Will the 'Conveyorbelt Of Death' continnue at Shannon

by watcher Fri Oct 07, 2005 02:36

Bit of arggie bargy in the Dail today D.Ahern admits whoever was in government would have to pretend to take the US word whats going on via Shannon and "swallow that pill".

by John O'Driscoll Fri Oct 07, 2005 05:08 JODPRC at gmail dot com

The Minister made the comment in context of accusing another TD of being a "green hypocrite" for saying that the Irish Government "had adopted a hypocritical line of 'see no evil, hear no evil' regarding the US".

The Minister replied that if the TD were on the government side "of the House with Fine Gael and Labour he would have to swallow that pill" (c.f. http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2005/1007/3349940586HM6DLGUANTANAMO.html).

IMO both Governments have shown their own hypocrisy yet again with this comment. If the Irish Government is so willing to accept the US assurances, and the US is so confident of the innocent nature of its aircraft in Shannon, neither party should have any objection to Customs boarding and searching any and all US aircraft transiting through and ending their journeys in Shannon.

Yet this is not the case. Customs in Shannon appear to have been prohibited or prevented from carrying out their lawful duties and may not approach or search any US military aircraft, or civil aircraft designated as being on US military or government business.

The 1947 Act dealing with Shannon airport provides the following relevant legal provisions as follows:

Section 7: .—(1) Officers of customs and excise, inspectors and collectors of taxes, members of the Gárda Síochána and officers and servants of a Minister of State, the Irish Land Commission, the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland or a local authority may, in the discharge of their official duties, at all times enter the airport and buildings, aircraft, ships, boats and vehicles therein.

(2) If any person prevents or obstructs any entry authorised by subsection (1) of this section, or attempts to do so, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds.

Section 9. —(1) This section applies to all uncustomed goods, goods brought into the airport in contravention of section 6 of this Act and goods the importation or exportation of which is for the time being prohibited or restricted by law.

(2) In this section references to the searching of a person include the opening (if necessary by force) and searching of any box, bag, package or other article carried by or for him.

(3) An authorised officer, officer of customs and excise, or a person acting on the instructions of any such officer, may search (subject to the provisions of this section) a person whom the officer reasonably suspects of carrying or having in his possession any goods to which this section applies.

(4) Whenever an authorised officer or officer of customs and excise proposes to search, or cause to be, searched, any person, that person may demand that he be brought before a superior officer, whereupon the following provisions shall have effect:

( a ) the authorised officer or officer of customs and excise shall, with all reasonable speed and before searching him or causing him to be searched, bring that person before a superior officer;
( b ) the superior officer shall hear the representations of the said officer and of that person and shall either, as he shall think proper, direct that that person be discharged without being searched or direct that he be searched forthwith;
( c ) every direction given under paragraph (b) of this subsection by a superior officer shall be complied with by all persons concerned.
(5) No female shall be searched under this section otherwise than by a female.

(6) If any person obstructs, resists, or interferes with an authorised officer or officer of customs and excise in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by this section or, in particular, refuses to be or resists being searched under this section, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.

and finally

Section 10 10.—(1) This section applies to all uncustomed goods, goods brought into the airport in contravention of section 6 of this Act and goods the importation or exportation of which is for the time being prohibited or restricted by law.

(2) An authorised officer, officer of customs and excise, or a person acting on the instructions of any such officer, may, within the limits of the airport, go on board any aircraft, ship or boat and enter any vehicle, house, shop, cellar, warehouse, room or other place and search for goods to which this section applies and, in case of resistance, he may break open doors, chests, trunks and packages.

(3) If any person obstructs, resists or interferes with an authorised officer or officer of customs and excise in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by this section, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.Why are Irish Customs not using the powers as granted them above to do their jobs? The only answer is that some hidden, unaccountable authority is preventing them from doing so.

In other words, Ireland no longer has control of her sovereign ports and borders.

And before anyone says that Ireland relinquished that control in some part by Her membership of the EU and the Single Customs Union, let me clarify that no supra-national legislation can impede or supercede national Customs legislation in any EU Member State in terms of either prevention or enforcement of non-fiscal Customs laws (i.e. Customs laws not having to do with tax, but rather with security, narcotics, weapons and pornography).

This is explicit in EU Customs law, which also sets out the legal requirement for all goods entering the customs territory of the EU for consumption to be declared to Customs and have duty and other import charges assessed and paid upon their value and in accordance with their tariff.

Alternatively, if customable goods are transiting the EU, they must also be declared and if applicable a proper transit approval and guarantee be sought and obtained.

In either case, Customs need to inspect any craft they wish to ascertain the law is being complied with.

If there is no need to fear that illegally detained "terrorist suspects", torture victims and other "extraordinarily rendered" human beings are on US aircraft in Shannon, then why are Customs being prevented from doing their job and boarding such aircraft to definitively establish that everything is in order under the law?

One could make a call to Customs at Shannon Airport (061 71 2000 main switch); ask to speak to the Senior Officer on duty, and ask him or her whether they have inspected any US military or civil aircraft, if not, why not, and if there are any such aircraft known to you as present in the airport ask the Customs S.O. to carry out an inspection of same.

I'd be interested to see what answers would be given.

Hope this is of help to anyone interested. Keep the pressure on.

by watcher Fri Oct 07, 2005 08:02

Defying the White House, senators voted 90-9 to approve an amendment that would prohibit the use of "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" against anyone in U.S. government custody, regardless of where they are held.

by Wille O'Dea Fri Oct 07, 2005 11:31

We must remember,... and I think it's important to point out,... that these planes are only refueling here... welcome business as it is for the airport... No-one, and I challenge the opposition to refute this, ...no one is claiming that they fired a missile at Iran while they were in Irish Airspace ... and that whatever they do when they leave Irish Airspace... well, they haven't sent my department, or indeed the Dept of Foreign Affairs any memo, about bombing Iran or any other country for that matter.

by God the Almighty. - Creator Fri Oct 07, 2005 11:57

Now Now Willie!

I know yer not that clever because i created you and everything. Itdoes not matter if missiles were/are/will be fired at Iran above or below Irish airspace. Nor does it matter to whom they are directed.Stop dodging the question and act!

I AM after all omnipotent (that means i know everything, not that i'm constipated or anything).
BUT remember my rule there 'THOU SHALT NOT KILL!'
Now i meant it when i said it.

Money won't get ye inta my house, nor even past the big pearly gates! So STOP! i say. STOP!!! supporting the United States of Terror at Shannon airport now!
'SURE, IT'S MURDER Y'KNOW?'

P.S. Tell that bertie-blair and -bush threesome that they are grounded indefinately...........

by Willie O'Dea Fri Oct 07, 2005 12:19

And blasphemy to boot. I behoves me as Minister for de Fence to point out that we're not at war, and if anyone stops here on their way, going to... well, kind of heading a bit east, we'll... now... let's remember our national interest... and our relationship with the United States,... and... and our hospitality.... I would say that we say "Welcome to Ireland"... and "have a nice day"... and not be so nosey... as to where these men in uniform are going... after all.... 'tis no business of yours... we have a long standing policy... and ... clearly, clearly there is no truth to these scurrilous remarks...

by paul o toole Fri Oct 07, 2005 16:35

12 suspects rounded up hours after Blair announced that Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah
‘may’ be supplying the Iraqi insurgency in Basra with technology and explosives.
However Bliar has admitted that he has ‘no proof of this’, at least he admitted it this time
before he launches his attack.
He had plenty of proof of WMD to invade Iraq, before he started to massacre civilians by
the thousand. And that the WMD could be ‘deployed in 45 minutes upon orders to do so’.
The source of this ‘intelligence’......a school boys essay from 12 years previous.

The U.K and the U.S. have about 80 % of the worlds Nuclear arsenal and most of it is
silently waiting for orders. It could reach all parts of the globe within 45 minutes and
eliminate all life on this planet. The really funny part is that they have enough Nuclear
firepower to accomplish this thirty times, thats 30 times, three oooh... This gives a new
meaning to the word overkill
All that is needed to unleash this doomsday scenario is for Bush to get a message from
God. Apparently God has spoken to the fearless leader of the free world, and then the
display of Shock and Awe worthy of dieing for could go ahead.
So, the new rules for invasion are that we dont need proof anymore, not that we ever did,
but now we dont even have to carry on with the pretence. And a word from God in
Bush’s ear
If Bush is back on the booze it’s hard to believe he was ever off it. How scary, all his
decisions so far have been made while he was sober?