True or not???

Now that's really interesting!

Taken from http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/008-37657-266-09-39-901-20080919IPR37656-22-09-2008-2008-false/default_en.htm

Questions over the funding of the No campaign in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty referendum

Raising a point of order, Co-President Daniel Cohn Bendit (Greens/EFA , DE) said: "Last weekend, the Irish press revealed that there possibly exists a link between the financers of the no-campaign in Ireland and the Pentagon as well as the CIA. This was a very interesting story and the explanation given was that Europe should not become too strong. I would ask the President to please clarify this matter and suggest that we also ask the Council as well as the Commission to inform us next time, because if this story turns out to be true it would be an interesting fact indeed, confirming what lies behind the €1.2 million which was used to finance the no-campaign in Ireland. I therefore would like to ask the President to please look into the matter so that we receive information and achieve transparency."

In response, EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering said: "I have been following this whole matter very attentively for some time. We do indeed need absolute transparency on this (matter) because this is exactly what those who are attacking us demand. However, they must of course comply with these standards themselves, i.e. they must provide total transparency on what funds this organisation.

We have learned from the Irish media - and I am quoting what we read in Ireland during the past week - that in the past Mr Ganley claimed that the donations come from ordinary citizens, and that they are small donations. According to the reports, he now has admitted that he himself has donated €200 000 of his personal assets to his organisation, and it has also been confirmed in the meantime that Mr Ganley has signed contracts with the Pentagon over the execution of military orders amounting to about 200 million - I believe - dollars. Other estimates are much higher. We must continue to follow this affair very closely. The facts must be put on the table. We cannot allow Europe to be harmed by people who demand transparency but do not provide it themselves.

I would like to emphasise my high regard for the Irish Minister of European Affairs, Dick Roche, who has made it his personal cause to shed light on this issue and I explicitly support him in his uncompromising approach. Ladies and gentlemen, I deduce from your applause that we stand on the side of those who strive for absolute transparency in all of these questions in order to keep Europe from suffering harm. "


Let's wait and see...

I didn't plan to bring this previously blogged issue forward, at least not before any update in the Irish referendum. Well, the update has arrived so here we are.

It's very interesting, for the world in general but for this blog as well, to see who has raised this issue within the European Parliament! If you look some articles before you'll see what I mean!

On hold.

S.