Bush win 'bad for US and bad for world'

Anti-war groupsThe Labour Party and the Green Party have expressed regret and disappointment at the re-election of President Bush.

However Sinn Féin MEP Ms Bairbre de Brún declined to specifically support the unhappiness expressed by the other parties at Mr Bush's re-election. She said that both Republicans and Democrats in the US had worked strongly in furthering the Irish peace process and that Sinn Féin was critical of US foreign policy not its leader.

Anti-war and peace groups said yesterday the victory of Mr Bush would make the world a more dangerous place and forecast that there could be further wars against countries such as Iran or Syria.

At a joint press conference yesterday the Labour Party, the Greens, Sinn Féin, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, the Irish Anti-War Movement and the NGO Peace Alliance criticised the continuing use of Shannon Airport by US troops heading to the Middle East.

The press conference announced that there would be a demonstration at the US Embassy on Thursday evening and a protest march at Shannon Airport on Saturday week, November 13th.

The Labour Party Chief Whip, Mr Emmet Stagg, said that he had a deep sense of depression at the result of the US election.

However, he said that the election result was a reality and something that he accepted and would have to live with.

The Green Party chairman, Mr John Gormley, said he was enormously disappointed at the re-election of Mr Bush, which he said was "bad for the US and bad for the world community".

He said that the one person who wanted Mr Bush re-elected was Osama Bin Laden as the US President was the biggest recruitment agent for al-Qaeda.

Ms de Brún said that "as a neutral state, the 26 counties should not facilitate the use of our airspace or of Shannon Airport by those actively involved in the fighting".

Mr Roger Cole, of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, said that over 120,000 US troops had passed through Shannon and that the airport had been turned into an American military base.

Mr Richard Boyd Barrett, of the Irish Anti-War Movement, said that the re-election of Mr Bush would give the green light to an attack by US forces on towns such as Falluja and Ramadi in Iraq which could lead to a massacre of civilians.

Mr Brendan Butler, of the NGO Peace Alliance, said the world was a more dangerous place following the re-election of Mr Bush.