Secret Irish Defence Agreements Linked to CIA Torture Revealed

by Eoin Dubsky Fri Jan 13, 2006 16:30

Great to see Michael D. and others keeping the heat on the government. This story reminds me of something journalist John Pilger often writes "never believe it until it has been officially denied" (or something like that).

by anon Fri Jan 13, 2006 15:07

FOI response via Paul Colgen the Examiner.

since it was first reported by this newspaper 17 months ago. Among the documentation are scores of pages downloaded from websites such as Indymedia, a left-wing blogging site that has focused on landings at Shannon.

Also included is the lengthy script of the Swedish television documentary that first helped to expose the CIA operation.

The department refused to release a number of files, including:
background notes prepared by the department's security policy section,
notes on meetings with US officials,
e-mails to and from US officials,
e-mails to and from the Irish embassy in Washington,
an e-mail from the permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva and

internal discussions between officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Transport.

Specific information on US flights into Baldonnel military airfield was also denied. An email between government officials about flights into the base has the dates on which specific planes landed blacked out. It was reported recently that rendition flights have been using Baldonnel for so-called “gas and go'‘ visits. The Taoiseach's department refused to disclose any information it had about extraordinary rendition on the grounds of national security.


While devising a draft reply to a question submitted by Labour Party TD Ruairi Quinn, an unnamed official in foreign affairs' political headquarters informed its legal department that “we are proposing to answer this question without delving into legal detail, consistent with the approach we have taken to previous PQs [parliamentary questions] on the subject'‘.

The specific reference to Guantanamo leaves open the possibility that the US authorities may not then have been in a position to deny that the planes had carried prisoners through Shannon to other locations, as alleged in numerous media reports.

A Department of Transport information note faxed to the Department of Foreign Affairs' security policy division six days earlier had stated: “On no occasion did the aircraft go from Shannon to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba,” but it noted that “the aircraft flew to airports or airbases in the UK, USA or Canada'‘.

More...

by anon Fri Jan 13, 2006 14:44

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Political leaders of the European Parliament will give the green light on Thursday for an investigation into allegations that the CIA operated prisons in the European Union, one leader told Reuters.

Leaders of the Parliament's seven political groups and President Josep Borrell will meet on Thursday to finalize details of the investigation, said Brian Crowley, Irish MEP and leader of the Union for Europe of Nations (UEN) Group.

Link to report from Reuters

Our politicians face EU probe into CIA torture allegations Conor Sweeney Indo

Last night, Fine Gael's Simon Coveney, who hopes to play a prominent role in the investigation, said he anticipates the Shannon issue will feature.

"I expect that Ireland will be forced to give evidence," he said. "I expect the Government will have to establish the facts.

"If planes are landing, refuelling and taking off from Shannon, then Ireland has involvement and if called before the committee, the Government faces being asked to explain what it does know," he said.

The temporary committee's draft mandate will be to collect and analyse information to find out:

* If the CIA carried out abductions to secret sites where torture or inhuman treatment of prisoners was carried out in any EU member or candidate country.

* If countries were involved or complicit in the illegal detention.

* Should renditions justified in the fight against terrorism be considered a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights or other international treaties.

* If EU citizens were detained in these secret prisons. Altogether, 46 MEPs will sit on the special committee, expected to start work next week.

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1540682&issue_id=13534

by Tommy Donnellan - Irish Anti-War Movement Fri Jan 13, 2006 02:43

the international arms trade than ever before"
In this weeks Galway Advertiser the redoubtable Michael D. scourges the present shabby crew in government for the fact that military equipment sales from Ireland has topped 300 euro since 1997 (30 million last year) and for "consistently" ignoring the advice of Amnesty International, and a report by Forfas two years ago that identified serious gaps in procedures for the monitoring and control of military exports from this country.

Full story by Kernan Andrews can be read on the online edition of the GA.

To boot, whilst you're at it, in the same edition, a fiery letter by the noted writer, Fred Johnston, can be read in the Comment & Letters section attacking Galway City Council for subsidising the pornography on wings obscenity that is the Salthill "Airshow".

by W. Finnerty Thu Jan 12, 2006 21:17

Some may be interested to know that, as the extract below shows, lawyer Jose Manuel Barroso (President of EU Commission) was informed regarding the Article 29.5.1 situation relating to Shannon in a letter sent to him through the registered post on April 27th 2005.

"A further difficulty for me relating to Article 29.5.1 of the Republic of Ireland's written Constitution relates to the international agreement between the Republic of Ireland and the United States which allows Shannon Airport to be used by US military aircraft engaged in the war in Iraq. This is another international agreement which has never (to the best of my knowledge) been laid before Dail Eireann. Concern relating to this problem is much increased by the fact that as far as international law is concerned, as distinct from US and UK law, every international lawyer I know of who has commented in the media on the subject appears to believe that the war which was started in March 2003 in Iraq was entered into unlawfully. I understand that the United Nations General-Secretary (Mr Kofi Annan) has similarly expressed the view in public that the manner this war was entered into was unlawful."

As can be seen at the following address, the e-mail version of the April 27th 2005 letter to President Barroso was copied to Prime Minister Bertie Ahern TD, Deputy Prime Minister Mary Harney, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, and, last but not least, President George W. Bush of the United States of America:
http://www.constitutionofireland.com/PresidentBarrosoEmail27April2005.htm .

No reply was ever received from European Union Commission President Barosso to my letter to him dated April 27th 2005.

by anon Thu Jan 12, 2006 19:47

However, the Department of Foreign Affairs released a number of documents relating to rendition, including correspondence signed by the Taoiseach and communications with officials from his office.

When a newspaper with the time and money receives info from a FOI request can it then publish in full what it gets? Has it ever. (online)?

by Seán Ryan Thu Jan 12, 2006 18:17

Congrats on an excellent article.

It seems as if the state is almost begging Mr. Dubsky back into court.

Fair play to Michael D. Higgins, I don't agree with his politics, but I believe with all my heart that he would have made a worthy successor to Mary Robinson.

Even though he wasn't allowed to become president he still defends the constitution.

Sometimes its a good day to be Irish.

Sláinte

Seán