New Events

Clare

no events posted in last week

Blog Feeds

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link News Round-Up Tue Dec 24, 2024 00:40 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Can Science Tell Us the Meaning of Life? Mon Dec 23, 2024 19:54 | Dr David Bell
At Christmas time, Dr David Bell reflects on what has true value in this world, the limits of science to tell us what that is and what a baby in a manger might have to say about it.
The post Can Science Tell Us the Meaning of Life? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Non-Crime Hate Incidents Surge in Half of Police Forces Despite Government Crackdown Mon Dec 23, 2024 17:46 | Will Jones
The number of?non-crime hate incidents?recorded by police has surged in half of Britain's forces despite attempts by the previous Government to crack down on the practice, official data show.
The post Non-Crime Hate Incidents Surge in Half of Police Forces Despite Government Crackdown appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Reeves?s Simplistic Thinking Spawned This Budget from Hell Mon Dec 23, 2024 15:44 | David Craig
Simplistic linear thinking by Rachel from Accounts and the Treasury spawned this Budget from hell, says David Craig. A systems thinker would have known it would send the economy into a doom loop of recession and decline.
The post Reeves’s Simplistic Thinking Spawned This Budget from Hell appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link British Drivers Steering Away From New Cars In Their Droves Mon Dec 23, 2024 13:00 | Sallust
British car-buyers are turning away from new vehicles in their droves and keeping their reliable old petrol models going for far longer as Labour's Net Zero war on affordable motors heats up.
The post British Drivers Steering Away From New Cars In Their Droves appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?113 Fri Dec 20, 2024 10:42 | en

offsite link Pentagon could create a second Kurdish state Fri Dec 20, 2024 10:31 | en

offsite link How Washington and Ankara Changed the Regime in Damascus , by Thierry Meyssan Tue Dec 17, 2024 06:58 | en

offsite link Statement by President Bashar al-Assad on the Circumstances Leading to his Depar... Mon Dec 16, 2024 13:26 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?112 Fri Dec 13, 2024 15:34 | en

Voltaire Network >>

Monthly vigil at Shannon highlights the airport’s involvement in torture

category clare | rights, freedoms and repression | news report author Monday March 24, 2008 23:04author by John Lannon Report this post to the editors

The monthly Shannon vigil to highlight the airport’s involvement in acts of torture and war was held on Easter Sunday, 23 March 2008. Once again it was a dignified affair, attended by members of Amnesty International, Cosantori Siochana, and a wide cross section of public support.
230308_shannon_vigil_001.jpg

The monthly Shannon vigil to highlight the airport’s involvement in acts of torture and war was held on Easter Sunday, 23 March 2008. Once again it was a dignified affair, attended by members of Amnesty International, Cosantori Siochana, and a wide cross section of public support.

Despite the chilly wind and the threat of rain – and the fact that it was a bank holiday weekend - an even bigger group took part in the Shannon vigil on 23rd March than in the previous vigils. Banners were erected and waved to passing motorists calling for an end to CIA torture flights through Shannon, and highlighting the airport’s role in a war that has caused 5 years of suffering in Iraq.
Sunday’s vigil was a reserved and dignified affair – no speeches, no shouting, no confrontation. The people of Iraq who have suffered carnage and despair since the 2003 US lad invasion and the many tortured prisoners that Shannon may have helped to “disappear” were remembered with a minute’s silent reflection. A few words were said to the assembled crowd encouraging further action – but in truth, it wasn’t necessary to say much. For everyone there, knowing the illegal and illicit use of Shannon airport was enough.
The vigil was held just one week after the release of an Amnesty report that confirmed Shannon’s direct involvement in the rendition of Khaled al-Maqtari in 2004. The report confirmed that the airport was used as a refueling stop by the plane that transported him from Iraq to a CIA “black site” in Afghanistan on 20 January 2004. Khaled al-Maqtari, who was never charged with any crime, was subsequently transferred from Afghanistan to an unidentified third country where he was held in complete isolation. His statements to Amnesty include reports of repeated beatings, sleep deprivation, other forms of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
Reports and flight data going back several years have shown that Shannon airport is repeatedly and systematically used by planes linked to the CIA’s international networks of torture. This usage continues; in this month alone there have been at least 5 refueling stops by planes linked with CIA missions (see Indymedia reports at http://www.indymedia.ie/article/86542 and http://www.indymedia.ie/article/86600). It is not known where these planes went after they left Shannon airport, what the purpose of their journeys was, or who was on board. Many landed in the dark of night, and in one case a tray of food was brought on board during a 30 minute stop.
The Amnesty report proves once again that Shannon serves as a staging area for disappearances, torture and other appalling forms of human rights abuse being committed as part of what is called the “war on terror”. It is also a staging area for hundreds of US troops going to and from Iraq every day. Since the 2003 invasion by the US-led forces, thousands of people have been killed or maimed in Iraq and communities that once lived in relative harmony have been propelled into open conflict. More than four million Iraqis have been displaced from their homes, and arbitrary arrests, detentions and torture continue to be reported. Two out of three Iraqis still have no access to safe drinking water and almost one in three of the population need emergency aid to survive.
Instead of providing the leadership that is required to try to end this ongoing suffering, the Irish government is providing the occupying US military forces with open access to its civilian airport at Shannon. Despite being faced with overwhelming evidence of torture in Iraq and with US failure to address this, Ireland continues to provide its taxpayers and citizens’ services to the US military and the CIA.
On the occasion of Sunday’s peaceful vigil at Shannon, the Irish taxpayers also paid for several cars and vans of an Garda Siochana who remained within close proximity of the peaceful vigil, some with their engines running. Even the traffic corp took time out from their busy weekend efforts to stop the carnage on our roads to be there. One man who is known to be a member of the Gardai but who refused to identify himself to this reporter seemed particularly interested in the vigil as he took a long series of photographs of the participants using a mobile phone. However they seemed disinterested in two unidentified men who strolled around in the proximity of the vigil with a camera.
Overall the taking of the photographs by the Gardai, the fact that one of the vigil participants was made to feel quite uncomfortable as he proceeded to the airport to meet his friend afterwards, and the requests to some (after they had got into their cars) to produce their insurance certs within 10 days at their local Garda station, seemed quite unnecessary.
Vigils will continue at Shannon on the second Sunday of every month (5 to 6pm). The next one will be on April 13.

230308_shannon_vigil_003.jpg

230308_shannon_vigil_011.jpg

230308_shannon_vigil_019.jpg

230308_shannon_vigil_017.jpg

author by Edwardpublication date Mon Mar 24, 2008 23:30author address author phone Report this post to the editors

The two individuals in the attached photo spent some time circling the peace vigil at Shannon airport on Easter Sunday 23 March 08. They could have come and spoken to us, and asked if we minded having our photos taken, but behaved more furtively. Two of us approached them and tried to engage them in conversation but in an accent that seemed more American than not, the older one said, I do not understand. They then walked back to the their car and made their way out through the Industrial Estate as if they knew their way around Shannon better than most non-English speaking tourists.

Perhaps we are being paranoid, but we had the suspicion that these individuals just might be US government agents of some sort, perhaps representing the organisation that has been shipping prisoners to Guantanamo for nefarious reasons.

If anyone can identify these two individuals, please put our minds at rest, or otherwise.

attachment Does anyone know these guys? 0.03 Mb

author by Lt Col. Starsky and Sgt Hutch - US Marine Corpspublication date Tue Mar 25, 2008 00:10author address author phone Report this post to the editors

IT seems there is always funny people hanging around Shannon when Dick Cheney is expected.

two_us_soliders.jpg

author by anonpublication date Tue Mar 25, 2008 04:19author address author phone Report this post to the editors

http://www.utvinternet.ie/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=88178...&pt=n

Willie O'Dea says US Troops will continue to use Shannon Airport despite anti-war opposition.
American Military use of Shannon, which is a major source of income for the Mid-West Economy.

author by Jethropublication date Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:20author address author phone Report this post to the editors

that's total rubbish. It's entirely political.
These guys are coming here for two week holidays, playing golf and hiring cars.
They land, eat, use the toilet while their plane is refuelled and then, off to Iraq to shoot at people, and get shot at or risk getting blown up.
Most of them don't believe in the mission, most US civilians don't, and neither do the Iraqis.
The Irish government simply lacks the guts to say no, so more people will die for political convenience.

 
© 2001-2024 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy