US Navy Transport warplane and OMNI Air Troop Carrier at Shannon
international |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report 
Wednesday July 01, 2009 18:06
by Edward Horgan - Shannonwatch
Gardai continue to obey unlawful orders
Irish army soldiers provide guard duty for US navy warplane at Shannon, while up to 200 armed soldiers transit through Shannon on an OMNI Air troop carrier.
Shannon airport security and Gardai at Shannon failed to search or investigate US military aircraft at Shannon when requested to do so by Edward Horgan and Conor Cregan. As usual there was no effective security in place to protect civilian airport users from the threat of terrorist attack, and no precautions were in place to protect the public from blast and flying debris in the event of fire and or explosions involving one of these warplanes.
The army guard as usual were sitting in an army jeep parked far too close to the Navy warplane. There was no garda or airport security staff at the checkpoint on the road to the airport, as usual, except during peaceful protests.
Edward Horgan submitted a formal written request to the Gardai at Shannon Garda Station.
Conor Cregan also submitted a formal written complaint concerning a member of the Shannon airport security staff who refused to identify himself or to show his Warrant Card, as he was attempting to prevent us from taking photograhps.
Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Lots of US military traffic today at Shannon and the day's not over yet.
So far we've had:
3 troop carriers (N720AX, N734MA, N522AX),
a Navy Hercules (165348),
a Navy gulfstream jet,
a US Air Force Boeing 737 (01-0040, http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=461838),
and a cargo plane used by the US military on it's return journey from bringing supplies to Bagram (National Airlines, formally Murray Air N872SJ)
but who's counting....
The following is a copy of the written request made to Gardai at Shannon on 30Jun09:
Statement taken by Garda Lisa O'Donohue
I, Edward Horgan request that the Gardai at Shannon search and investigate US Navy aircraft number 0048, and its crew and passengers in case any of them may be guilty of crimes against humanity, or in case the aircraft may be transporting prisoners or dangerous explosives or substances, contrary to the UN Convention Against Torture, or the Geneva Conventions on War, or the Hague Convention V on Neutrality 1907. This aircraft is a DC9 - (McDonnell Douglas) -39CS, and is at present being protected by an Irish Army security team. I observed and photographed this aircraft between 3.30pm and 5pm on 30 June 2009. I am a specialist in international relations and as such I am aware that this aircraft and other US military aircraft and military personnel are in breach of the Hague Convention on Neutrality by transiting through Shannon airport.
Signed: Edward Horgan
Witnessed: Lisa O'Donohue, Garda
The significant increase in US warplanes, US troops and transport of military cargoe through Shannon airport over the past few weeks, and especially over the past few days is likely to be connected with an offensive by over 4000 US marines in Afghanistan. See Breaking News in Washington Post. Dozens of civilians will die in these attacks. The Afghan War is now heading towards the sort of casualty rate on Afghan people that the Iraq War has cost the Iraqi people. As the Russians and the British found out, there will be no long term victory in Afghanistan. The Afghan people will suffer huge losses. They lost up to one million people in their fight against the Russians and subsequent civil wars. The only winners in this war will be the arms manufacturers and the drug barrons.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...pnews
U.S. Marines Launch Major Operation in Afghanistan
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, July 2 -- Thousands of U.S. Marines descended upon the volatile Helmand River valley in helicopters and armored convoys early Thursday morning, mounting an operation that represents the first large-scale test of the U.S. military's new counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan.
The operation will involve about 4,000 troops from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, which was dispatched to Afghanistan earlier this year by President Obama to combat a growing Taliban insurgency in Helmand and other southern provinces. The Marines, along with an Army brigade that is scheduled to arrive later this summer, plan to push into pockets of the country where NATO forces have not had a presence. In many of those areas, the Taliban have evicted local police and government officials, and taken power.
"The operation will involve about 4,000 troops from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, which was dispatched to Afghanistan earlier this year by President Obama to combat a growing Taliban insurgency in Helmand and other southern provinces. The Marines, along with an Army brigade that is scheduled to arrive later this summer, plan to push into pockets of the country where NATO forces have not had a presence. In many of those areas, the Taliban have evicted local police and government officials, and taken power."
So you would prefer that the Taliban controlled the area unhindered and perhaps used it as a base to extend their control to other areas evicting government official and local police and introducing their sadistic interpretation of Islamic sharia law?
If you are opposed to using military force to crush the Taliban, how do propose to deal with the Taliban and their Al-Qaeda allies?
These barbarian savages tyrannised the people of Afghanistan and if they had their way would introduce Taliban rule to Pakistan.
Who do you support Ed? Do you support the democratically elected Afghan government, do you support the US and Nato mission to defeat the Taliban and Al-Qaeda or would you prefer thje Taliban returned to power, Al-Qaeda operated their training camp unhindered and there were more 9/11 style attacks throughout the world?
Which is it?
Who set up the Taliban and the group that spawned them - the Mujahedeen. Correct - it was indeed the CIA. They went on to wreak havoc in the Balkans and make it the heroin production capital of Europe.
Why has Obama declared Afghanistan “the good war?”
Why are so many Western troops, including Irish military, involved in this war?
Why is the anti-war movement calling for all troops to be withdrawn?
Afghanistan is descending into a hell-hole of chaos, corruption, crime and death. Estimates of civilian deaths caused by the 2001 invasion vary from 6,300 to 23,600. In May this year, U.S. planes dropped 2,000-pound bombs on three mud-brick villages in Western Afghanistan, killing up to 140 people. Over 1100 coalition soldiers have also been killed.
The effects of the occupation have swelled support for the Taliban. The war is escalating and has spilled over into neighbouring Pakistan where attacks by US drone planes and the US-backed Pakistani army assault on villages in the Swat Valley has left hundreds dead. Trócaire estimates that up to two million people have been displaced.
Western forces are rowing ever further in behind the invasion. Some of the additional 30,000 U.S. soldiers are beginning to arrive in southern Afghanistan. added to the 32,000 already there. The White House wants to give Pakistan nearly $1.5 billion development aid and $400 million in fresh military assistance.
Europe is deeply involved. ISAF troops (International Security Assistance Force) working under an expanded NATO command number 61,000 from 42 different countries, including at least seven officers from Ireland. This is truly a war waged by western powers against a small poor country that has the misfortune to have a prized strategic position.
Yet the west’s war is not popular with Afghanis. Opinion polls show Afghan confidence in the U.S. and the Afghan government plummeting, with now only 32% - down from 68% in 2005 – supporting the US performance. Yet this is the war that Obama wants to make his own. The stakes are very high but what is the war all about? Representatives from both the US Embassy and the Irish Dept. of Foreign Affairs have been invited to debate American and Afghani anti war (RAWA) activists. Come along and find out about this horrific situation.