Alan Shatter, Minister of Justice, Equality, and Defence in Ireland, has denied claims that local gardai have been instructed to not search suspected American rendition flights at Shannon Airport. Even further, Minister Shatter confirmed that 10 allegations of rendition flights in Shannon over the past 5 years have been investigated and proved no presence of rendition.
The Irish Examiner reports on Minister Shatter’s comments on the speculation of rendition in and out of Shannon Airport. Rendition is the practice of flying individuals from one country to another in order to bypass all judicial and administrative due process. Shannon Airport watchgroups have suspected that rendition flights were occurring at the Co Clare airport.
When asked by Donegal Sinn Fein TD Padraig MacLochlainn whether he was aware of instructions that have been issued since 2004 for gardai not to search suspected rendition flights at Shannon, Minister Shatter replied: “All complaints of this nature are dealt with in line with the advices provided by the Attorney General/Director of Public Prosecutions.”
“An Garda Síochána are fully committed to investigate all alleged breaches of the criminal law,” he added, “including alleged offences involving the use of aircraft at Shannon Airport."
Minister Shatter’s reply did little to quell the concern of John Lannon, a member of Shannonwatch, a group which closely monitors US military aircraft at Shannon. Said Lannon, "Members of Shannonwatch have been told on a number of occasions by gardaí that an ‘instruction’ or ‘advice’ has existed in relation to the searching of suspect rendition aircraft at Shannon Airport.”
"We still have grave concerns about the failure to adequately investigate many of the complaints we have made over the years,” added Lannon, “and particularly the failure to search suspected rendition planes. Minister Shatter’s answer sheds very little light on why these searches didn’t take place.”
8 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelb | Jul 24, 2012, 08:17 PM EDT
Deano I simply stated a fact I do not agree with elitism and I also agree that free and fair elections do not take place in Russia.Communism failed 20 years ago as "laissez faire" economics failed in 2007.The majority of Russians to day are under 40 and will eventually have a democratic nation.
seanomelb | Jul 23, 2012, 07:35 PM EDT
I suppose we are arguing a moot point here Deano,but the powerful elite will always takeover when a country is in turmoil.
IrelandNorth | Jul 23, 2012, 07:49 AM EDT
It's disturbing in the extreme if the present US administration is continuing with the previous administrations's policies. And if Darby O'Gill is still grovelling to Uncle Sam. Being anti-US foreign policy is not being anti-US. The USA needs to guard itself against repeating British imperial misadventures around the globe, planting seeds of hatred for generations. Some of us expeect better from the republic/nation inspired by the original Patriots.
seanomelb | Jul 21, 2012, 08:25 PM EDT
Under the communist system education in universities was reserved mostly for party members and their children so the administration was run by the "communist elite" therefore the leaders had to be party members and they soon changed that allegiance when the system collapsed.It was obvious Russians "conveniently" joined the party to be educated and now run Russia.If your premise is correct the GFC was a planned event and the depression was a planned event what nonsense. Russians live a little "freer" than they did under communisms.
sirpeter | Jul 20, 2012, 11:15 PM EDT
irishpjk.Try not to be a dickhead all your life.Don't wonder.Don't even think.Ya thick American fu*k.Now fu*k off to another article.This article is very sensitive to me.I try to make light of it.But I don't like this article.Now piss off before I kick your free ass all over ground zero.
seanomelb | Jul 20, 2012, 06:45 PM EDT
Deano has left his bunker after the verbal hidings I gave him (which he did not reply to). Why only communists Deano?There were only former communists to take the reins Gorbachev and Yeltsin and co. and elections held although I would agree that under Putin election results are at the least suspect.
irishpjk | Jul 20, 2012, 06:33 PM EDT
wtf I often wonder why America ever stepped in to save Europe from Hitler. Then they kept the Russians from taking it over, in hindsight it was a great waste of young American lives. I hope they are learning from the ungrateful bunch that is living there free because American selflessn
sirpeter | Jul 20, 2012, 10:39 AM EDT
Politicians have a history of NOT telling lies.The Garda Síochána BLIND task force are fully committed to investigate aircraft that might contain extraordinary rendition captives.The Irish people also understand the meaning to the little ditty "You're either with us or you are with the terrorists" sung by U.S. President Bush.It's still at number one in the charts all over the world.The B-Side sung by the United States Congress Choir is called The US Patriot Act(We are watching You~You~You)