Garda knocks on plane door.

Garda: Excuse me, do you have an suspected terrorists and suchlike in this here vehikle?
Pilot : no.
Garda: right so.

Investigation closed.

Investigation, what investigation

Fairly odd that the report contains this then.. : Diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks in 2010 revealed that former Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern told U.S. Ambassador Thomas Foley that he was “quite convinced that at least three flights involving renditions had refueled at Shannon Airport before or after conducting
renditions elsewhere.”

Amazing that the Department of Justice are so quick to dismiss everything. Didn’t they dismiss this whole Magdalene slavery scandal, saying that most entered “voluntarily”. I take most hastily issued statements with a pinch of salt. We’re hardly going to go against the US, we’re kind of beholden to their industries, TV, money among other things. Any photo opportunity we get to align ourselves with them, we jump at. We’re hardly going to bite the hand that feeds now.

The crusties can put that in their pipe and smoke it! (Hi Michelle) ;)

Otherwise known as “Turn a blind eye “

It’s amazing what you won’t find if you don’t look too closely!

A couple of points worth making here.

Shannon was used as a point on CIA rendition operation circuits. CIA planes, illegally claiming to be civilian aircraft, entered Irish airspace and used Shannon Airport on their way to or from rendition operations. Known cases include Abu Omar, Khaled al Maqtari, Khaled el Masri and Binyam Mohamed. There may be more, these are the ones that are proved, flight logs, routes, plane numbers etc.

Whether a rendition flight carrying a prisoner went through Shannon is unproven. No one can know, short of the CIA up and deciding to tell people, because there were no proper checks being made. Indeed, in November 2008 (link below but behind paywall) the Irish Government announced it was setting up a Cabinet committee to investigate whether the gardaí actually had the power to search the planes:

“The Cabinet committee will examine and strengthen legal provisions to ensure that gardaí and airport authorities have adequate legal powers for search and inspection of aircraft. This may involve strengthening the provisions of the Air Navigation and Transport Acts.”

Sadly, nothing ever came of this.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2008/1101/1225321623312.html

So, how to explain the Justice statement? From their point of view because there is no evidence of a plane with an actual prisoner on it transiting Shannon (which is true, but it’s also true to say there were no proper checks), renditions never occurred here.

The Gardai have no chance of investigating this complaint. They can’t use Waterboarding when questioning suspects.

The Gardai investigated the C.I.A and found no law was broken regarding rendition. The C.I.A pulled rank there i have a feeling.

Um, any involvement in, co-operation with, or turning a blind eye to, people being kidnapped and brought illegally to another country where they were likely tortured and denied due legal process, is utterly immoral and why anybody would mention financial benefits to our country from US multi-nationals in the same sentence defeats me. What does that mean? That if if helps the economy then we will co-operate with human rights abuses – could be a lucrative new industry for Ireland!!! A new angle for The Gathering?

In fairness, let’s admit that there have been no sworn affidavits of confession and statements of full and frank admission to an Garda Siochana.

I remember a Garda Commissioner asserting a number of years ago that there was no evidence of trafficking of women into Ireland for prostitution and sexual slavery.

The lack of evidence of rendition is not proof that there was no rendition.

Renderers of people tend to reticent about admitting crimes against people.

Tom, what are you on? I’d go back to the blue tablets. It seems they suit you better.

So the question is did the Guards go on all the CIA planes???

They landed refueled bough a couple of sandwiches and departed. It created jobs and prosperity for shannon.

What if a garda did discover a prisoner impound the plane set terrorists free
So we can watch on television something like 9-11 happen again from the comfort of our armchair. then pop of to work in local American multinational company. Who is probably thinking if the irish are anti America would another country be friendlier.

This is something you either buy into fully or don’t at all. Cherry picking doesn’t work.

I’m surprised this is even a topic of discussion. We granted these large military transport aircraft and CIA/USAF business jets permission to fly through Shannon. Did people think these aircraft were all empty. Did any have prisoners or weapons on board? You bet they did. Were any transporting troops to war. Of course. I don’t think because these aircraft refuel here gives us jurisdiction over their contents, their prisoners, or their activities. We agreed to let them fly through. It was a political and diplomatic decision. I’m sure most people agree with it.

This is the same government that just said there was no horse in Burger King burgers…