Cindy Sheehan and Ruhal Ahmed at Shannon

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Wednesday May 23, 2007 23:04

by Edward Horgan

Courage and Conviction

Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed in Iraq while serving as a US soldier, and Ruhal Ahmed, who was taken from Afghanistan to Guantanamo Bay prison in a Hercules US military plane, for the purpose of torture, visited Shannon airport on 23 May 2007 in solidarity with local Irish peace activists.

US Hercules at Shannon 23May07

Casey Sheehan passed through Shannon airport on a chartered US troop carrier shortly before he was killed in Iraq. His mother Cindy, instead of quietly morning the loss of her beloved son, decided to stage an anti war protest at US President George W Bush's ranch in Texas, so that other parents might not suffer similar losses. She has become one of the most persistant and dedicated anti war activist in the United States. However, she is not only concerned at the loss of American lives in Iraq, she is also very concerned at the loss of so many innocent Iraqi lives.

Ruhal Ahmed was arrested in Afghanistan in 2003, bound, gagged and blindfolded, and transported to Guantanamo Bay Prison camp in Cuba on a US military aircraft, probably a Hercules C130 like that photographed above at Shannon today. He has not yet established the exact route of his journey from Afghanistan to Cuba, but there is now a strong likelihood that he may have been transported through Shannon airport. Most of the investigations into the US extraordinary rendition for torture programme have focused only on the use of chartered or CIA executive jets for the transport of the prisoners for torture. However, US military aircraft were also extensively used for prisoner transport especially in 2002 and 2003, and many of these Hercules C130s passed through Shannon airport. I should know, because I was arrested unlawfully for taking a photograph of one at Shannon in 2005.
The evidence that Shannon was used to transport prisoners to and from Guantanamo is growing, and with the release of more prisoners such as Ruhal from Guantanamo proof of the Irish Government's complicity in crimes of torture will emerge.

At Shannon today Cindy spoke movingly of the loss of her son, and how he wrote in a letter that she only received after his death that staff at Shannon airport had commented on his Irish name, and his Irish connections as he passed through on his way to Iraq.
Ruhal confirmed that he may have been taken through Shannon as a prisoner and he spoke of the abuse and dispare that prisoners suffered in Guantanamo.
Gardai and Airport security tried to disrupt the reception party that went to Shannon to meet Cindy and Ruhal. A large number of extra Gardai has been drafted in for the day. Conor Cregan arrived at the security barrier on his motor-bike and was refused entry and effectively detained at the security barrier for about an hour. Security was so effective that Edward Horgan, and Fiona Wheeler, two well known protesters and peace activists at Shannon were simply waved through as Conor was been questioned.
Conor was falsely told by a Garda that the reason he was not being allowed up to the airport was that Cindy Sheehan was not on the Aer Lingus flight from Dublin.
At the terminal building, Cindy and Ruhal did arrive as scheduled, and Fiona Wheeler presented Cindy with a bouquet of flowers.
A press conference was held just outside the arrivals entrance.
Speakers at the press conference included Cindy Sheehan, Ruhal Ahmed, Edward Horgan PANA and Liam Kilgallen of the Irish Anti War Movement.
Because Connor Cregan was still held at the security barrier about a mile from the airport, the group of peace activists and their guests of honour travelled out to the barrier and spent some time with Connor. Some disruption was caused to traffic due to the Garda and security handling of the Conor Cregan detention issue.

The purpose of this and other protests at Shannon airport has never been to inconvenience anyone, especially workers and civilian travellers through Shannon. Our only purpose to the do all we can to prevent the taking of innocent lives in unlawful wars, and expose the complicity of the Irish Government in these unlawful killings.
We are very grateful for the effort that Cindy Sheehan and Rhuhel Ahmed made to come to Ireland and to come to Shannon airport especially, to show solidarity with Shannon peace activists.
It was emphasised at the press conference that protests at Shannon will continue and will be stepped up with the change of Government in the comming days. We will never accept that Ireland's participation in unlawful wars should become 'custom and practice' by default.
We call on all peace activists to renew their efforts to end US military and CIA use of Shannon airport. This Summer should become a summer of discontent and protest at Shannon airport. Peace protests at Shannon will continue for years to come if necessary. Action must be taken to bring to justice all those who have been complicit in the deaths of over 262,000 children in Iraq, and the deaths of thousands more children in Afghanistan.