Irish Neutrality - A Licence to Kill?

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Tuesday June 17, 2008 17:10 by Edward Horgan

US Troop Surge through Shannon

Three plane-loads of US troops on OMNI Air chargered troop-carriers were at Shannon today 17 June 2008 between 10 am and 11am. They were accompanied by an Evergreen International Boeing 757 that was most likely carrying military logistics including munitions through the airport. Also on the airport was a suspect Bulgarian aircraft, associated in the past with transport of munitions.

Conor Cregan and Edward Horgan arrived at Shannon airport at about 10 am. In the central secure area there was an Antonov EW 269TI, owned by Bulgarian airline called Cargo Air but on lease to Belarus airline called Ruby Star. Its purpose at Shannon is so far unknown. Its registration number is EW 269 T1.

Parked up at Gates 39 and 40 were two Omni Air troop carriers. Their registration numbers were N 270AX and N720AX, both regular visitors to Shannon with US troops. US troops could be seen going to and from the duty free area.
A US Gulfstream executive jet took off at about 1045, its reg number was N616KG, Owner: Airkraft One Trust,
Address: Corporate Trust Administration
Wilmington, DE 19890-0001United States, may be owned by one (Bob Kraft) New England Patriots.
The number of aircraft "one trusts" at Shannon these days are getting fewer. Almost half the aircraft at Shannon during this one hour period was associated with the US military.

While we were there, a Boeing 757 Evergreen International landed and parked in the secure area close to the Antonov. The Evergreen seem to be heavily laden. There was visible tyre smoke as it touched down on the runway. The white coloured Antonov looks rather like the US hercules C 130 aircraft, with four turboprop engines. Shortly afterwards, a third OMNI Air plane landed and went to park in the secure area in the middle of the air field. Its registration number was N522AX, also a frequent visitor to Shannon.

All these aircraft associated with the US military part of the wars being waged by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, and are therefore in clear breach of the Irish neutrality.
Irish neutrality was the elephant in the room during the Lisbon Treaty debate.
The US government has been given a licence to kill and a licence to torture by the Irish Government. According to the Irish government its quite OK for US troops to kill hundreds of thousands of Iraqi people as long as they dont do it within the Irish jurisdiction. It is also fine to use Irish territory to transport prisoners for torture or to refeul aircraft that are directly involved in this rendition process, as long as the Irish Government or its agents dont see the prisoners on board the planes, or as long as they dont actually see the prisoners being actually tortured at Guantanamo prison or in black hole prisons such as Baghram airbase and elsewhere.
Irish Government ministers and Taoisig are ignoring that fact that complicity with torture, or aiding and abetting torture, or failing to take all possible steps to prevent torture contravenes the UN Contravention Against Torture.
None of these aircraft was searched by Gardai, immigration or by airport security. The US military and the CIA have been given immunity and impunity at Shannon airport.

The number of civilian passengers passing through Shannon airport is decreasing significantly. However, all such passengers are carefully searched in case they might be carrying weapons such as nailfiles, bottles of shampoo and others such dangerous materials.
The US troops and the associated transport planes are not searched but are licenced to carry any type of weapons they may wish, and several have been specifically licenced to carry depleted uranium munitions through Shannon airport.
A licence to kill and a licence to torture issued by the Irish Government.
We were asked to trust this government in the recent Lisbon referendum. 53% of those who voted gave them their answer.
Searching these planes is not the long-term solution.
Irish neutrality must be included in the Irish constitution, and it must be neutrality as defined in International Law including the Hague Convention, not a bogus so-called "military neutrality" as falsly claimed by the Irish Government.
Let us not forget that of the more than one million Iraqi people who have died as a result of the US led war since 2003, over 250,000 of those killed have been children.
By failing to hold our Irish Government to account for this, you and I and all Irish citizens are jointly complicit.

Photos to follow later