On Sunday 25 January 2009, what is probably a US Navy C-9B Skytrain logistics aircraft was photographed at Shannon airport in neutral Ireland, at about 11 am. Even though it had no obvious military markings, it was being guarded by an Irish army security patrol. The registration number it is obliged to display was incomplete. The only number it displayed was 0050. As far as we can establish its full aircraft registration number is 160050.

Recent News:
• Obama orders Guantánamo Gulag to be Shut read more
• ShannonWatch.org suffered a mysterious DDoS Attack
• Ed Horgan asks President Barack Obama to Respect Irish Neutrality

We are urgently seeking more information on this aircraft, and wish to thank those who have provided research so far.

This plane is probably part of VR-52 (Naval Reserve Fleet Logistics Support) at Willow Grove Naval Air Station, Pennsylvania. It's US Navy C-9B "Skytrain", due to be phased out in the near future.

It has come to our attention over the past year that old aircraft, some of questionable air-worthiness have been transiting through Shannon airport, both with the US military and civilian airlines contracted to ferry troops and munitions through Shannon to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The civilian aircraft that have experienced mechanical trouble on these trans-atlantic flights include, OMNI Air, Kalita Air, and Murray Air. Old C130 Hercules military aircraft have also experienced mechanical trouble while making the US to Middle East trip via Shannon "neutral" airport.

The death has occurred in London of Bob Doyle, the last surviving Irish soldier of the XV International Brigade of the Spanish Republican Army. Bob, whose health had been failing for some time had survived a recent double heart attack, before passing peacefully last night surrounded by his family. He was a few weeks short of his 93rd birthday.

Bob's career as an political activist has been recorded in his book Brigadista, which recounted his early life in Dublin as a Republican volunteer and later as a member of the Republican Congress, prior to his abortive first attempt to fight against Franco in July 1937, which saw him stow away on a ship to Valencia.

On his return to London (which he was to make his home for the remainder of his life) Bob contacted the CP and arrived in Spain by the more usual route, walking over the Pyrenees in a group of 15 volunteers, including the writer Laurie Lee. Bob was given basic military training and promoted quickly due to his aptitude and experience. Assigned to a training base behind the lines, Bob disobeyed orders and left with a detachment of British volunteers to take part in the second battle of Belchite in February 1938. He was captured at Calaciete with Frank Ryan and survived the concentration camp of San Pedro, before being released in a prisoner exchange in February 1939.

Bob joined the merchant navy on the outbreak of the second world war, where he received a medical discharge for an ulcer. He spent the remainder of the war as a firewatcher on the roof of the CP offices in central London.

He threw himself into political activity after the war and was one of the Communist leaders of a major printworkers' strike in 1959 and the fight for a 40 hour week. Bob was also undertaking more dangerous work, frequently travelling to Franco's Spain helping to organise the underground unions there.

Bob was an unusual Communist. This writer first encountered him in London during a Poll Tax demonstration, dressed in a top hat and tails. Bob was to be seen on many demonstrations in London throughout this period for a variety of causes and was not shy of confrontation with the bosses or the police. Bob was also a firm advocate of the legalisation of cannabis and was an enthusiastic grower of the herb in his north London greenhouse.

More recently, Bob has been in involved with Spanish Civil War commemorations both here in Ireland and in Spain and he was due to accept honorary Spanish citizenship in the coming months. He hadn't taken up an offer extended several years ago from the Zapatero government as it would have required giving up his Irish citizenship in exchange. Under a new law, however, non-Spaniards are entitled to retain their original citizenship.

Bob attended his last commemoration at Jarama last February where he delivered a a speech fired with passion and anger attacking global capital and the hold it still has on the world.

Bob's funeral arrangements are to be announced next week.

No Pasarán

'I am here to make you boil with anger; the powers that supported Franco in Spain are still active, and today their reach is global': Report on Speech by Bob Doyle - September 2006

Some History of Irish Involvement in the International Brigades is Here.
Previous Indymedia Obituary of International Brigades Veteran James Maley.
Homage to an Anti-Fascist: Michael O'Riordan RIP.
Indymedia Article Marking 70th Anniversary of the Connolly Column

NOTE: Indymedia Ireland invite those with memories of, or reminiscences about, Bob Doyle to use this page as a virtual tribute. We will endeavour to, after a period, print the page out and present it to his family.

Bob Doyle in Madrid last year 0.32 Mb

This video is made up of a list of the signatories of an open letter compiled to support the demand that the Israeli ambassador to Ireland be expelled 'until such time as there is a complete end to Israel's war on Gaza and its continued slaughter of the Palestinian people.'

The list is combined with Creative Commons footage from Gaza released onto the web by Al Jazeera. The Al Jazeera TV channel continues to update their Creative Commons page with more recent footage from Gaza.

It was projected onto the exterior of the Israeli embassy in Dublin on the evening of the 19th of January as a response to a 'PR attack' on Ireland by an Israeli Minister fresh over here from overseeing the slaughter in Gaza.

Those involved in the collection of signatories, the action at the Israeli embassy, and the production of the video would appreciate any efforts made by others who support this action to spread this video through their blogs, websites and online social networks.

Text of Letter

12-18 January 2009

We, the undersigned, are united in seeking the immediate expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland, Dr Zion Evrony. We believe the ambassador must leave Ireland until such time as there is a complete end to Israel's war on Gaza and its continued slaughter of the Palestinian people.

How (And Why) To Sign
People Are Still Signing

The Irish Peace and Neutrality Alliance has called on the newly inaugurated 44th President of the United States to respect international law with regard to Irish neutrality by taking steps to terminate the transit through Shannon airport of US troops, military material and CIA associated aircraft engaged in extraordinary rendition with immediate effect.

I was invited to Washington by the Cape Cod support group for Barack Obama, and through the good offices of Congressman William Delahunt of Massachusetts, to attend the celebrations surrounding the inauguration of Barack Obama as 44th President of the United States. Given the historic change of direction that this President is likely to initiate in many policy areas especially in the area of international peace, I decided to accept this invitation. However, my initial attempts to enter the US were frustrated by the US Homeland Security Department, who refused me permission to enter the US under the electronic system now being enforced since 12 Jan 2009.

While I received no explanation for this refusal, it became clear later that I am on a special list in Homeland Security due to my peace activist activities, particularly the fact that I played a role in exposing the CIA torture rendition programme that includes the use of Shannon airport by CIA rendition planes. I then had to apply for a visa, which is an expensive process, involving a visa application fee of €104, which in non-returnable even if the a visa is refused, and also requires a visit to the US embassy in Dublin for an interview. Even this visa application was initially unsuccessful as the US embassy in Dublin could not issue the visa on their own authority and had to refer the matter to the US State Department in Washington.....

Related Links:
• Irish Peace and Neutrality Alliance - PANA.ie
• Damian Moran Deported from the USA, April 2008 - here, here, and here.
• ShannonWatch.org planespotter website shutdown by DDoS Attack
• Amnesty International, Ireland and Dublin's Catholic Worker marked GTMO's 7th Anniversary.
• Amnesty International 'welcomes' Obama executive order to shutdown the Guantánamo Gulag.

Statement issued by the nine women
as they entered the Raytheon premises:

From the Derry Anti War Coalition:
From Nine Women Who Have Chained Themselves Inside The Raytheon Building At Springtown Today (January 12Th) At 2.30pm

We have taken this action in an effort to prevent or delay war crimes being committed by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza with the use of Raytheon weapons and to try to force a criminal investigation into the activities of the Raytheon company in Derry and elsewhere which, we believe, amount to complicity in war crimes.

Like millions of others, we have watched television pictures of innocent people being slaughtered since the Israeli assault on Gaza began on December 27th, and have wanted it to stop. But nobody with the power to make it stop seems willing to intervene to do so.

Lawyers and international human rights organisations have declared that the Israeli bombing and shelling of Gaza involves war crimes. The bombing of a UN-sponsored school on January 6th, killing at least 40 civilians, including children, has merely been the worst of these war crimes.

Raytheon is one of Israel’s main suppliers of the weapons being used in the attacks on Gaza. The company is either aware or doesn’t care that its weapons are being used to commit war crimes.

Nine Derry Women Updates:
• Police Agree to Investigate Raytheon's Role in War Crimes - Read more, plus photos
• Galway Women's Vigil for Gaza: 'We are Muslim, Jewish, Catholic and women of no religion. From the Middle East and Ireland. Mothers, housewives, students, teachers, office workers, pensioners.' - read more
• Protest as the Israeli ambassador enters Dáil Éireann - Photo series