I4C Trouble with Daly and Wallace

Join us for what could be the last episode of I4C Trouble. As the mandate comes to an end, Mick and Clare reflect on their years in Brussels. It's been a disappointing yet rewarding experience, where we've strived to use our platform to amplify the struggle for peace, anti-imperialism and a European Union that works for the interest its people. We'll fight to be back after the elections, but whatever happens, thank you for having been part of this mad journey.

This week we're sharing our conversation with Ali Alizadeh for his podcast Jedaal TV. Ali questioned us on the role of the EU in the genocide in Gaza and the war in Ukraine, and what's most important: where do we go from here?

This week we welcomed Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, to present her report ?Anatomy of a Genocide? in the European Parliament. Together with Diana Buttu and Daniel Levy, the panel offered invaluable insights into the current crisis in Gaza, its historical and legal context, and Europe?s responsibility to defend international law. And on another blow to human rights, the Parliament has passed the EU Asylum and Migration Pact, a shameful reform that weakens protections and access to asylum, and gives away billions in public money to the defence and arms industry. Tune in to hear about this and more!

We're back after a busy green week of very interesting meetings and events in Ireland and Italy. And how lucky that our return coincides with NATO's 75th anniversary... 75 years of US-led terrorism and impunity. And on that line, Israel continues to escalate tensions internationally, having killed 7 World Central Kitchen aid workers, and bombed the Iranian embassy in Syria.

On a different note, we are happy to have welcomed members of the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association (IRPWA) for a meeting on the role of European security services in the violating of the civil rights of Irish political prisoners. Together with Catalan and Spanish colleagues, it was a great chance to discuss the widespread of state harassment against dissenting voices.

Leo Varadkar's resignation as Irish Taoiseach has taken most by surprise. Mick and Clare discuss what type of legacy he's leaving behind as they debunk the idea it's related to his comments on Palestine while in Washington for Saint Patrick's day. And while some resigned, others were being re-elected. Putin's victory has not come as much of a surprise, but while he is criticised for the lack of electoral transparency, we don't see enough outrage at our very own unelected bureaucrat Ursula von der Leyen and her power grab on EU foreign affairs.

Welcome back to another Strasbourg episode. This week we discuss the Irish referendums on family and care, the Parliament's resolution on humanitarian aid for Gaza, the influence of Ukrainian grain in the European market and the authorisation of spyware to be used against journalists.

This week we're back in the studio in Brussels, where we discuss von der Leyen's appointment as EPP lead candidate, making her likely to renew her position as European Commission President. We also discuss our event with Palmed-France doctors returning from Gaza who recount the appalling health situation there, as well as our recent trip to the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf and the need to support Western Sahara's struggle for liberation.

Link to watch the recording of our powerful event: We Were There: Testimonies of returning PALMED doctors on the health crisis in Gaza

A bunch of important votes and debates in the EP plenary drew the attention of the Irish media this week. After nearly five years of ignoring the case of Julian Assange, MEPs finally agreed to allow a discussion of his case onto the agenda. So where does his case stand now? The hotly-debated Nature Restoration Law - one of the flagship pieces of legislation of this mandate - finally made it over the line in a watered down form. How should it be understood? After four months of cowardly semantics about "humanitarian pauses," the European Parliament finally backed a call for a real ceasefire in Gaza. But is it something to celebrate or has it come too late? Following the appalling death of Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison, are MEPs using it to pursue a geopolitical agenda? And as Ireland gears up for a constitutional referendum, is the Care Amendment a genuine improvement, or does it swap one form of inequality for another? Join us as we explore these questions and more.

Clare and Mick are back from London, where they attended Julian Assange's extradition hearing. Join us as we discuss the importance of Assange's truth-telling work and the urgent need to stop his wrongful persecution. Why does the EU praise Navalny as a courageous dissident but says nothing about Assange's critical condition and the years of abuse he's been made to endure? Mick and Clare have a lot to say!

Join us as we discuss Israel's looming military offensive on Rafah and its catastrophic humanitarian consequences at a time when UNRWA's work is on the line. Mick and Clare tell us about this week's debates in the Parliament with UNRWA representatives and stress the need for Ireland to step up its efforts to stop this massacre. We also talk about NATO and its role in Ukraine, as well as economic rights in Ireland.

We're back in Strasbourg for another plenary week, where Mick and Clare have been silenced multiple times for speaking about Gaza. Join us as we dissect the Parliament's attitude towards the genocide and this new era of McCarthyism, as well as funds for Ukraine, the issue of sanctions and the Irish Government's inability to tackle inequality.

This week we discuss the latest farmer protests in Europe, the cruel suspension of UNRWA funding when it's most needed, the disastrous housing crisis in Ireland and the misuse of labels.

Join us as we discuss today's historic ICJ ruling, an astounding defeat for Israel, as well as the Parliament's celebration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the EU's unproductive role in the Sahel, the Triple Lock mechanism and more!

Join us as we discuss the shocking resolution passed by the Parliament this week. Gravely misrepresented by the media, it is not a call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire but an open-ended license for genocide. We also talk about the EU's disastrous diplomatic role in Ukraine and around the world.

We're back from the Christmas break to discuss the ICJ genocide case against Israel initiated by South Africa, as well as the Irish government's disappointing reaction to it. We also talk about the US/UK strikes against the Houthis, the rise of militarism in Europe and the housing crisis in Ireland.

On the last episode of the year, Mick and Clare share their updates from the plenary week in Strasbourg. They talk about the disappointing Parliamentary debate concerning Gaza, the influence of the arms industry in the EU, the war in Ukraine and the racism of Irish refugee policies.

This week Clare and Mick tell us about their trip to Macedonia, the screening of the brilliant documentary Le Balai Libéré and its interrogation of working conditions and self-management, and the deteriorating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

In today's episode, Mick and Clare address the riots in Dublin last week. They also talk about the blatant dehumanisation of Palestinian lives, racism and the importance of persevering.

This week Clare and Mick are back in Strasbourg for another plenary session. They call out the EU's hypocrisy and cynicism in commemorating the International Day on the Rights of the Child and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women while refusing to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Are Palestinian children and women less deserving of rights and safety? They also discuss a vote on changing the EU Treaties that would push the EU towards further militarisation, the same day the Irish government announces it plans to abolish the Triple Lock. Lastly, they talk about the rise of the far-right and what they think the reasons for their success are.

This week we continue to discuss the catastrophic situation in Gaza. We comment on the right to self-defence and whether Israel is entitled to claim it, the genocide convention and what can Ireland and other EU states do to end this massacre.

We also talk about Cuba and the US blockade against the island.

It's been over a month of unrelenting bombing, death and horror in the Gaza Strip. And it's been over 75 years of Israeli impunity and colonial violence. Every new death could have been avoided with yesterday's ceasefire. Shame on the EU for refusing to call for one: a ceasefire is not a radical demand, it's the bare minimum!

While it's difficult to talk about anything other than the genocide being perpetrated against the Palestinians, we take some time to discuss the Commission's recommendation to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia.

Lastly, if you're interested in hosting an event with Mansoor Adayfi in Ireland between the end of November and January, please get in contact with Nicolas: [email protected]

On this final episode we hear from Andy Worthington, Investigative journalist and activist, who tells us about the plight of the 16 men who have been cleared for release but continue to be detained in Guantánamo. He urges EU governments to take action to end this deplorable situation.

And our last speaker is Moazzam Begg, former Guantánamo Bay detainee, who shares some of the horrors he witnessed and explains the prisoners' deep pain and trauma from being cut off from their families for years.

On this third episode we hear from two remarkable legal experts:

Alka Pradhan, Human Rights Counsel at the Guantanamo Bay Military Commissions,  explains the US?s use of Guantánamo as a legal black hole. She also emphasises the urgent crisis in medical care affecting the men still in Guantánamo, an aging detainee population quickly deteriorating after years of torture and harsh conditions.

Our second guest is Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. After a historic technical visit to Guantánamo, her report concludes that detainees have sustained ?cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under international law."

While the European Council gathers in Brussels to assess the situation in the Middle East, Mick and Clare explain that calling for anything less than an immediate ceasefire is an abnegation of collective responsibility. Which EU values is the Commission representing? What will it take for the EU to demand an end to collective punishment? The gap between European citizens' views and the actions of our institutions continues to widen.

This second episode of the series welcomes human rights attorney Beth Jacob. Beth has represented Guantánamo detainees since 2005. She helps us understand what this facility is and why so many men are still stuck there despite having long been cleared for release. Most importantly, she gives us an insight into the detainees' enduring humanity, their creativity and resilience in the face of such horror and injustice.

The second guest is Valerie Lucznikowska, from September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. Having lost her nephew in 9/11, she shares with us her drive to turn grief into action for peace. An incredibly moving and brave testimony.

We?re finally releasing the ?Close Guanánamo!? series, a podcast adaptation of an event we recently hosted: the most significant gathering ever assembled on Guantánamo in the European Parliament.

This series is a unique opportunity to learn about the horror and lawlessness of this detention facility from those who experienced it. You?ll hear from former detainees, US military and civilian lawyers, the UN rapporteur, 9/11 families and other international experts and firsthand witnesses.

The event aimed to call for the closure of the detention camp and seek the urgent involvement of EU countries in searching for viable relocation options for the 16 men who have been approved for release, never convicted of any crime, but who have nowhere to go. Guantánamo is a terrible crime scene that the EU can help bring to an end, once and for all.

This first episode features Mansoor Adayfi, former Guantánamo detainee and author of the book "Don't Forget Us Here: Lost and Found at Guantanamo"; together with James Yee, former Muslim chaplain at Guantánamo, wrongly accused of espionage and placed in solitary confinement.

After over a week of horror in Gaza, enabled by the EU?s continuous support for Israel and its shameful failure to call out Israeli war crimes and push for a ceasefire, we?re back to discuss what?s happening in Palestine. In addition, we talk about Clare?s recent trip to Bulgaria, the growing political culture of ostracising dissenting voices and the EU?s proposal for the Ukraine facility being a debt trap for Ukrainians.

Long live Palestine, long live Gaza!

As the world looks on in horror at the situation in Gaza, we take a moment to discuss the need to contextualise recent events and point to the real root of violence: Israel's apartheid against Palestinians. In declaring unconditional support for an extreme right-wing government employing genocidal and dehumanising rhetoric on Palestinians, EU institutions are validating and emboldening Israel's acts of aggression and undermining the EU's ability to play a credible role in the peace process.

We're back in Strasbourg for another plenary week after having organised some very successful events in the past few days, which we're very happy to share with you. We also talk about the tragic developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, where over 100,000 Armenians have been forced to flee; the Media Freedom Act, which despite its name, allows governments and private companies to use spyware against journalists; the EU's refusal to ban glyphosate; the shameful new asylum and migration pact and the Parliament's report on economic coercion by third countries.

 

 

Mick and Clare are joined by two very special guests this week: Ilia Lobzhanidze and Beka Natsvlishvili, who tell us about their country and help us better understand Georgian geopolitics and the concerns of ordinary Georgian citizens.

Join us as we discuss Clare and Mick's meeting with European defence industry representatives, the latest protests in Ireland, funding for Ukraine and much more.

Fins aviat!

We're back from the summer holidays, ready to bring you the latest from the plenary week in Strasbourg. Clare and Mick talk to Bethany about Ursula von der Leyen's State of the European Union (fitting name, if you ask us),  the EU throwing taxpayers' money at the arms industry (again), their clash with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the EU-Tunisia migration deal and the heated debate about criminalising sex work.

You can click here to read the article Clare mentions about Zelensky.

This week we?re wrapping up for the summer. We discuss the Latin American People?s Summit where Mick and Clare had the chance to hear leaders from across the Latin American left. We also discuss a visit to the parliament by Dominic Óg McGlinchey who is seeking a proper investigation into the murder of his parents in the Republic of Ireland in the late 1980s and 1990s in connection with the troubles.

This week Mick and Clare are in Strasbourg. They discuss the small victory in the passing of the much-weakened Nature Restoration Law by the parliament. They discuss what is next for that major piece of legislation as well as the scandal that is the new children's hospital in Dublin.

This week on the podcast we're reflecting on the question of Irish neutrality, Michael Martin's laughable consultative forum and the event Mick and Clare hosted in Dublin.

This week we?re sharing the recording of the event we held in Dublin on Saturday 24th June, Neutrality: Who Cares? *** note that this is part 2, if you haven?t yet listened to part 1, we recommend you go back and listen to that first *** Speakers featured - Clare, Mick, Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK, and British-Iraqi hip hop artist, academic and political campaigner Lowkey Medea Benjamin is the co-founder of the women-led peace group CODEPINK. She is also co-founder of the human rights group Global Exchange, the Peace in Ukraine Coalition, Unfreeze Afghanistan (which advocates for returning the $7 billion of Afghan funds frozen in U.S. banks), ACERE: The Alliance for Cuba Engagement and Respect, and the Nobel Peace Prize for Cuban Doctors Campaign. Medea has been an advocate for social justice for 50 years. Described as "one of America's most committed -- and most effective -- fighters for human rights" by New York Newsday, and "one of the high profile leaders of the peace movement" by the Los Angeles Times, she was one of 1,000 exemplary women from 140 countries nominated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the millions of women who do the essential work of peace worldwide. Lowkey is a British-Iraqi hip hop artist, academic and political campaigner. He is a patron of Stop The War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and The Peace and Justice Project founded by Jeremy Corbyn. He has a Masters in Middle Eastern Studies from SOAS university and is an advisor to the website Declassified UK which investigates the activities of the British Intelligence Services and the Ministry of Defence.

This week we?re sharing the recording of the event we held in Dublin on Saturday 24th June, Neutrality: Who Cares? This is part one, featuring Clare, Mick, Ann Wright, Yanis Varoufakis and Sevim Dagdelen, MP for Die Linke, Germany. Part 2 to follow soon. Ann Wright served for 29 years in the US Army and 16 years as a US diplomat in US embassies in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia, Afghanistan and Mongolia. She resigned from the US government in March 2023 in opposition to George Bush's war on Iraq. She has been a strong anti-war voice for the past 20 years. She is the co-author of "Dissent: Voices of Conscience." Yanis Varoufakis is Greek politician and former Greek Finance Minister. In 2016, he co-founded DiEM25, Europe?s first transnational pan-European movement. In 2018, together with US Senator Bernie Sanders, he established the Progressive International ? a global movement with affiliated members of over 200 million people from across the world. In addition to these organisational endeavours, he has travelled extensively giving talks and participating in various activist events and projects. He is the author of several best-selling books. His latest, Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism, will be released in autumn 2023. Sevim Dagdelen of the Left Party (Die Linke) has been elected four times as a member of the German Bundestag for North Rhine Westphalia. She is Deputy Leader of her party in parliament and chair of the German-Turkish parliamentary group, as well as spokeswoman for the Left Party parliamentary group on the Bundestag's Committee on Foreign Affairs. She previously worked as a journalist for German and Turkish newspapers.

Mick joins the podcast fresh from hours of voting on the Nature Restoration Law. We discuss the latest on this major piece of environmental legislation as well as Mick and Clare's recent trip to Georgia and a new report from the Parliament on AI.

The EU is not coming after the small farmers of Ireland with the proposed Nature Restoration Law but that is how it has been painted at home. This is some of the most significant EU environmental legislation for decades and it is urgent. This week we?re breaking down the new law, what it would mean for people in Ireland and we?re busting some of the myths surrounding peatland rewetting - particularly the idea that farmers will be forced to rewet agricultural peatland as a result of the law.

This week on the podcast we've got a new intro and a new host - Mireia. Mick and Clare discuss Ukraine, the anniversary of the Nakba, EU militarisation, Belarus and Sudan.

This week Mick, Clare and Damien discuss a debate on the role of farmers in the ecological transition where the EPP are doing their best to scrap the green deal, a parliament vote to fast track ammunitions manufacture for Ukraine and how fortress Europe has enriched the warring factions in Sudan.

This week we?re discussing Micheál Martin?s recent comments about China, Commission President von der Leyen?s horrific speech about Israel and the state of electoral politics in Georgia.

This week on the podcast we?re discussing the gathering momentum for the anti-war movement across Europe. We also discuss how government policies in Ireland are driving people into the arms of the far-right, the approach of the international community to the war in Ukraine and the recent fighting in Sudan.

Mick and Clare join us from Strasbourg. They discuss the parliament plenary debate on China, EU ?battlegroups?, the European Green Deal and the EU?s inconsistency when it comes to defending media freedom.

This week we have something a little different. Mick sits down with Ilia Lobjanidze of the United Communist Party of Georgia to discuss recent unrest in Georgia with the foreign agents law and the protests which followed. They talk about what life is like for those in Georgia today and the attitudes of Georgians towards their government and towards the EU.

This week Mick and Clare are hot off the heels of their visit to China, they discuss their impressions of the place and the people, and China's place in the geopolitical sphere.

This week on the podcast we discuss: greenwashing, carbon credits, Interpol, and how the EU is lecturing African countries to take sides in the war in Ukraine.

This week on the podcast we're talking about a strange week in Strasbourg. We discuss some debates where Mick and Clare did not get to contribute - notably on Israel and Iran, as well as a heated debate over the issue of sending arms to Ukraine.

This week we're focusing on Israel. Attacks on Palestinians by Israeli armed forces and settlers have increased dramatically in the past year, meanwhile, within the EU, any criticism of Israel's actions is increasingly being smeared as anti-Semitism.

This week on the podcast we discuss the growing anti-China sentiment in the EP and where things are headed in terms of EU-China relations. We also discuss Sajid Khan Nasiri, a young Afghan man who visited the parliament last week to discuss his journey to Europe and the pushbacks he experienced along the way. Finally we get into the reluctance of certain groups in the EP to ban dangerous pesticides.