US warplanes protected by Irish army and police
international |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report 
Sunday April 12, 2009 22:23
by Edward Horgan - Shannonwatch
Easter Peace Vigil at Shannon airport
About 27 people attended an Easter Peace Vigil at Shannon airport. Seven were peace activists, from Shannon, Limerick, Galway, Dublin and Cork, and the remainder were Gardai and airport police.
Within the airport fence a US Hercules C 130 warplane was being protected by a unit of the Irish army, and an Omni Air chartered US troopcarrier was also parked in the centre of the aerodrome.
Ireland's complicity in the Iraq and Afghan wars continues at Shannon airport in spite of the collapse of the poxy Celtic Tiger economy. Garda overtime accross the country has been severly cut back, but not apparently at Shannon airport, or at the Shell to Sea protests in Mayo. Seven peace activists were "policed" by about 20 Gardai and airport police. The policing security operation was not very efficient. Anti-riot barriers provided by a private company at taxpayers expense arrive too late to be put in place. Several determined peace activists got beyond the rather wobbly police line. Several Gardai refused to say under what Irish legislation they were trying to prevent the peace activists from proceeding along a public road. The Garda Sergeant present took out his notebook and asked a number of the peace acticists their names. He seemed surprised when they declined to cooperate with his "intelligence gathering" activities. He cited the Air Transport Navigation Act as his reason for preventing them from walking along a public highway, but it was unclear how this act could apply on a public highway that was not legally part of "Shannon Aerodrome".
Meanwhile, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the decisions by new US President Barack Hussein Obama to close Guantanamo prison, outlaw torture by CIA and other US agents, and possibly close some of the other black site torture prisons in Europe and elsewhere is being welcomed.
However, these belated moves will not bring back the over one million Iraqi and Afghan dead, or undo the trauma of torture and the suffering of the injured, and the trauma of the relatives of the dead.
Our Irish Government, and the Gardai Siochana have been willing and knowing participants in these crimes against humanity.
US Troopcarrier OMNI Air at Shannon Easte Sunday
Gardai being challenged to enforce the rule of international law at Shannon
Ireland's Blackwater? Private contractors provide useless barriers
Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Please note, this US warplane Hercules C 130 number 5348 is the same one that was also photographed at Shannon on 28 February 2009. Its mission could be anything from ferrying special troops, or munitions, or other war materials to the war zones, or in recent times, possibly ferrying prisoners from Guantanamo back to their coutries of origin. Many of these prisoners are likley to be tortured or even executed if they are sent back to certain coutries such as Jordan, Egypt, or Saudi Arabia.
The Irish government has a duty under the UN Convention Against Torture not to facilitate such breaches of international law but refuses to take any actions to ensure that Shannon airport is not being used for such purposes.
The Irish government has a duty under the UN Convention Against Torture not to facilitate such breaches of international law but refuses to take any actions to ensure that Shannon airport is not being used for such purposes.
Of course they have,have they implemented it No they have not, one wonders why.
Do they care,obviously they dont,but they should, they have got complacent, and probably feel that they are above the Law, but times are changing.
The link makes very interesting reading,although not directly connected to Shannon but these people also thought they were untouchable.
Well done to Edward and Co. at Shannon.
As always, congratulations to everyone who made it down to Shannon. The dirty business of allowing Shannon to be used as merely another staging post for US colonial policy has dropped off the agenda in Irish politics of late. This is a pity, of course, and it is left up to a few stalwarts to keep it somehow in the public eye. Now that the Irish army are deployed to guard US Military aircraft our complicity in the illegal Iraq war becomes concrete. It may be even harder to arouse interest now that people are more interested in how to cope with the loss of their second homes! In any case, Shannon should not be allowed to vanish as an issue.
JW 5348 US Navy VR-62 squadron.
Full reg 165348
cn 382-5404
Same routine,different county:
Details of Alleged 'Covered Up' CIA Flights to Poland
http://cryptome.net/0001/cia-pl-spies.htm
Poland Delegated Group of Intelligence Officers for CIA Use in 2002
http://cryptome.net/0001/cia-pl-flights.htm
When the last US Foregin Direct Investment job leaves Ireland for the Far East, then the Government will do something about our so called 'Neutral' status.
Maybe we should start a rumour that WMD's are being stored in the basement of Leinster House. The US will invade and overthrow the Government, not a bad idea :)
A FORMER Irish Army officer has said he intends to summons Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy
Well done Edward and the very best of luck,pity there are not a few more Edward Horgans in this Bananna Republic.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0417/1....html
Maybe one Ed Horgan is enough! Not everyone has to replicate what Edward is doing.
Each of the other 4 million or so Irish people should do what their conscience dictates, and what their circumstances allows. Whatever you do, don’t do nothing. One Million dead in Iraq with active Irish complicity at Shannon airport demands that we all take whatever actions we can to achieve some molecule of justice for these crimes against humanity.
The next six months is going to be or critical importance if we are to be successful in challenging the evils perpetrated in our name, and to ensure that it can never happen again.
Much greater support is needed for the monthly vigils at Shannon at 2 pm on the second Sunday of each month, that is:
10 May, 14 June, 12 July, 9 August, 13 September, 11 October, 8 November and 13 December.
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