This Wednesday, April 1, the PS questioned the Minister of Foreign Affairs about the use of the Lajes Base by MQ-9 Reaper aircraft from the United States, namely whether Portugal is aware of the missions in which they will be involved.
In a question addressed to Paulo Rangel delivered to parliament, PS deputies referred to news reported by the broadcaster SIC, according to which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE) has authorized the passage and use of the Lajes Base, on the island of Terceira, Azores, by unmanned military aircraft MQ-9 Reaper, known as “killer drones”.
“This is the first time that this type of weapons system has been deployed on national territory, which raises a set of questions within a particularly sensitive international context, marked by an ongoing war in the Middle East involving the USA, Israel and Iran”they stated.
For the PS, the Government must “provide the necessary information to ensure that the use of Portuguese military infrastructures by the USA respects international law”.
The socialists recalled that, according to Rangel, Portugal would only give “conditional authorization” for the use of the base in the Azores by the US for “retaliatory” actions, that obeyed the principles of “necessity and proportionality” and only aimed at targets of a military nature.
The PS asked the minister what the “concrete conditions established” by the Government and what are the grounds for authorizing the use of the base and whether the conditions defined by the Government “will be met”.
The socialists also want to know if the executive has guarantees that these aircraft “will not be used, directly or indirectly, in operations contrary to international law” and what “is the level of knowledge and monitoring on the part of the Portuguese authorities regarding the specific missions with which these aircraft will be associated”?
“What consequences will there be for non-compliance with the conditions imposed by the Portuguese Government?”they further questioned.
In a hearing before the parliamentary committee on European Affairs, the head of Portuguese diplomacy reiterated that the use of the Lajes Base by the United States meets the criteria of international law and that Portugal is not involved in this operation against Iran.
“What we did was precisely impose the criteria of international law”, said Paulo Rangel, during a hearing at the European Affairs committee, questioned by the PS about the use of the Lajes Base, in the Azores, by the USA.
This use, he said, can only be done “in response to an attack suffered, [que seja uma ação] necessary and proportionate and does not target civilian targets.”
“If these guarantees are given to us and can be observed, we are calm. So far that is what has happened”, he commented.
“If certain rules are complied with, certain operations are admitted, if not complied with, they are not admitted. We are not talking about national security in the public square or ‘voyeurism’ on bases”, he insisted
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