Statement of Clare Daly, TD Dublin North – 2013-06-27 11:20:04

Obama Called “War Criminal” and “Hypocrite of the Century” in The Irish Parliament

TRANSCRIPT

“It is important to take this opportunity to bring some balance into the discussion surrounding the visit of the U.S. president and his wife, given the almost unprecedented slobbering over them that the nation has been exposed to over the last number of days.

“It’s really hard to know which is worse, whether it’s the outpourings of the Obamas themselves or the sycophantic fawning over them by sections of the media and the political establishment.”

“We’ve had separate and special news bulletins by the State broadcaster to tell us what Michelle Obama and her daughters had for lunch in Dublin, but very little questioning of the fact that she was having lunch with Mr. Tax Exile himself,” …

“We had very little challenging of the fact that she’s ‘glad to be home’—home a country she’s been in less than a week and her husband has very tenuous links in.” President Obama’s great-great-great grandfather was born in the Irish village of Moneygall; an 8th cousin to the president lives there today. …

“Of course, the biggest irony of all, the protestations of Obama himself in his speech to children in Northern Ireland about peace, when he said, ‘those who choose the path of peace, I promise you, that the United States of America will support you every step of the way. We will always be the wind at your back.’

“Now, I ask you, is this person going for the hypocrite of the century award?” . Because we have to call things by their right names, and the reality is that by any serious examination, this man is a war criminal. He has just announced his decision to supply arms to the Syrian opposition, including the jihadists, fueling the destabilization of that region and continuing to undermine secularism and knock back conditions for women.”…

“And the last point I’ll make is people in this country are very fond of our American brothers and sisters, and I think we stand far more shoulder to shoulder with them by making valid criticisms of their president who has broken his election promises rather than just pimping this nation as a tax haven for their corporations.

“I’m sure the Americans would far prefer if their multinationals pay their taxes at home rather than offshore here – so they can develop their health care, so they wouldn’t be wasting money on arms being sent to slaughter people in other countries.”

Irish firebrand Clare Daly is from Newbridge, County Kildare. Her father was a colonel in the Irish Army, Daly was elected to the Labour Party’s Administrative Committee as a youth representative. She was expelled from the Labour Party in 1989 alongside other supporters of the Militant Tendency. She resigned from the Socialist Party in August 2012, redesignating herself as a member of the United Left Alliance.