O'Dea warning about Al-Qaeda remarks

The Government is considering the introduction of changes to legislation aimed at preventing public comments such as those made last week by a British Muslim radical that Ireland could be a target of groups like Al- Qaeda because of the use of Shannon airport by US troops.

Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea said yesterday he had talks with the Taoiseach, the Minister for Justice and the Attorney General in recent days about the remarks made by British Islamic lawyer Anjem Choudary.

He said the Government would consider changes to legislation - possibly in the area of incitement to hatred - to avoid a repetition of such comments.

Mr O'Dea also said yesterday the Cabinet would decide before Christmas on whether the Defence Forces would take part in the proposed international battle groups. These are aimed at swift deployment to conduct peacekeeping or peacemaking operations abroad.

The Minister said he believed that a constitutional referendum was not required to allow Ireland to participate, but new legislation could be needed.

Mr O'Dea said he and many members of the public had been outraged at comments made by Mr Choudary while in Dublin last week to speak at a debate in Trinity College.

Mr Choudary said that allowing the use of Shannon by US troops was not a position of neutrality, and that Ireland would be seen as collaborating with the US. He said that things should change in Ireland, if it wanted to avoid the sort of attacks carried out in London and other places.

Mr O'Dea said the existing legislation could be "calibrated or refined" to deal with issues such as Mr Choudary's remarks He said he did not believe that any such amended legislation would infringe on freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech had to be balanced by security considerations. Mr O'Dea said US forces had been using Shannon for over 50 years and that there had been no change in policy in this regard. He also stressed that Ireland was not part of any military alliance.

"How dare anybody come here to stir up these groups to do something like what happened in Madrid", he said.

The Minister made his comments in the Curragh Camp at a demonstration of hostage rescue and anti-terrorist capabilities by the Army Rangers Wing.

As part of the display Army Rangers - who are the elite special forces unit in the Defence Forces - abseiled from helicopters, stormed a house using explosives to blow a hole in a wall, and carried out a mock rescue of a "captured UN official".