of Rome that took us in, in the first place, the Single European Act, and the Treaties of Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nice. In fact we have never been asked whether we wanted any of the treaties which are all contrary to our constitution.

Regards,

David Barnby
Witney
Oxfordshire

telephone and e-mail available

Mon, 29/09/2008 - 16:53 — admin-b

Further articles, blogs and information on this...

Sept 22nd 2008
It’s a Conspiracy! (part II), Open Europe’s blog
Sept 24th 2008
EU claims Irish are CIA stooges, Bruno Waterfield’s blog
Quand l’euroscepticisme mène au conspirationnisme, Jean Quatremer’s blog
Sept 25th 2008
EU launches ‘Un-European activities’ witch hunt, Bruno Waterfield’s blog
More information on funding of Libertas given by Ganley, Irish Times
Ganley the prime mover behind funding of Libertas, Irish Times
Sept 26th 2008
The CIA has better things to do than conspire against the EU, Daniel Hannan’s blog
Libertas makes raving loony parties see red, Independent.ie
EU chiefs call for inquiry into Ganley’s Libertas loan, Independent.ie
EU set to ask US Congress about Libertas fundraising, Irish Times
CIA ‘backed’ Irish battle against Brussels treaty, Times Online
Dissing Ganley won’t help Lisbon yes vote, Times Online
Wie ein Milliardär Europa aufschreckt, Spiegel Online
Sept 29th 2008
First EU visits since No to Lisbon, Irish Times
Declan Ganley, “Mister No” en Vendée, Le Monde
Sept 30th 2008
MEPs transparent in their suspicions about Libertas, Irish Times