Afri calls Coalition untrustworthy on defence

The peace and justice group Afri has accused the Government of being "untrustworthy" on the issues of security and defence.

Speaking ahead of its annual Feile Bride conference in Kildare this weekend, the group renewed its criticism of the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, for breaking his pre-election promise to hold a referendum on Irish membership of Partnership for Peace.

It also called for a clause to be inserted in the Treaty of Nice, on which the Government has committed itself in principle to a referendum, barring Ireland from furthering military ties under a European alliance.

Afri's chairman, Mr Andy Storey, said Denmark inserted such a protocol in the Amsterdam Treaty, ruling out participation in, or financial commitment to, the European Rapid Reaction Force. "In the absence of a similar protocol we would be campaigning for a No vote in the referendum," Mr Storey said.

"The fact is that many, if not most, Irish political leaders cannot be trusted when it comes to defence and security matters."

Mr Storey will give the opening address at today's annual conference at St Joseph's Academy, the theme of which is "Securing Our Future?" The Peace and Neutrality Alliance also called yesterday for an ERRF exclusion protocol to be inserted in the Nice Treaty, and said it would be seeking a No vote in the referendum to have that done.

Mr Storey stressed that the ERRF was not, as had been claimed, independent of NATO, "a force for injustice and instability" in the world, rather they were "intimately entangled".

He added that the attack of the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, this week on those opposed to Ireland's role in the European alliance was "preposterous". Mr Smith had described opponents of increasing military co-operation in Europe as "blinkered" isolationists.

However, Mr Storey said those opposed to the ERRF included many returned overseas development workers, and they were "often among the most knowledgeable and concerned people in the country when it comes to international affairs."