Department of Homeland Security to use Shannon

by Willywhack Thu Jun 26, 2008 15:17

The Star did NOT have an exclusive on this story. I saw it in the Indo as well.

by Shannon CIA watch Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:24

Now is the time to introduce a well publicised boycott of Shannon airport for as long as it is being used by US military and the CIA.
Lets hit the war profiteers where it hurts them most, in their pockets. Consideration for the victims of torture and the victims of war must take precedence over consideration for the workers at Shannon. These workers have had six years in which they could have refused to facilitate these crimes against humanity, and not one worker at Shannon could be found, so far, with the courage or the conscience or the moral fibre to speak out. They have all "obeyed orders" to service the war planes and torture planes.
Boycott Shannon airport now.

Today, 26 June, is "United Nations Day in Support of Victims of Torture".

At Shannon airport, every day is torture day, as far as the CIA and Shannon airport Authorities are concerned.

by paul o toole Thu Jun 26, 2008 10:00

Diddnt o Gorman stand for the PD's in the last election???
Dont they support genocide??.
Dosent Harneys good friends the Mcelvaddys make millions on re-fuelling US planes for the US/K war of terror??
Diddnt disgraced McDoughall continnue to prosecute anti war protestors for actually doing something to stop the massacre??. Diddnt he also refuse to prevent the 'Secret Service' from shooting Irish citizens they thought they should shoot for protesting when his buddy GW visited here??
Didnt the PD camp continnually cite economics as a reason to continnue supporting the destruction of the Iraqi and Afghani population
Diddnt O gorman support this through joining the party??

....Wouldent trust O Gorman to head up a human rights organisation after these credentials...but this is modern politics...get the wolf in sheeps clothing to mind the flock....got to hand it to them, they continnue to fool us....

by Dead tree press watch Thu Jun 26, 2008 09:32

Big piece on it on page two of the Star as an 'exclusive'. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the story but the departments of Foreign Affairs, Transport and Justice here have no idea what's going on according to the piece.

Colm O'Gorman of Amnesty was on morning Ireland about it as well earlier.

by Fred Johnston - Homeland Security in Shannon? Thu Jun 26, 2008 00:07

They should be defied and ignored at every turn, if our government is cowardly enough to allow them to set up at all. All the more reason, then, for Irish people to press for inspection of CIA/US flights into the Shannon and Baldonnel. Homeland Security has not, nor can they have constitutionally, any writ in this country. Any US security person laying a hand on an Irish citizen at an Irish airport should be charged with assault.

by redjade Wed Jun 25, 2008 16:13

or what should be obvious.

The 9/11 hijackers did not board planes coming from Europe.

European airport security has always been and continues to be better than the USA's. The issue here is about the USA creating a permanent 'security presence' in other countries that regulate movements of people the USA doesn't like.

Such as really dangerous frightening people like Irish activist and Indymedia contributor who have been banned from the USA, Damien Moran.
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87058

more blogishness here: http://LMV.hu/redjade

by Jimbob Wed Jun 25, 2008 15:29

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-06-18-nuke...N.htm

Relevant quote:

"Oxford acknowledges that scanning the planes overseas — or at least off the U.S. mainland — is the best approach.
He says Homeland Security is working towards that, setting up test programs in Shannon, Ireland; Anchorage and the Caribbean."

The US authorities decided to check planes in Ireland, but won't agree to us checking planes in our own country.

by info gathererer Wed Jun 25, 2008 14:51

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Bureau of Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (C.B.P.) facilities are available for immigration inspection of passengers travelling to the United States from Shannon Airport. The facility is located in the departures lounge.

Once a passenger has been inspected and admitted to the U.S., it will be necessary for security reasons, for them to remain in the sterile gate lounge area until boarding their aircraft.

Tel: +353 (0)61 472297
http://www.shannonairport.com/facilities/usdeptofhomela....html

by paul o toole Wed Jun 25, 2008 14:25

“Shannon airport has played a pivotal role in the CIA torture rendition programme”

Also what has been proven is that there were no WMD. There are also 1 million dead, 5 million orphaned and 8 million displaced citizens and a country blown back to the stone age twice-that is if you even care. And the US to date has taken in 3,000 Iraqi refugees from this terrorism theyre so good at.
Onr thing for sure, if your looking for proof, dont call the Gardai cos they dont care either, they couldent be bothered.

by Sceptic Wed Jun 25, 2008 13:08

Mary Manning might have been brave but she is hardly that well known. Lech Walesa is the supreme example to trade unionists all over the world. Even in Ireland she would only be familiar to those of a certain vintage. She did all right out of her stance though - being toasted and feted at the "World Youth Festival" in Moscow in 1985 on an all expenses ten day paid ten trip. Probably she was on other eastern block junkets too.

“Shannon airport has played a pivotal role in the CIA torture rendition programme”

That assertion is challengeable, unevidenced and propagandist. Just repeated something ad nuaseum and usurping language in the process does not make it so. Incidentally Mr. O’Gorman said little on this topic during his PD time. Presumably if things had worked out better and he was now a minister Shannon would not be too much on his conscience now either. Now that he got a top Amnesty job following his failure as a PD he is on about Shannon. Our flexible friend.

by Jimbob Wed Jun 25, 2008 13:05

Very well put Paul...

Our government is willing to change the rules so that the US 'Fatherland Security' can search any plane at SHANNON to make sure it won't commit a crime in the US (in the absence of evidence or reasonable suspicion), and to avoid hurting their feelings we should turn a blind eye to US planes at SHANNON even if we know it to be a plane repeatedly used by the CIA for torture flights...

They can kiss my ass-urances.

by Shannon CIA watch Wed Jun 25, 2008 12:12

This will be a very unpopular suggestion for many.

24 years ago a brave and principled young woman called Mary Manning, refused to handle South African fruit in her role as a checkout person in Dunnes Stores in Henry Street in Dublin. She is now rightly praised as an example to trade unionists all over the world.

What a pity that no such trade union member, or trade union official has taken a similar stand at Shannon airport over the abuse of the airport by US military and by CIA torture planes.
There has been an urgent humanitarian need for whistle-blowers at Shannon over the past 6 years, but the silence has been deafening.

Airport workers and gardai are known to have seen prisoners on board US planes at Shannon, but have refused to come forward either publicly or privately to expose these crimes and complicity.

Economic interest and self interest are usually the reasons cited.
I’m sure that Mary Manning and the other Dunnes Stores workers 24 years ago suffered serious financial losses during their courageous strike against Apartheid. However, they put principle before profit.
The Dunnes Stores strikers have become an international example of doing what's right because it is right.

Shannon airport is dying as a civilian airport because of Government neglect, the Aer Lingus betrayal, and because of the failure of the Airport management over the years, and the failures by Shannon Development, to develop the airport and the region in a creative way, and an international air-traffic hub.
Instead, we now have the situation that, Shannon airport is almost totally dependent on Ryanair, and the pittance it gets in blood-stained dollars from the US military and the CIA.

The time has now come for consideration to be given to organising a boycott of Shannon airport. It would be a temporary boycott, until such time as the US military and the CIA associated aircraft are permanently banned from using Shannon. In the long-term, it should help Shannon airport to be developed as a genuine civilian airport.

Even if it did some damage to the "reputation" of Shannon internationally, surely this is only the truth being exposed of the complicity with unlawful wars, crimes against humanity, and torture that has been directly associated with Shannon airport over the past 6 years. Some courageous actions are now needed to help "cleanse" Shannon from the stains of complicity.

Ideally, such courageous actions should come from within the workforce at Shannon and within the Gardai who are stationed at Shannon.
However, if no such courageous persons exist at Shannon, then, the people of Ireland should take action by applying a boycott of Shannon airport for as long as it is being used by the US military and by the CIA.
There are now alternative airports serving the West of Ireland, including Cork and Kerry Airports, and Galway and Knock airports.
Even for those who feel they have no option but to use Shannon airport occasionally, then they should avoid using the duty free and other shops and restaurants at Shannon, and avoid using the car parks at Shannon, by availing of public transport to get to and from Shannon. Protests and pickets should also be mounted to ensure that the public become aware of what is happening at Shannon.

The bottom line is that well over 1,000,000 people have now been killed due to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that have been significantly facilitated by Shannon airport, and Shannon airport has played a pivotal role in the CIA torture rendition programme.
Since money and economics are the only justifications ever cited for abuse of Shannon airport by the US military and the CIA, a boycott of Shannon airport is the most likely way to peacefully bring home to the management and others at Shannon that while crime may pay at times, it also has costs to all who are implicated, either as victims or perpetrators.