Anti-war politicians ejected from Shannon terminal

by c murray - at home Sat Mar 18, 2006 21:06 dotliath at gmail dot com n/a 0877765289

We have one of the lowest % female TD /parlimentarians in Europe.
Women are increasingly active and in leadership roles in the NGOs ,but there
is a problem with the images I see in the National Media, where are the women
being ejected out of Shannon Airport. To my mind the main opposition parties do have some women TDs,(except the Greens). PANA and IAWM have women reps.
The images of this protest in the Nat media did not have even a token female.
who organised who invited and did the issue of war destroying the lives of women and children as well, or more never occur to the organisers. If it was a td shindig or senator one, there should have been a representation in the media. this is utterly boring.

by Elaine Fri Mar 17, 2006 00:32

(There was little or no mention of the CIA flights and the protestors objections to them in most mainstream reports after the event. This report from the Evening Echo, which seems to be taken from a press release, is a lot more detailed)

Ahern urged to raise CIA flights with Bush

15/03/2006 - 10:44:59

Opposition politicians are calling on the Taoiseach to raise the issue of CIA 'torture flights' with US President George W Bush this St Patrick's Day.

Anti-war activists say aircraft involved in the controversial CIA 'extraordinary rendition programme' have landed at Shannon Airport on numerous occasions in recent years.

The CIA uses the programme to kidnap suspected Islamic militants and transfer them to secret prisons across the world where critics claim they are being tortured.

The Government has said it accepts assurances from the US government that no such prisoners have been on board any flights passing through Shannon.

However, peace campaigners want the Irish authorities to go further and inspect US flights to make sure Irish territory is not being used for illegal activities.

The Peace and Neutrality Alliance has arranged a special "fly-in protest" today whereby a plane carrying politicians opposed to the US use of Shannon will fly from Dublin to the Co Clare airport.

Labour Party TD Joe Costello, who will be one of those on board, said he wanted Mr Ahern to seek a guarantee from Mr Bush on Friday that Ireland was not being used as part of the rendition scheme.

He said the Irish State had an international obligation to ensure that no 'torture flights' were passing through its territory.