Israeli Air Force land at Shannon Airport (again).

clare | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Saturday May 06, 2006 01:32

by Conor Cregan

Two weeks ago, on a routine visit to monitor the on going war crimes that is the Bertie Ahern led governments facilitation of the of the US military troops and intelligence services (CIA) at Shannon Airport, I witnessed a new devolvement at Irelands second international airport. Sitting on the main apron in front of the terminal building was an Israeli Air Force 707. After a while a group of military types disembarked and jumped into the “Fixed Base Operator” minibus. They were taken to the Great Southern Hotel where they billeted overnight.

Initially I thought this an emergency landing. Shannon Airport has been used on numerous occasions by the US Air Force to land aircraft in trouble. The latest happening only months ago when a C17 reported to be carrying Helium (yeah right) landed safely.

Today the Israeli Air Force is Back in Shannon.

Logged @ SNN 23/04/06

For the second time in two weeks Shannon Airport the only airplanes sitting on the airfield of Ireland’s second international airport are those used by belligerent foreign powers engaged in crimes against humanity in their quest for hegemony of the Middle East.

Tonight at one of the security zones in the state aerodrome, set up to cater for the illegal war in Iraq, sits two Israeli Air Force Boeing 707 jets transporting members of the Israeli Defence Forces. One of these aircraft is an intelligence communications plane easily spotted by the number of finlike aerials running along the top of the plane.

Although these planes are guarded by members of the Irish Defence forces and An Gardai Siochana this does not seem be adequate for the Israeli Air Force who has left a security detail on board. They have also equipped with Motorola radio units provided by the Irish State.

The number of men in flight suits surpassed the number of flight crew needed to fly a civilian 707 Boeing. Later the planes passengers passed out of the aircraft and piled into the waiting mini bus of the fixed base operators. All members of this company were billeted at the Shannon Airport Great Southern Hotel.

In an incident during a time that mimics today’s nuclear show down between Iran and the west. Deploying a lightening strike bombardment the Israeli Air Force pulverized Saddam Hussein’s atomic ambitions by destroying the Osirak nuclear reactor in June 1981. Using Irelands national Airlines navigation codes, and also disguised in the Aerlingus livery, an Israeli Air Force bomber slipped into a civilian aviation flight path and bombed the Iraqi reactor.

Also sitting the security zone in the middle of the airfield was an ATA military troop carrier. This regular visit is part of the fleet of aircraft that are transporting over 1200 hundred young American soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan through Shannon Airport on a daily basis. This US based airliner is reputedly owned by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) also fondly known as “The Company” to its operatives.

At times like Sunday 23rd of April and today the 5th of May Shannon Airport becomes a militarized zone as the only custom is facilitated by Irelands Dept of Foreign Affairs. It is suspected that Irish Government that foots the landing charges. Its has been reported that it is this department that pays the Irish Aviation Authority for all US military aircraft that over fly Irish Airspace. This information was released through the “Freedom of Information Act” after the state made the argument of revenue from the US military being a positive aspect of its subservient participation in George W. Bush’s “War on Terror”. This in turn makes Shannon Airport a target for retaliation like the bombings in Madrid and London. Last year, in the wake of the so called 7/7 bombings in the centre of London, the people of Shannon and the surrounding areas felt an uneasy sense of their own mortality as it is known world wide that Ireland is a secret member of the “Collation of the Willing”.

Time and Time again the anti-war plane spotters at Shannon Airport have lifted the lid of Bertie Aherns dirty little secrets at Shannon and exposed this government’s total disregard for ethics. Last month saw Irish parliamentarians attack one of our number, ex-army officer, Edward Horgan who went to the European Union to seek a platform to stop the torture flights of the CIA flying through Shannon Airport. This shameful behavior of our representatives in Brussels is well short of the standards acceptable of our elected representatives who talk of investigating the truth at Shannon Airport but deliver a way a white wash for the cronies in the Departments of Transport, Justice and Foreign Affairs.

This smacks of the Fianna Fail baby spitting out its dummy for having to sit through an investigation that it couldn’t suppress like Bertie’s boy the bold Timmy Dooley of who’s tantrum in the house of the Senate stopped a proposal a member of his party to look into the one hundred or more CIA flights that landed at Shannon Airport. Senator Dooley of Co. Clare plays on the fears of the people of Ireland by insinuating that business would be affected a thorough investigation to complement the Foreign Affairs committee in the Dail were submissions were presented by a group of peace activists including Ed Horgan. Senator Dooley who is to run in the next election after winning his ticket at the Clare election convention last month has opened an office in Ennis.