Irish neutrality

Irish neutrality has been a policy of the Irish Free State and its successor the Republic of Ireland since independence from the United Kingdom in 1922. This article concerns the exact nature of Irish neutrality in practice.

Ireland's concept of neutrality

There are notable differences between Irish neutrality and traditional types of neutral states:

While most neutral states maintain strong defence forces, Ireland has a relatively small defence force.

While most neutral states do not allow any foreign military within their territory, Ireland has a long history of allowing military aircraft of various nations to refuel at Shannon Airport. Under the ([[1]]) Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order (1952), the Minister for Foreign Affairs, exceptionally, could to grant permission to foreign military aircraft to overfly or land in the State. Confirmation was required that the aircraft in question be unarmed, carry no arms, ammunition or explosives and that the flights in question would not form part of military exercises or operations.

In September 2001 these conditions were "waived in respect of aircraft operating in pursuit of the implementation of the Security Council Resolution 1368" (Minister for Foreign Affairs ([[2]]) Dail Debate 17 December 2002).

Irish governments have always said that allowing aircraft to use Irish soil does not constitute participation in any particular conflict and is compatible with a neutral stance, instancing the transit of German troops between Finland and Norway through neutral Swedish territory during World War II.

A neutral state may however, allow its citizens, even if they only hold a passport for this particular state, to serve in the armed forces of other, possibly belligerent, nations if the laws of the countries concerned permit them to do so. For example, the Republic of Ireland, even though the Irish Free State became independent from Britain in 1922, still permits its citizens to serve in the British armed forces today. (Switzerland operates a similar policy, allowing its citizens to serve in the armed forces of France, Germany or Italy.)

History

World War II

During World War II, which the Irish government referred to as The Emergency, Ireland decided to remain neutral. At the time anti-British feeling was still high after the Anglo-Irish War of 1919-1921, and the government felt it could not aid Britain, due to the unresolved situation regarding Northern Ireland, and still maintain popular support. But neither would the government of Taoiseach Eamon de Valera actively support Nazi Germany.

Fianna Fáil and the political elite of Ireland also decided that there was no way Ireland could handle a major war due to the economic problems of the time and the neglect of the military since the civil war. De Valera stated in his wartime speeches, based on the experience of the League of Nations, that small states should stay out of the conflicts of big powers; hence Ireland's policy was officially "neutral", and the country did not publicly declare its support for either side – although in practice, while Luftwaffe pilots who crash-landed in Ireland and German sailors were interned, RAF, RCAF and USAF pilots who crashed were usually allowed to cross the border into British territory.

The internees were referred to as "guests of the nation". The German embassy had to pay for their keep. If they were on a non-combative mission they were repatriated. While it was easy for Allied pilots to make that claim, it not realistic for Luftwaffe pilots to make a similar claim. Towards the end of the war, the German embassy was unable to pay, so the internees had to work on local farms. Strict wartime press censorship had the effect of controlling a moral reaction to the war's unfolding events and reiterated the public position that Irish neutrality was morally superior to the stance of any of the combatants (see [[3]]).

USAF aircraft were allowed to overfly County Donegal to bases in County Fermanagh. Many of these aircraft were manufactured in the United States, to be flown by the RAF. This was known as the Donegal Corridor. Navigational markings are still, faintly, visible on mountains, such as Slieve League. There were many unfortunate crashes into these mountains. The bodies of dead airmen were handed over at the border. At the border the Guard of Honour performed a drill with reversed arms, a Bugler sounded the Last Post and a chaplain gave a blessing. An Allied officer, embarrassed that the coffins were being carried in open lorries, thanked the Irish for the "honor". The reply was: "Ours is the honour, but yours is the glory".

USAF aircraft en-route to North Africa refueled at Shannon Airport, flying boats at nearby Foynes. A total of 1,400 aircraft and 15,000 passengers passed through Foynes airport during the war years.

In the course of the war an estimated 45,000 men from the Irish Free State served as volunteers in the British Armed Forces (and another estimated 50,000 from Northern Ireland ([[4]]), although this figure does not include Irish people who were resident in Britain before the war (though many used aliases).

Some 200,000 Irish migrated to England to participate in the war economy — most of them stayed after the war; most, of course, had their own reasons for so doing. Those who went without proper papers were liable to be conscripted.

Irish military intelligence shared information with the British military and even held secret meetings to decide what to do if Germany invaded Ireland in order to attack Britain. The Germans had a contingency plan (Operation Emerald) for just such an invasion. Irish weather reports were crucial to the timing of the D-Day landings. When the Irish aircraft sighted any German ships, planes or submarines they reported back to base by radio knowing that the messages were being picked up by the British authorities.

On Easter Tuesday, 15 April, 1941, 180 Luftwaffe bombers attacked Belfast. De Valera responded immediately to a request for assistance from Basil Brooke, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Within two hours, 13 fire tenders from Dublin, Drogheda, Dundalk and Dún Laoghaire were on their way to assist their Belfast colleagues. De Valera followed up with his "they are our people" speech and formally protested to Berlin.

Joseph Goebbels instructed German radio not to repeat their report of the raid as Adolf Hitler was surprised at the Irish reaction, which might influence Irish Americans to bring the United States into the war. Although there was a later raid on 4 May, it was confined to the docks and shipyards (see Belfast blitz).

However Ireland wanted to maintain a public stance of neutrality and refused to close the German and Japanese embassies, and the Taoiseach Eamon de Valera even signed the book of condolence on Adolf Hitler’s death, on 2 May, 1945. Unlike many other non-combatant countries, Ireland did not declare war on the near-defeated Germany in order to seize German assets.

Irish neutrality during the war was threatened from within by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) who sought to provoke a confrontation between Britain and Ireland. This plan collapsed however when IRA chief of staff Seán Russell died of appendicitis in a U-boat off the Irish coast; the Germans also later came to realise they had overestimated the abilities of the IRA. The American Ambassador, Mr. David Gray stated that he once asked the Taoiseach (de Valera) what he would do if German paratroopers liberated Derry. Gray say that de Valera was silent for a time and then replied "I don't know".

At the ceremonies for the first Holocaust Memorial Day in Ireland, 26 January, 2003, Justice Minister Michael McDowell openly apologized for an Irish wartime policy that was inspired by "a culture of muted anti-Semitism in Ireland", which resulted in a policy of denying refuge to many thousands of Europe's threatened Jews and potential refugees whose lives might have otherwise been saved. He said that "at an official level the Irish state was at best coldly polite and behind closed doors antipathetic, hostile and unfeeling toward the Jews."

Many German spies were sent to Ireland, but all were captured fast as a result of either good intelligence or sometimes their own ineptitude, or both.

As Ireland was neutral, Irish ships continued to sail with full navigation lights. They had large tricolours and the word "ÉIRE" painted large on their sides and decks. At that time, Allied ships travelled in convoy for protection from the U-boat ‘wolf packs’. If a ship was torpedoed, it was left behind since the other ships could not stop for fear of becoming a target. Irish ships always stopped, they rescued more than 500 seamen, and some airmen, from many nations. However many Irish ships were attacked by belligerents on both sides. Over 20% of Irish seamen, on clearly marked neutral vessels, lost their lives.

Irish neutrality during World War II had broad support, with only one vote against it in Dáil Eireann from a Fine Gael TD that demanded Ireland side with the Allies. That vote belonged to James Dillon, son of John Dillon, who had been the last leader of the defunct Irish Parliamentary Party.

The Irish Free State received $133 million (USD) in Marshall Plan monies.

The Cold War

During the Cold War, Ireland maintained its policy of neutrality. It did not align itself officially with NATO— or the Warsaw Pact either. It refused to join NATO because Britain still controlled Northern Ireland. Ireland offered to set up a separate alliance with the USA but this was refused.

Recent Conflicts

Ireland supported the campaign known as Operation Allied Force, part of the Kosovo War, and the invasion of Afghanistan in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks known as Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Irish government did not take a position on the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, although most of the population were against it, and USAF planes were allowed to refuel at Shannon Airport even if they were on their way to Iraq. As a member of the UN Security Council, Ireland voted yes to Resolution 1441 which threatened "serious consequences" if Iraq did not comply with weapons inspectors.*

Current policy

It is inaccurate to describe Ireland as a neutral state in the same way as Sweden, Switzerland and Japan, it would be more accurate to describe it as a non-aligned state which takes conflict participation on a case by case basis.

Neutrality in Ireland is generally taken to mean non-participation in a conflict unless approved by the so called triple-lock (the Government, Dáil Éireann, and the UN Security Council), when Irish leaders say Ireland is a neutral country, it is this triple-lock that they are referring to. Interpretation disputes arise in two ways:

1. Some disagree with participation in any armed conflict even with UN approval.

2. There is disagreement over what constitutes participation in a war. Supporters of the triple-lock policy would take it to mean active military support or a declaration of war, opponents however say that allowing military forces to refuel on Irish soil when they are on their way to a conflict, is participation and a breach of neutrality.

Today, in theory, Ireland could join any war it pleases, through an Act of the Oireachtas. Although the Irish state has not been involved in an actual "war" since its own civil war, the Republic of Ireland has been a leader and participant in peace-keeping and peace-making missions around the world, much like Canada. It is a member of the NATO-led Partnership for Peace. After Ireland became a member, the Minister for Foreign Affairs said Ireland would never join the main NATO organisation — this was to calm the fears of those who said that PFP was a "backdoor to NATO", since many of its past members had eventually joined NATO.

Irish soldiers have begun to be involved in offensive operations in recent times such as the special forces Army Rangers in operation in East Timor and the peace enforcement mission in Liberia: both missions were in accordance with the policy of having UN approval.

Politically, Irish neutrality is now opposed by Fine Gael who want Ireland to join European Common Defence, which allows the country to choose on a case by case basis the extent of its involvement in conflicts outside the European Union, but commits to collective security in case of actual attack on any member.

Neutrality in its literal sense, in a way similar to Sweden and Switzerland, is supported by the Green Party, Labour Party,Socialist Party and Sinn Féin, however they have different ways of defining neutrality.

The Progressive Democrats have generally not supported the idea of neutrality in all circumstances. Party leader Mary Harney has stated "you cannot be neutral between democrat and dictator, you can't be neutral between right and wrong."

Fianna Fáil formally supports the traditional policy, the "triple-lock".

In February 2006, the Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea announced that the Irish government would open talks on joining the European Union battle groups. O'Dea said that joining the battlegroups would not affect Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality, and that a UN mandate would be required for all battlegroup operations with Irish participation. Green Party foreign affairs spokesperson John Gormley condemned the decision, saying that the government was discarding the remnants of Irish neutrality (see [[5]]).

External links

[6] Irish Peace and Neutrality Alliance
[7] Campaign for Irish Neutrality and Democracy
[8] Fine Gael "Beyond Neutrality" Document
[9] Beyond Neutrality Questions and Answers.
[10] Geoffrey Roberts, "War, Neutrality And Irish Identities, 1939-1945:The Challenge Of The Irish Volunteers of World War II"