This article is from page 6 of the 2011-06-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
THERE will be no change in the status of US military flights passing through Shannon in light of the revelations from the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks that successive Fianna Fáil-led governments refused to properly investigate claims that the airport was used by the CIA to illegally transport terror suspects.
The Fine Gael-led government has confirmed that military flights passing through Clare’s international airport will not be inspected, with a spokesperson saying that “no changes are envisaged in relation to inspection of US military flights going through Shannon”.
This announcement comes on the back of the release of diplomatic cables by the Wikileaks which showed that the extent of Fianna Fáil-led government investigations into alleged ‘torture flights’ amounted to then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern asking US Ambassador to Ireland James Kenny, ‘am I alright on this?’.
A cable from Mr Kenny’s successor as ambassador, Thomas Foley, also revealed that within a month of becoming Taoiseach, Brian Cowen confirmed his unwavering support for the use of Shannon.
“Cowen stressed that as long as he is in office, the US can count on continued support for its military activities at Shannon,” Mr Foley said in a confidential cable in June 2008.
Three years on, current Taoiseach Enda Kenny backed this stance after discussing the Shannon issue with President Obama during his one-day visit to Ireland.
“We discussed the relationship between Ireland and the States, the continuing importance of that, and I reiterated the no-change policy in respect of the use of Shannon, in respect of American aircraft serving the UN resolutions, passing through,” he said.
In January, Amnesty International Ireland claimed that the then Government “knew rendition flights transited Ireland and that they knew this breached the legally binding convention on torture”.
In calling for an independent investigation into the use of Shannon, Amnesty Ireland’s executive director Colm O’Gorman said “this stunning disregard for people’s lives and the rule of law is unconscionable”.
The Programme for Government states 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”.
“Arrangements for the overflight and landing of US military aircraft have been continuously in place for over 50 years. Civilian aircraft are prohibited from carrying weapons or munitions over Ireland or into Irish airports unless they receive an exemption from the transport minister,” a government spokesperson told The Clare People .