Shanon Activists accused of spying
national |
miscellaneous |
news report 
Wednesday February 12, 2003 22:26
by Slarti
According to a report in today's Evening Echo "A plot to spy on US military aircraft using Shannon Airport has been foiled in a joint operation between the gardai and airport police"
It goes on to say that "A garda investigation is underway into the circumstances of the attempted surveillance and into what use would have been intended for the filmed material"
It further describes the incident as "alarming". It says the three men a one woman involved are "suspected to be anti-war protesters". It admits they were outside the perimeter fence and just filming "US-chartered troop-carrying planes and other commercial aircraft" It also claims thjat "film was removed from a camcorder and confiscated by the gardai".
My information is that the four people involved were monitoring the airport and were filming. I understand that they had some interaction with the gardai/airport police but that they did NOT have any film confiscated. What's more worrying is that they seem to think they'd get away with confiscating film in these circumstances. Monitoring of the airport has been ongoing since October 2001 (by various people) and is the main reason why the use of Shannon is even an issue (the initial official reaction was simply to deny that it was happening). If standing on a public road filming activities taking place in another public place (when such activities are the basis for a major national debate) is spying then we've gone further down a vaery dangerous road than i thought we had.
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The last protest at Shannon was most unusual for many observers of international protest in many respects. It is shall we say continuing evidence of a serious conflict of interests at the heart of the Republic of Ireland.
Pity they didn't take the camera of the US attach or remind him that he has no authority to interrogte Irish people (Yet?)
How many of his Irish army friends were there with him that day......L.C, P.J (the DJ) Moran ?
I fully intend to go to Shannon and film to my hearts content from the public area. If they dare take my film or camera I will take a case . We all should. It could be the next phase of the protest?
This intimidation and media justification of Police harassment must stop. These people are doing Ireland a great service for a payment of ridicule and torment while the lowly drink from the cup of the bully. That's you, PJ and John , respectively but anything but respectfully.
If you believe anti-war protestors may film public activity then surely so can the U.S attache.
on sat and there were 3 boys one girl and police took a film
Now someone wouldn't be trying to make out they were 'spies' now would they?
Ye don't need cameras, ye need hatchets. And what is an attache. Is that CIA speak?
Anybody got Sullivans details? Address? Phone? Email? Make lotsa contacts with him! Pay him a visit, he might be lonely!
The Cultural Attache is the usual cover for the CIA Head of Station.
During the last major demo at Shannon I tried to take photos of an ATA plane on the runway and an Afghanistan Airlines plane with a "Stars & Stripes" flag on the tail. I was outside the perimeter fence near the Westair hangar.
Airport Police (Van ID No. AP-14) attempted to stop me filming or using my binoculars to view the planes. They kept moving the van to block my view.
The previous night I was stopped and my car searched. I was asked if I had a camera. When I said 'Yes' they turned me back.
An attache is an Apache without a Tomahawk!
Syping charges cannot stick as we are officially neutral, so demand your film back and keep up the good work.
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