SHANNON GARDAI ASKED TO INVESTIGATE AIRCRAFT

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday January 14, 2003 08:57 by Tim Hourigan - Shannon Peace Camp shannonpeacecamp at hotmail dot com 086-3784780

No investigation as unkown cargo escapes scrutiny of Inspectors.

At Shannon Sunnday three military charter flights landed in the space of 20 minutes. Two were passenger planes, and we saw HUNDREDS of troops in desert cammo (so did TG4’s camera crew. Then we saw a Cargo plane, operating for the US military. We photographed it, identified it, and then rang the local Garda station (on their direct line, not 999). We informed the Gardai of the plane, that we had reason to believe that it was carrying a large quantity of munitions, explosives or other weapons. And formally requested that they urgently inspect the aircraft. They did no such thing. When the same thing happened on Monday morning the Airport Police pulled out all the stops to intimidate the monitors. Still no response from the Garda Siochana.

At 2:45 on Sunday afternoon, I was helping out at the peace camp when I spotted a suspicious white airplane landing. I grabbed my binoculars and ran from the peace camp up to the fence to get a better look. Jarleth who came up from Cork went with me.
The aircraft was an L-1011 (Lockheed Tristar). It had ATA markings at the front, and on the roof it said “PLEASANT HAWAIIAN HOLIDAYS”.
ATA (American Trans Air) frequent Shannon airport carrying troops (as do WORLD, NORTH AMERICAN amongst others)

I called some of the others from the Peace camp to come and witness.
As we watched the ATA plane taxi in, a World Airways Md-11 landed on runway two-four, less than 5 minutes after ATA touched down.
We grabbed binoculars and cameras and headed for the terminal.
Ed Horgan, Jarleth and I drove up and we saw, photographed and videotaped US troops in desert camouflage battle dress disembarking and heading towards the duty free and bar of the transit lounge.

As we headed to get round for a better look at the plane, we came across a TG4 camera man who was also videotaping the troops.
We spoke to him and he told us how he’d been up by the tower to get a better shot but was moved on by the airport police. The Airport police were shadowing us but not approaching us or speaking to us.
I got talking to the TG4 reporter, using my limited cupla focal “ta a lan eitlean militeach feicthe agam ag an t-aerfort seo. Anois ta cupla cead saighduiri taobh istigh sa foirgneamh an t-aerfort. Is e mo thuarim go bhfuil said ag tuirlingt I gcuinne airteagal 28.3.1 Bunreacht na hEireann” and maybe one or two sentences more (apologies for errors in my very rusty Irish).
Luckily Ed arrived with his fluent Irish and did a piece to camera. As he did so, a 747 landed on runway two-four. It was just after 3pm. This aircraft was the THIRD UNSCHEDULED LANDING in 15 MINUTES.
I recognised it immediately as being a cargo jet operated by Evergreen International.
Evergreen have only recently appeared in Shannon, following a US$75 million dollar contract with the US Air Mobility Command to transport cargo for the US armed forces.
Evergreen have been in several times in recent days. We’re not sure how many times or different aircraft they have used, but the one common factor is that no cargo comes off the plane or goes on to it while at Shannon. The plane simply sits there for about two hours being refuelled. Obviously, its cargo is destined for someplace else.
The first few sightings were of a 747-200F (a Freighter Jumbo) registered as N485EV with serial number 23610.
This time the plane was N470EV, (serial 20653) which is a 747-200C (designed to convert quickly between passenger and freight configurations).
Using Ed’s video camera I taped the plane taxiing in to the cargo area
TG4 also captured it on tape as Ed spoke on.
Once finished the interview/agallamh, we walked down to the tailfin sculpture to get a better look at this dodgy Jumbo.
Knowing of Evergreen’s huge military contract, I believe that there is every likelihood that these jumbos are transporting serious amounts of munitions, weapons and perhaps explosives from the US bases to Kuwait or Bahrain.
As admitted by Gardai and Airport Police under Oath at Dubsky’s trial, NONE OF THESE AIRCRAFT HAS EVER BEEN SUBJECT TO AN INSPECTION.
I decided that there was an urgent need to inspect the aircraft, so, I rang the direct line to Shannon Garda station. The conversation went as follows:-

Garda “Hello, Shannon Garda Station”

Tim: “Hello, to which Garda am I speaking please?”

Garda: “This is Garda “H” here” (- “H” arrested me on September 4th 2001 shortly after Dubsky was arrested)

Tim: “Ah, Garda “H”, you know me well. It’s Tim Hourigan here”

Garda: “ Yes, Tim, how are you doing?”

Tim: “Not too well actually, I’m up at the airport and there’s a serious situation here. There’s a cargo plane just landed and I have reason to believe that it is carrying a large amount of weapons and explosives. It’s a Jumbo Jet, a 747 belonging to Evergreen International, a company with a $75 million dollar contract to the US air mobility command to carry US military cargo. I’m formally requesting that you come up and investigate the aircraft. I have a decorated former UN peacekeeper here with me, ex-Army Commandant Ed Horgan, if you’d like his assistance or advice”.

Garda: “Could you give that again, the plane is…”?

Tim: “It’s a Jumbo Jet, a 747 belonging to Evergreen International, a company with a $75 million dollar contract to the US air mobility command to carry US military cargo. It’s a large green and white plane. It has parked at the cargo terminal and it says Evergreen International on the side in giant letters.”

Garda: “Have you a number there, a mobile”

Tim: “Yes, its 086-3784780”

Garda: “Okay, we’ll look into that and get back to you”. >Ends>

A good while goes past while we look at the plane, take photos of the stairs being wheeled over. No cargo doors are opened and no cargo trucks appear.
The plane is being fuelled and the cabin crew come down to go into an office.
Meanwhile I am interviewing Ed on camera, asking him his opinion on the likely contents of the aircraft, given his military experience. Ed says that based on his military and UN experience it is his belief that in the aircraft is very probably carrying weapons. I ask him if he would be more qualified to make that assumption than, for example, Garda Inspector Tom Kennedy who thinks these aircraft carry nothing more volatile than hamburgers, according to his statements during the Dubsky trial. Ed says that while it is possible there may be some pack rations on some of the planes, it is very probable that the bulk of the contents is weaponry, and that there is an urgent need to verify the contents.
Besides his 22 years in the Army, Commandant Horgan (retired) is also a qualified security and fire safety consultant. He was rather alarmed at the vulnerable position that the aircraft was parked in, at a civilian airport. The plane has been on the ground for quite some time now, and there’s no sign of anyone inspecting the aircraft.
Concerned that the Gardai have not yet shown up, Ed telephones the Garda station.
I videotaped him doing this. He spoke to Garda “H”, explained who and where he was, his suspicions about the plane and formally requested that the aircraft be inspected as a matter of urgency. He gave his mobile phone number to Garda “H” as well.

We moved closer to the aircraft to better view the goings on. We stood at the fence by the catering delivery area where we could observe the aircraft without large buildings obstructing it. I heard an airport employee call security and the AP10 squad car arrived down next to the plane. It was not however inspecting the plane. The driver was patrolling up and down following us and we shot footage from different angles.
We were approached by two men who claimed to be in charge of the catering area. They said we were on private property and we had to leave.
I informed them that we were on public property, that the catering company are merely tenants of the state aerodrome and that we were not interfering with their business, and were in the process of recording a possible crime. Further I added that they had no power to order us to leave unless they were warranted airport police officers or members of An Garda Siochana, whose arrival we were expecting shortly.
The Garda never came. The airport police never approached us.
As we stood and watched the American Trans air plane taxi out to the runway, Garda “H” rang my mobile.

Garda “H” said that he had telephoned immigration to ‘get on to it’ and that they had spoken to the pilot, who said it carried no weapons, and that the plane had now left.

I replied that the plane had not left as I was looking at it. I stated that the plane which had left was the ATA Lockheed Tristar, which carries troops, not cargo, and is about half the size of a 747. I reminded Garda “H” that I had specifically described a jumbo jet, with the words “Evergreen International” in big letters on the side.
I told him no airport police had approached the area except to watch Ed and myself, and that I believed immigaration must have asked the wrong pilot.
At this point Garda “H” said that their received position was that there is an agreement between the Irish and US government and that we take it on faith that these aircraft are not carrying weapons, and that they will not inspect the aircraft.
I was disgusted. I told him that I considered this to be dereliction of duty and that I wanted to bring the matter further.
I asked him who I should speak to. I asked if I could raise the matter with either Supt John Kerin or Inspector Kennedy and told him I had a mobile phone number for Inspector Kennedy.
We moved away from the area to report back to the peace camp.
While I gave interviews informing the media, Ed called Inspector Kennedy.
Ed rang Inspector Kennedy’s mobile and left a message, giving the details and urging a speedy response. I rang John Gormley, TD to inform him of the matter, and gave him Inspector Kennedy’s number so that he would be able to make his own enquiries.
Shortly afterwards, the 747 took off from runway two-four, and turned to go east.
We were incensed, not only at the use of the airport for war, but also at the lack of response by the local Garda Siochana.

I went home to eat shower and sleep. That night I would be heading to the airport to take the “graveyard shift” at plane monitoring. Ironically, the time between midnight and sunrise is often the busiest period for military flights, so it’s not quite the graveyard shift.

I observed a number of aircraft land, (World and ATA) and troops were seen disembarking from them. I spent most of the night on my own, although I occassionally had company (other witnesses and providers of hot chocolate)
At 08:45, I was just about ready to pack up and go, having video-taped a number of illegal flights, and run out of battery power. Then, I saw the outline of a 747 approaching from the North East. Within the last mile of final approach I could clearly see it was an Evergreen International aircraft. Before the wheels had touched the ground I had dialled 061-361212 – Shannon Town Garda Station.
As the plane roared past, and the sound of brakes and thrust reversers abated, Garda “K” answered the phone.
I gave her all the details of the aircraft, this one was N485EV – not N470EV reported the previous afternoon. I told her it was just finished its landing run and would be making a left turn to head to the cargo terminal. I gave Garda “K” my telephone number and asked her to call us back so we would know what was happening. We then went to the cargo terminal. Just me, Becky and my binoculars.

The scene at the cargo terminal was pretty similar to the previous day. No open cargo doors, not cargo trucks, just refuelling. An airport police car came down towards the plane to keep an eye on us (not the plane). After a while two airport police vans started patrolling around two. They showed no interest in asking us our business or even our names, they just kept driving around staring at us. Eventually one of the airport police vehicles came out and drove by us a few times. I tried to wave them down, and even though they passed within feet of me they would not stop.
There was no sign of the Gardai, and I was out of phone credit. So I stepped out in front of the slowly approaching Airport police vehicle to alert them to the problem.
The APO inspector signalled to drive around me. I blocked the way saying I needed to talk to him. Fearing that he might drive away if I approached the window, Becky took my place while I went to the passenger side. The passenger was an Airport Inspector who was on prior occasions refused to give his name or produce his warrant card (as he is obliged to do under the Air Transport and Navigation Act)
I asked the APO his name. He ignored me.
I asked to see his warrant card. He ignored me.
I asked him if he had inspected the aircraft. He ignored me.
I asked him if he would inspect the aircraft. He said was “I wouldn’t advise you to stand there now,” in a patronising tone, and waving his hand to move me on.
I asked him “why not?”. He did not reply except to say again “I wouldn’t advise you to stand there”.
This stonewalling went on for two more repetitions.
I told him I had already called the Gardai and was awaiting their arrival and inspection of the aircraft.
With that he came out of the car, marched past me, and started complaining provocatively at Becky because she had parked on a double yellow!
We told him we would move the car, but more importantly he should deal with the plane. He towered over Becky and kept provoking her about the car. He was repetitive, answered no questions and used a patronising tone.
I asked him again for his warrant card.
At this point the fire engines started to emerge from the airfield and drive up and down past us, for no apparent reason. There were no sirens, no flashing lights, nothing
To suggest a reason for them to drive back and forth, other than a show of force designed to intimidate us.
We began to fear that we might be faced down with water cannons.
I asked the APO once more, loud enough for others to hear
“WILL YOU PRODUCE YOUR WARRANT CARD, AS REQUIRED BY THE AIR TRANSPORT AND NAVIGATION ACT?”
“No” he replied. “You’re refusing to comply with the law?” I asked.
“That’s right he said” and drove off.
Then the fire engines drove up and down again.
Just then, I got a phone call from Midlands radio.
They asked me what the situation was like in Shannon. I gave a live on the spot report to their listeners, even relaying the getaway from the scene of the crime as the 747 backed out from the terminal to go to the runway.
Yet again, we had no sign of the police.
Mary rang the Shannon Garda Station to find out what they were doing. She then rang Commissioner Byrne’s office to make a complaint that the Gardai were not investigating a crime.
I went back to the house, burning up with anger at the gross abuses I had witnessed.
About 10 minutes after the plane took off. Garda “K” rang me back.
“Now, you were on to me about a plane…”
“Yes, it took off about 10 minutes ago” I said.
She told me that the position, was that there’s an understanding between the Irish Government, Department of Justice, and the US Government, and we don’t inspect the planes.”
I told her that she had sworn to uphold the STATE not the government, and that she was obliged to disobey any illegal orders she might receive. She said she did not consider them to be illegal. I offered to explain the illegality to her in a written statement after I had slept.
I asked if she had a written record of my complaint.
She said she did.
I asked if she could produce it in the High Court.
She said she did.
I told her that she might end up doing so.

Later on I read about the Taoiseach denying that these planes carry weapons.
If he’s right then the airport police are very, very, overprotective of the US military’s cargo of boot polish, beef rations, and big shiny medals to give to pilots who bomb defenceless Iraqi civilians.