Ireland's ongoing role in Crimes Against Humanity

by Roger Cole - Peace & Neutrality Alliance Mon Sep 19, 2011 17:41 info at pana dot ie 17 Castle Street, Dalkey 01-2351512

International law as laid down by the 1907 Hague Convention is very clear. If a state wishes to be regarded as neutral, it cannot allow its territory to be used by countries involved in a war. The Ambassador of Switzerland on a visit to Ireland quoted the Hague Convention to explain why no US planes are allowed to land in Zurich Airport. As an delegate to the Labour Party at the conference I asked Eamon Gilmore did the reference to international law mean that the use of Shannon airport by US troops would be terminated. In reply he said that "while it might be hard to believe" it did.
However, months later, there is no such evidence and in fact from the response to the questions by Deputy Joanna Tuffy he is declaring that Ireland is no longer a neutral state. This position is more in line with his support with the Lisbon Treaty especially now that the WEU has been abolished as its lat remaining competence, that of collective self defence is now part of EU law.

He clearly felt that it was necessary to answer they way he did to ensure a massive yes vote to coalition with Fine Gael even bigger than he would have got if he had ignored my question.

On the broader front, I do not accept that the Irish people are in favour of the use of Shannon Airport by the US (a Landsdowne Market independent survey showed that 58% of the Irish people were opposed to its us by US troops). However I do accept that with 500,000 people unemployed and with massive cuts in the wages of those still at work most believe they have other issues to be concerned about. The point however, that PANA has continued to make is that war and the economic crisis are not separate issues, but opposite sides of the same coin. However all national newspapers and the political elite (the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael/Labour Party axis) and the rest of the media both supports these wars and the EU/IMF package for the same reason. What they support and what they want is perpetual war abroad and mass poverty home (apart from themselves of course).
There are two elections in October where PANA will be writing to all candidates asking their views on the use of Shannnon Airport in these wars and we would urge all other people to do so as well.
Regardless of the result PANA will continue to oppose the dominate neo-liberal militarist ideology. We are also convinced that the elite will be defeated. It is only a matter of time.

by Edward Horgan - Shannonwatch Sun Sep 18, 2011 15:16

We now know from our research that there were at least five OMNI Air US troop-carrying aircraft at Shannon airport on Thursday 15 Sept 2011. Such numbers are not unusual. We have monitored up to seven troop-carrying aircraft at Shannon over a specific 24 hour period.
Their registration numbers were
N522AX (DC10)
N603AX (DC10)
N378AX (Boeing 763)
N342AX (Boeing 763)
N639AX (Boeing 752)

by W. Finnerty Sun Sep 18, 2011 13:32

Article 29.3 of our Constitution reads as follows:

"Ireland accepts the generally recognised principles of international law as its rule of conduct in its relations with other States."

As I understand it, people like former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan have always claimed that the US/UK led invasion of Iraq under George W. Bush and Tony Blair to have been completely unlawful as far "international law" represented by the United Nations is concerned.

That being the case, how could the ongoing Shannon Airport "aiding and abetting" (by our Government) of this unlawfully started war be anything other than a violation of Article 29.3 of our Constitution (by our Government)?

"The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has told the BBC the US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the UN charter." (From: BBC Article dated September 16th 2004 at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3661134.stm )

by Edward Horgan - Shannonwatch Sat Sep 17, 2011 21:30

The Green party became the lapdogs of Fianna Fail in the last government and suffered justified anihilation in the last election. Labour under Eamonn Gilmore are now heading in the same direction.
Joanna Tuffy asked very astute questions in the Dail and Eamon Gilmore's responses below on 14 Sept 2011 beggar belief.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

Question 40: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps he will take in response to reports of documents indicating that the CIA used privately owned aircraft to transport suspects or prisoners around the world and that at least ten of these flights passed through Shannon Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23935/11]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

Question 41: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on response to calls by the Irish Human Rights Commission to ensure that necessary steps beyond mere diplomatic assurances are taken to ensure that Shannon Airport is not used by aircraft for the purpose of rendition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23936/11]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

Question 42: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps that he has planned or has taken in respect of Council of Europe recommendations arising out of its reports on the use of airports in member states including Ireland for rendition flights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23937/11]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

Question 43: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps being taken in order to carry out the commitment in the programme for Government to enforce the prohibition on the use of Irish airspace and related facilities for purposes not in line with the dictates of international law. [23938/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Tánaiste; Minister, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 to 43, inclusive, together.

The Programme for Government states that the Government “will enforce the prohibition on the use of Irish airspace, airports and related facilities for purposes not in line with the dictates of international law”. I have already made clear, speaking in the Dáil on 22 March, 2011, that “Shannon will not be used as a means of rendition, facilitating torture, or any other activity which violates human rights”.

None of the various investigations into allegations of extraordinary rendition, including those carried out by the Council of Europe, have revealed any evidence that rendition through Irish airports has occurred, nor is there any new information or allegation linking Irish airports to acts of extraordinary rendition.

Specific and unique assurances have been sought, and have been received, from the US authorities that no such prisoners had been transferred through Irish territory, nor would they be without our express permission. The Government has no reason to call into question the value of the assurances received at a high level from the US authorities in this matter.

Eamon Gilmore's Dail reply contains several errors that may amount to deliberate falsehoods being perpetrated by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.
"None of the various investigations into allegations of extraordinary rendition, including those carried out by the Council of Europe, have revealed any evidence that rendition through Irish airports has occurred," This is misleading and probably untrue - several investigations including Council of Europe, European Parliament, Amnesty International and others have revealed that CIA planes linked to renditions have been refuelled at Shannon on hundreds of occasions, and that at least seven planes directly linked to specific prisoner renditions were refuelled at Shannon while on their itinerary to and from those renditions. It is false to state that these investigations have not revealed "any evidence" of Irish airports being used for rendition. The only reason that there is no direct evidence so far that prisoners were "rendered" through Shannon is that prisoners being taken to Guantanamo were normally bound, gagged, and drugged, while being transported on CIA and US military aircraft. They had no idea which airport or countries they landed in, and they certainly were not allowed to shop at Shannon dutyfree.
Gilmore states that: "The Government has no reason to call into question the value of the assurances received at a high level from the US authorities in this matter." This is false. The US Government gave similar assurances to its far more important ally, Britain, but it was subsequently revealed that prisoners were taken to and through British territory of Diago Garcia, and may even have been tortured in Diago Garcia. The Irish Government therefore has every reason to call into question the assurances of the US Government.

Eamon Gilmore's statement is false when he states that: "nor is there any new information or allegation linking Irish airports to acts of extraordinary rendition." Eamon Gilmore and the Department of Foreign Affairs must be aware of the "new information" contained in several of wikileaks cables, including the one where his predecessor Dermot Ahern told the US ambassador that Shannon airport was linked to at least three renditions, and sought to cover his back in case this became public. The wikileaks cables also reveal that Shannon was directly linked to CIA planes that were refuelled at Shannon while on their itineraries to and from specific renditions.
Eamon Gilmore and the Labour Party are following in the footsteps of John Gormley and the Green Party, and if not careful, they will end up on the same scrap heap.

by FreeBase Fri Sep 16, 2011 20:47

Possible US military base? Hey might be worth a few million in the great sell off by FG.
At this stage nothing would surprise me

by Seanie Fri Sep 16, 2011 20:07

I get the impression that Shannon is being deliberately run down as a civilian airport. Given the current economic crisis I can see a day when the government decide it is no longer viable and sell or lease it to the US / NATO as a military base. I have no doubt there are some out there who would support this, including government ministers.

by Lefty Fri Sep 16, 2011 18:49

"She made no mention then, or on any other occasion that I know of, about the hundreds of thousands killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, as if 3,000 US citizens are so much more important than all those killed and maimed in the wars of revenge and wars of resources waged by the United States. "

Yes thats exactly what it is. A racist media propagates this notion that the worlds greatest tragedy ever was when 2753 white people consisting largely of bankers and lawyers and freight companies were killed in retaliation for 100 years of imperialism and kicking hornets nests all over the world, wheras the undocumented lives of all the poor brown people killed in this plunder, numbering far far more. are just dirt and aren't worth talking about. That IS the reality. We are disgusting racists or tacitly supporting overt racism. What could we expect from a snivelling sycophantic president and government whose trademark is corruption and kissing up to power and privilege while imposing austerity on the poorest in society.

by W. Finnerty Fri Sep 16, 2011 14:47

I believe lots of decent people in the Republic of Ireland still do care about such matters, and that many of them care very deeply, and for good reasons as well.

However, I strongly suspect they also sense that if they start complaining in public regarding violations of our Constitution, by our OWN Government (Executive, Legislative and Judicial), that they will punished very severely in one way or another, and almost certainly in a whole range of diverse ways, as and when individual circumstances permit.

In addition to being subjected to three failed attempts (so far) to corruptly criminalise me (since 2002) in connection with my efforts to try and remedy what I believe is a very sizable and diverse array of treasonously criminal government wrongdoing, connected with blatant abuses and violations of our Constitution (Bunreacht na hEireann) over a period of several years, I've also had my disability allowance payments stopped well over a year ago, and, in addition, the old age pension payments I've been entitled to since last March have been completely blocked as well.

Worst of all though (from my viewpoint) is that all of my many attempts to date (which began well before 2002) to get professional legal representation, regarding what for me have been a set of highly disruptive, expensive (in many more ways than one), damaging, and threatening matters, including the relatively recent attempt referred to in the excerpt reproduced just below, have been COMPLETELY IGNORED (so far) by the several lawyers and law firms I have sought help from: whose names include the present Republic of Ireland Justice Minister Alan Shatter TD, and his Dublin law firm "Gallagher Shatter Solicitors".

"If any lawyers (or law firm representatives) reading this can help me to complete 'unfinished legal business' of mine connected with the unconstitutional legislation issues mentioned in this section, please e-mail me at: newinngalway@yahoo.co.uk"

The above excerpt is from the July 24th 2011 e-mail to Minister Alan Shatter TD (and others) reproduced at the following location:
http://www.humanrightsireland.com/IrishLegalProfessions...wyers

Put in nutshell, our legal profession in the Republic of Ireland will not -- so far at least -- legally challenge government wrongdoing which is being underpinned by our Judiciary in the most major ways available to them.

Consequently our government overall (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial) can, and does, abuse and violate our Constitution with impunity: and, woe betide anybody who tries to stop them through means which they see as threatening for them, and/or their interests!!

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party Fri Sep 16, 2011 14:28

..they'd be queueing for the royal shilling. New emperor, same ol operation.

by Des - None Fri Sep 16, 2011 13:51

Yes, that''s absolutely correct, most people in this country do not give a damn, unless personal gain is involved. When I mentioned Shannon to one individual, the response was, "We are getting paid for it". Another illuminating comment "The Americans are our allies". Need I say more.

by TN Fri Sep 16, 2011 13:06

"Does anyone care anymore that Ireland is breaching international law by claiming to be a neutral state, yet allowing and profiting from the transit of US troops through Shannon"

Short answer nope.Never did and still doesn't bother most of us!

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party Fri Sep 16, 2011 12:39

..they have the people so propagandised, and our media so embedded, they'll be moving an overt bill for NATO membership soon. Total compliance with the resource wars already.