Killing machines as usual refuelling at shannon

international | anti-war / imperialism | feature

Monday January 10, 2011 14:43

by Edward Horgan - Shannonwatch

Irish police refuse to search US warplane, guarded by Irish soldiers

ShannonWatch.org - No Military Planes at shannon

Today’s peace vigil at shannon on 9 Jan 2011 was not a celebration but a commemoration of events that have been occurring over the past 11 years in Afghanistan and Iraq in which the United States waged unlawful and unjustified wars killing hundreds of thousands of people. It also commemorated and offered condolences on behalf of the many prisoners who were kidnapped, imprisoned without trial and in many cases tortured in Guantanamo and elsewhere. January 2011 also marks the 20th of the US led Gulf War in 1991, which led to the deaths of over two million Iraqi people in the decade up to 2001.

shannon airport played a despicable role in all these events, and continues to do so today, as two US warplanes were present at shannon, including a Hercules MC-130P 66-0216 special operations warplane, that was not on its first visit to shannon, having refuelled here also in 2005, and probably multiple times in the meantime.
This type of aircraft is known as a Combat Shadow for the subversive roles that it played not only in war zones, but also on so-called special operations in other countries, that are frequently denied by the US Government.
This website, describes some this warplane’s missions. “The Combat Shadow flies clandestine or low visibility, single or multi-ship low-level missions intruding politically sensitive or hostile territory to provide air refueling for special operations helicopters. The MC-130P primarily flies missions at night to reduce probability of visual acquisition and intercept by airborne threats. Secondary mission capabilities may include airdrop of leaflets, small special operations teams, bundles and combat rubber raiding craft, as well as night vision goggles, takeoff and landing procedures and in-flight refueling as a receiver.”
Given that the US is currently engaged in many secretive missions involving assassinations and bombings by drone aircraft and special operations forces in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere, this aircraft may well be involved is such operations. Yet it was being guarded today by a special detachment of Irish army soldiers, protecting possible war criminals. Given Minister Dermott Ahern’s for covering his arse rather than searching US military warplanes or torture planes, as revealed by WIKILEAKs, the current responsible ministers will also deny any complicity in these events. A request was made by Shannonwatch peace activists to the Gardai today to search this MC-130P warplane, but as usual they refused, and requested information to justify such a search. Our offers to search the plane to produce this information were declined, but we do intend to present a dossier of information on all such warplanes and CIA torture rendition planes that have visited shannon since 2001 and that are still visiting shannon on a regular basis.
We have been organising peace vigils at shannon now for 10 years, and these vigils will continue for as long as shannon airport and the Irish government are complicit in war crimes and torture.

Gardai refuse to search US warplane 9 Jan 2011

US warplane Hercules MC130P at Shannon 9 Jan 2011

Comments (1 of 1)

Gulf War 1991 vigil in Dublin Sat 15 Jan

Mon Jan 10, 2011 09:35

Please see below details of the peace vigil at the US Embassy in Dublin this Sat 15 Jan. Please attend if you are available at midnight on Sat or at any time from noon on Saturday to midnight on Sat. Bring your own plackards to promote peace.
Edward

Dear all,

To mark the 20th year of this ongoing War on the people of Iraq there will be a candlelight vigil at Midnight this Saturday night 15th January 2011.

It is at this late hour to coincide with the time that the first bombs were dropped in Iraq in 1991, done cynically so that it would be peak time for people in the USA watching their televisions to gaze in awe at the massive military power of their government destroying the men, women of children of this country. Vigils are being held throughout the world at the same time as this one.

We will remember also the complicity of our own government who have given the use of Shannon Airport to the US military as a stopping point on their way to spread violent death in country most of the soldiers passing through have not the first clue about. Shannon has also had the ignominy of being involved in rendition flights, all very secretly done to avoid public outcry as revealed recently in the Wikileaks on Ireland.

We will also be staying awake for Bradley Manning who faces life in prison for exposing the true nature of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, an act which should be rewarded, not one which is resulting in torture and oppression.

Bring your own light and message if you wish. We will stay for an hour or so in total.

Hope to see as many come along as possible!

Mairtin MacMaolain 0861035091
Catholic Nonviolence Network Ireland

See below for more information from Ciaron O'Reilly in London...

GLOBAL CALLOUT (Jan15/16) -
Simultaneous Vigils to mark the first bombardment of the now 20 year ongoing
(SATURDAY Washington D.C. 7pm, London midnight, SUNDAY Baghdad 3 a.m., Sydney 10 a.m.)
STOP THE WAR ON THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ
http://www.collateralmurder.com/
FREE BRADLEY MANNING
http://www.bradleymanning.org/

GLOBAL CALLOUT (Jan15/16) -
Simultaneous Vigils to mark the first bombardment of the now 20 year ongoing War on the People of Iraq
(SATURDAY Washington D.C. 7pm, London midnight, SUNDAY Baghdad 3 a.m., Sydney 10 a.m.)

STOP THE WAR ON THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ
http://www.collateralmurder.com/

FREE BRADLEY MANNING
http://www.bradleymanning.org/

1) WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON D.C. AND LONDON ON JANUARY 15TH. 2011?

-7 pm Vigil at the White House...the prim time start of the 1991 Gulf War
What's happening before the vigil in Washington D.C.?
http://dccatholicworker.wordpress.com/2010/12/25/januar...iraq/

-What's happening in England & Ireland at MIDNIGHT (and what is preceeding the public vigils)?
CONFIRMED at this point

*London at U.S. Embassy
Contact Ciaron 07939 290 576
Public Meeting at Giuseppe Conlon House, Harringey
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/471719.html

*Dublin at U.S. Embassy
Contact: Mairtin 086 103 5091

*Bristol at BAE Arms Factory
Contact Bob (EDO 9)
Film Screening at Kebele Social Centre preceeding the vigil at BAE

*Menwith Hill
Contact Campaign Against American Bases
Ph. 01423-884 076
www.caab.org.uk

Demonstrations are presently being considered at Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland, Fylingdales NSA in Yorkshire, EDO arms factory in Brighton, Shannon Airport Ireland, MOD Glasgow

* Sunday 10 a.m. Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, Brisbane, Australia

2) TELL US IF YOU PLAN TO STAGE A SIMULTANEOUS VIGIL ON JANUARY 15/16
AGAINST THE WAR ON IRAQ AND DEMANDING THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF BRADLEY MANNING FROM TORTUROUS PRISON CONDITIONS IN QUANTICO

What's happening where you are?
Tell us, give us an organiser contact and we will circulate it!
Email: dublincatholicworker at yahoo.co.uk
Post your vigil information on this link

-Take photos of your vigil/ demonstration on January 15th.midnight Geenwich Mean Time
http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/asia/iraq/time/

Email the photos to us or post them on this indymedia thread

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/98593

3) WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF JANUARY 15TH. 1991 WHEN THIS WAR ON IRAQ KICKED OFF?

I had been part of the ANZUS Plowsshares who closed a U.S Force Runway an disbaled a B52 Bomber. Our 20th.anniverary statements here....
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/98569

On January 15th 1991, I was in a county jail in Catskill, New York. As war broke out I got into a ruck with the Gideons running the jail bible study group. This is a letter i wrote at the time, here.....
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/98592

If you have any memories of the start of this now 20 year war on Iraq. You can post them on the above link as a "comment" on the indymedia thread

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/98593

THIS CALLOUT WILL BE UPDATED NEXT WEEK WITH MORE SIMULTANEOUS VIGIL LOCATIONS!

Ciaron O'Reilly
Giuseppe Conlon House
49 Mattison Rd.
London
N4 1BG
Landline 0208-348-8212
International +44 208 348-8212
Mobile/Cell 079 392 905 76
International +44 79 392 905 76

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/98603?search_text=shannon
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.