Peace Activists call for govt to come clean on CIA at Shannon

by subscriber Wed Sep 14, 2005 13:35

US aircraft at Shannon to come under UN scrutiny
Wed, Sep 14, 05
Conor Lally

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2005/0914/1122072876562_1126650563890.html

The Government’s policy of allowing US military and CIA aircraft to use Irish airports is to be closely scrutinised as part of a major United Nations investigation into alleged human rights abuses of prisoners detained as part of the war on terror, The Irish Times has learned.

Irish peace activists have long claimed that aircraft owned or controlled by the US military and the CIA have been transporting prisoners of war, via Irish airports, to jurisdictions where they have been tortured during interrogation. A new inquiry into the allegations has been established by the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) and forms part of a wider inquiry into ways in which counterterrorism operations around the world may breach human rights.

The man leading the inquiry is Martin Scheinin. Last night he confirmed he had been contacted by Irish citizens who had brought to his attention allegations that aircraft allegedly transporting terror suspects to be tortured during interrogation had passed through Irish airports.

A list of states through which US aircraft had been passing had already been drawn up, and the records of these countries would be the first to be examined. Ireland was not on this list, but the Republic would form part of future inquiries. Mr Scheinin said he would welcome any further information in relation to US aircrafts passing through Irish airports.

Allegations have surfaced in a number of countries that a US special forces team has taken terror suspects, without trial or charge, from the countries where they had been living to Egypt, Pakistan, Kuwait and Guantanamo Bay, where it is alleged some were tortured during interrogation.

One CIA-controlled aircraft allegedly used in December 2001 to take two Egyptian men from Sweden to Egypt has been spotted at Shannon a number of times. The men were allegedly tortured during interrogation in Egypt.

Irish activists say the aircraft used to transport the two Egyptians has been used in a large number of similar cases. They say it has used Shannon a number of times.

Activist Tim Hourigan, who stood unsuccessfully for the Green Party in the Limerick East constituency in the 2002 general election, has kept a log of some of the aircraft’s flights in and out of Shannon. He says it has passed through the airport at least 15 times. Mr Hourigan has made statements to gardaí about the activities of the aircraft. However, while two files were sent to the DPP, the matter has gone no further.

The new UN investigation is likely to be much more thorough than the Garda inquiries. Ireland could be found in breach of international law if it were proven it did not act to prevent torture.

In June, Amnesty International criticised Ireland for allowing Shannon airport to be used by the US as it carries out "extraordinary renditions", transferring people involuntarily across borders without due process and often in secret. The organisation said it had received reports "of a US-leased jet, which appeared to have been used for such purposes, being sighted at Shannon airport . . . on several occasions".

Any US military aircraft passing through Shannon are required to seek permission from the Irish authorities. They are also required to give assurances that they are unarmed and not carrying arms, ammunition or explosives. However, inspections of the aircraft are not carried out when they touch down in Ireland.

by Margaret Wed Sep 14, 2005 13:55

This article appeared in yesterday's Guardian:

MPs from all parties prepare campaign to halt CIA terror flights from Britain

Ian Cobain, Stephen Grey and Richard Norton-Taylor
Tuesday September 13, 2005
The Guardian

MPs from all parties are planning to campaign against the CIA's use of British airports and RAF bases when abducting terrorism suspects who are then flown to countries where they are allegedly tortured. An all-party group is to be established this autumn to coordinate the campaign and to inquire into the extent of Britain's support for the operations, which are said to violate international law.
The development was announced as the UN began inquiring into the operations, known in US intelligence circles as "extraordinary renditions", and as an investigation by the Guardian uncovered the extent of British logistical support.
Andrew Tyrie, Conservative MP for Chichester, is setting up the group after demanding information from the Foreign Office about the UK's involvement in US prisoner operations. He said: "I am appalled by what appears to be growing evidence of complicity by the British government in torture of terrorist suspects or people whom the US may have information on, which could assist them to prosecute the war on terror. I don't think the information that comes from torture is reliable, but more importantly, the use of such practices undermines the values we espouse. The damage to those values is far greater than any benefit we might gain from these practices."
Sir Menzies Campbell, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, said the government was going to considerable lengths to enter agreements with governments to try to ensure deportees from Britain would not be subjected to torture. But, he added, it appeared the government was "allowing free passage to the Americans to transfer people from one jurisdiction to another where they are likely to be subjected to torture".

Sir Menzies has tabled parliamentary questions about the practice, asking how many individuals had been deported or otherwise involuntarily transferred from the US on flights which have landed in Britain. He is asking ministers what records they have of individuals transported in this way, what records are maintained of aircraft used for the purpose, and what military airfields were involved.

He is also asking how many detainees are being held against their will on US vessels in territorial waters off Diego Garcia, the British Indian Ocean Territory, on which the US has a large aircraft base. Ministers have repeatedly denied any prisoners are, or have been, held on Diego Garcia.

Chris Mullin, Labour MP and former Foreign Office minister, said of the use of British airports: "If the government's policy is against rendition, then we must make that clear. The franchising out of torture is wholly unacceptable." He added that while the CIA may have legitimate reasons to fly in and out of the UK on other businesses, "unless we can clarify what is legitimate and what is not, it may be that the best thing is for them to be kept out".

Amnesty International is demanding the US "ceases the practice of renditions that bypass human rights protections".

The Guardian's investigation established that aircraft used by the CIA in renditions have flown in and out of the UK at least 210 times since the attacks of September 11. Some of those flights were connected to the abduction of terror suspects.

About 150 men have been abducted over the last four years and flown to countries where torture is common. A few have been released, and have given harrowing accounts of their treatment. Human rights lawyers say the operations violate the UN convention against torture, and say the CIA agents involved may also be in breach of the 1988 Criminal Justice Act.

by Justin Morahan - Peace People Wed Sep 14, 2005 17:01

It was due to your dogged persistence that this issue continued to be highlighted and refuses to go away.

If the Inquiry finds that our Government was culpably negligent in allowing US aircraft to flit through our airports for torture purposes, the credit will be yours.

Time and again when most of us were in our beds you were the genial but powerful watchdogs of the nation.

Please put up again the links to all the posts of your logging of planes, your questions to ministers, your formal complaints to the Garda authorities etc so that we can read again what only Indymedia Ireland readers knew a long time ago, thanks to your diligence and inveterate reporting.

WELL DONE. All anti-war activists owe you a deep debt of gratitude.

by Michael Wed Sep 14, 2005 17:34

I'm sure I am only one of thousands who second Justin's comments above. Brilliant work.

by Jack Wed Sep 14, 2005 19:32

Likewise, great reporting. Hope the story pans out well and fully. Interesting stuff.

by paul o toole Wed Sep 14, 2005 22:33

Well done Tim and all , I just got a call from a friend in Clare who said it was well highlighted on Clare FM all day, funny not a mention of it on our National Broadcaster-RTE ... (Refuse to Tell Electorate)

Perhaps the programme directors and news editors at RTE think that the Irish people are better off not knowing about the governments involvement in the torture of kidnapped citizens. They are just as guilty in my mind for witholding the truth, as the government for their participation the massacre of the innocent citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the destruction of their countries. If Bertie still believes in the 'primacy of the UN' mabey he will co-operate with their investigation. It's unlikely though seems he Bush and Bliar have shredded any notion of whatever the UN is supposed to stand for by invading Iraq.

by Joe Sheehan Wed Sep 14, 2005 23:20

Tim was on the last word this evening for a few minutes talking about this very thing.
Check out the link above unfortunately it is for the last hour of the show Tim was on about 6.40pm

by Joe Public Thu Sep 15, 2005 02:32

The UN investigating the US makes no sense. The US controls the UN. They are top dogs with France, Britian and China and even if the others do go against them the US will do what they want anyway.

The only reason the US still bothers with the UN is because it offers a scapegoat and cheap troops.

by Brian Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:58

By ignoring the story, RTE are letting the government get away with refusing to comment on TV or Radio on this story. We might have a scripted comment from Willie Odious in his Fanzine (a.k.a. The Limerick Leader) say that "of course this isn't going on, but they won't be asked any tough questions.
License fee, my @rse...

bombard RTE with complaints for ignoring this story.

complaints@rte.ie
newsdesk@rte.ie

by googler Thu Sep 15, 2005 16:54

but if you google the story,. you'll find that it has been picked up as far away as the states and Iran.

the well paid folks running RTE must be too chicken to annoy the government again after Eddie Hobbs did a few hours of pointing out the obvious... RTE's backbone must be rented rather than a permanent fixture...

by David Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:05

i've looked for our name but i can't find it... Can anyone confirm this for me?

by Tim Fri Sep 16, 2005 13:23

Criminal Justice (United Nations Convention Against Torture) Act, which was actually passed by the current mob of gangsters sitting in Dail Eireann, and of course, immediatley ignored.

I have cited this act in my criminal complaint lodged at Shannon Garda Station.

read

http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=67865&search_text=N379P

Under the Criminal Justice (United Nations Convention Against Torture)
Act ,2000, S5(1) any person suspected of committing, aiding, or abetting torture
(whether alleged to have taken place in
this state or not) can be imprisoned for life upon conviction.
According to Article 2(2) of the CAT, 'no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat or war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.'
Article 2(3) of the CAT states that 'an order from a superior officer or a public authority may not be invoked as a justification of torture.'

by Mark C - Teacher Fri Sep 16, 2005 14:56

How about this for a modest proposal? How about we all kidnap our local TDs, take them to the Shannon Peace Festival and torture them there.

Then we could wash it all away by saying that we will hold our own "independent" inquiry.

Regards,
Mark Conroy

PS Great work on the reporting.

by Tim Hourigan Mon Sep 19, 2005 17:40

I took the photo originally on Minolta AF-10, which was stolen shortly after I got the photos developed.
I recently bought a digital camera and took a photo of the print with that.

Spooks with wings at Shannon Warport Aug 2005

by Tim Hourigan Mon Sep 19, 2005 17:42

N6161Q at Shannon on a foggy morning.

Rendition Airlines limited seats available