U.S. military plane vandalized at Shannon airport

@butlerreport - even if the US government were elected by a majority of the people not all Americans could be held responsible. And for those responsible the rule "hate the sin and not the sinner" should apply. Your reasoning that killing and torturing innocent people is ok, if an elected government feels pressed by the war lobby to order that, is immoral to the utmost. And yes, you're right,"It isn't up to the Irish to decided what kind of government we have", but it's up to the Irish to resist being used as collaborators in this crime against humanity.

I think the fact that they spray paints the plane with the words ''US troops out'' might have been an indication that the plane had been tampered with. It wasnt as if anyone had been kept in the dark and troops were about to fly out. Your government lied to the irish and the world about rendition flights so we are allowed protest and go that extra bit further so make ourselves heard when you land in our country with detainees onboard whom you are going to hold illegally without proper representation and torture.

As an Irish person living in the US for 24 years I find it appalling that anyone would interfere with an aircraft. Ireland needs the US so much more than they realise, look at all the American companies that are based in Ireland giving employment. I have made a wonderful life here and would never ever say a bad word about this country or its people. My children are American and I was very happy and honored to become a US citizen....

butlerreport, I was in a car once that exploded. I am horrified at the audacity of Irish suggesting tampering with a plane's power lines is excusable. Hundreds of people could have been killed. I also think saying that they "haven't anything against Americans" just our Government is insulting. This is a representative democracy. What that suggests is that it is something else. It isn't up to the Irish to decided what kind of government we have.

@gobdawpaddy do ye really think we should sell freedom for bogrolls? I personally prefer wiping me backside with grass much over being a slave of the federal reserve ... so nothing atall against American people, but the American system we need no more than the British (or European) system. And the war is not about people, but about enforcing a bad system all over the world.

I pity anyone on a Shannon stopover. Time to bulldoze that dump back into the Shannon estuary. Please. And those who vandalized the plane should stand trial in the US for terrorist - what if the damage had not been spotted and the plane crashed. A decade in Guantanamo would be appropriate. Gob-sh*tes.

the United States is not interested in Iraqi oil. Other countries, like China, are developing oil interest in Iraq. When the Iraqi PM was in Washington last month, he asked for US investment in Iraq, because there isn't any. North America has more oil reserves than the Middle East and is a much safer investment.

U.S. passenger jets landing at Shannon Airport are far less burdensome than having their drones buzzing over your fields. Watch out Paddy, there are no GPS coordinates on the planet beyond the sting of Hellfire missiles.

The irish arent anti-American. We are however anti-invasion of other countries for their oil.

Ahh Ciara me darling lass, you missed my point. I was suggesting that if the Irish are so anti-american, they should stay amongst their own backward mutants on the rock and not be seeking a better life in the United States when their own government has repeatedly let them down. They shouldn't infest the US with their drunken behavior and pigeon version of english, 'mucksavageeese'

Ciara, Paddy is too stupid too understand the point I attempt to make. God bless the innocence. As regards not needing the US in the future, bear in mind, in the absence of the US, Patrick might still be wiping one's ass with grass.

Dan, the war here (The Troubles) were caused by us being invaded by the British which is not the same thing as the US going into Iraq etc and bombing them for the craic. Iraq and Afghanistan never invaded the US.

gobdawpaddy-Thats the point. The people didnt want the US army on our soil. 100,000 marched against the war and there have been constant anti war marches here. The majority are against the US army being here and using our airports for rendition flights which Bush denied were taking place at all. Peterson- we managed without the US the first time I dont think we'll be needing them in the future.

People who vandalize in this manner are really stupid. If Ireland ever needed military help, the USA would be the first to respond !!

ciaradexy - I was referring to the campaigns against NI...NOT the war of independence..

RedBranch, I agree.

Once again: the solution is to ditch Shannon and use Belfast International Airport which has a secure military section. Therebye relieving Ireland of any guilt in assisting combatants, revel in its neutality and having all that horrible 'blood money' to have to deal with.

Irish vandals did severe damage to a privately owned aircraft. Hopefully the Irish peopel will find the guilty parties and arrest them and the Irish airport and/or Irish governemnt will pay for the damage.This incident will probably not make news in the United States, but it does illustrate popular Irish sentiment. Thee are even photos of Michael Higgins involved in Shannon protests.

I agree that the US has treated Ireland like a handy aircraft carrier - sending troops, military hardware and so-called rendition flights there each day (this despite the Irish public's lack of support for George W Bush or his disastrous, economically devastating and foolhardy Iraq war).

Agree with newyorklass, they should stay on the backward rock that is Ireland. Ireland has claimed over the years to be 'neutral'. It's neutral until there's a few dollars involved and then as per usual, paddy turns a blind eye...shut up bout dat nutralitee stuff, de yanks is gonna give us loads a dosh to land dere planes in Shannon.

When you take the biggest, thickest looking morons off the Rathomre GAA hurl team, does it matter if you refer to them as police, guarda, garda, polizei. They are still the keystone cops.

Dan,if we see a garda on the street, we dont call them police officer or officer, We call them guard or garda. Its synonymous to this country like the word Taoiseach. We dont say Prime minister. On your point regarding an illegal war. The Irish fought the occupiers of their country. How is this the same thing as Americans invading Iraq and Afghanistan?

To the protesters....at least you're not speaking German.

ciaradexy – We don’t say the German Bundespolizei or Landespolizei arrested a criminal, we use the English terms, as we’re writing in English, yes? The official An Garda Síochána website states it is ‘the national police service of Ireland’, so that’s official, yes? You have your opinion on that war, as to protest, yes sure…but damaging an aircraft is more than protest…but then again Irish citizens were involved in an illegal war…funded in part by their Irish-American cousins…who may have had sons/daughters on those planes…so it’s complicated, yes?

Why shouldnt Irish people protest about American army personnel transiting through our airports on their way to murder people in illegal wars over oil?

And they are the Gardai not police, yes Gardai mean police but thats not what they are called here. Like the term 'Craic' is just that and not 'crack' which is a drug.

If irish people have issues with American army personnel transiting through our airports on their way to murder people in illegal wars, why shouldnt we protest?

Just to clarify - An Garda Síochána is the national police service of Ireland, so in English it’s OK to call them the police, especially with a non-Irish (but English-speaking) audience, who will always know what ‘police’ means. On anti-US views here, yes they are very common. Some people view everything through a heavy ‘green-tinted’ lens. We don’t like ‘Big Countries’, and instinctively ally ourselves with who we see as the underdog, as this is how we now like to see ourselves (historically not as accurate as we’d like to pretend)…again you can see it in the Israeli – Palestinian issue. Of course we all expect those ‘Big Countries’ to come to our assistance, by taking our unemployed, providing aid when needed, and even for example when the British RAF had to supply most of the Air-Sea rescue facilities (this has now been much improved). We lived under effective US/NATO protection for years, but could never bring ourselves to join in and get our ‘noble clean hands’ dirty with combat missions, preferring the less arduous ‘Peace keeping’ roles. After all, we’re neutral, don’cha know!!

It was'nt me it was them over there THE English

Well, if the Irish don't like the presence of the U.S. military at Shannon Airport -- then maybe they just all stay in Ireland. The U.S. is in the process of making more allowances for the Irish to enter the U.S. -- they should all stay home and just wallow in their own juices. When the Irish want to escape Ireland the first place they hit is the U.S. -- my family is Irish and this display is disgusting.

My husband has gotten the privelege of flying through Shannon more times than Id like to remember. My family is from Waterford, and my husband was planning a trip for me to finally see my family there for the first time ever. But I dont want to go now, if thats how they feel about me, and my husband...So sad, something I was once so proud of...Ill just visit family here. I am crushed.

Stopping people from going home for Christmas sounds anti-Christian to me. It can't be anti-war as the war is over or the troops wouldn't be going home. Probably anti-American too. Guess it is anti-business too as the airlines are barely making a profit and this will eat into it, maybe it's just anti-transportation so everyone will stay home and not bother these fools. Wish they had stayed home and not bothered anyone else.

actually they are Garda. This is not a military plane. It is a civilian airliner contracted to take these men and women home. Lastly I object to the term protesters in the headline. The correct term is saboteurs. I hope this airline company hand the bill for repairs to the Shannon airport authority who is supposed to provide a secure facility. Merry Christmas everyone

Shannon was used as a rendition stop over too.

Geeeze, incredible. Therethey're, the rest of Europe calling their financial shots. Germany tellin'em when to P. The lending institutions harrassin'em to the point of dispair. Politicians literally thumbing their noses at'em. The Catholic Church doin' the Alli Shuffle everytime a new shenanagin is exposed. Thousands of'em heading for Australia & New Zeland or anywhere to get work and a bito'selfrespect.And all these inconsiderate, insufferable, ignorent thugs can come up wit' is to desecrate someone's property which was there to enable those who have accomplished somethin' to go home. And I'm absolutely sure they t'ink of themselves as some kind of intellectuals 'way above the rest of us. God help Ireland. It was once a country of good conscientious hardworking people where those snivelling eegits wouldn't be tolerated. 2 bad.

first of all, they are called Guarda over here not police.and second you are going to find idiots who lash out out against something all over this world. does it hurt when they are doing it to someone from your own country. Hell yes!! but please God get our troops home and sorry Ireland, your giving people from America wrong impressions of your people and country.I am an American living here in Ireland for last 6 years and I love the Irish , I am wondering how many of these anti war people would harm anyone if someone came into their home and destroyed what they have? hmmm God Bless everyone . Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. xoxo

The Irish wouldn't like it if we refused Aer Lingus into "our" airspace.

bunkerisland, Antiwar? The war is over. These soldiers are going home.If you don't want them lying around your airport, it would be better not to damage the plane they are on which is only going to delay their leaving.BTW the plane is a chartered civilian plane, one of many lined up in Kuwait to fly back soldiers back to the States.

another base to protect - world's manager power will have to deal with fallout.

Look, I know we're all entitled to our opinion and everything, but I still think it was a lousy thing to do - to delay people from getting home to their families. I think that some people don't seem to think of the consequences of their actions on other human beings - or maybe they do and they just don't care. I also feel that these 'activists' sometimes use terms like 'anti-war' as an excuse to just be criminals/vandals. So I'm not sure that I buy the whole anti-war thing - I think that's just a bit of cac-tarbh being bandied about for people to feel justified in executing an act of gratuitous vandalism. As I said at the start - everyone is entitled to their opinion, and this is just mine.

This is not anti-Americanism but anti-war. Ireland has too long aided and abetted governments that invaded Iraq by allowing Shannon to be used as a stop off to and from that war. We don't need thousands of US troops lying around our airports waiting for transfer and we don't need the supporting funds. Shannon has long had structures to house and the military of other governments. End it now!

As an Irish person, I am embarrassed by this. A terrible thing to do especially at this time of year when people just want to get home to their families for Christmas. Desperate.

ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL! The anti-Americanism in Ireland is outrageous and shameful! I am ashamed of them!

This is a privately owned charter plane, probably carrying some of the 40,000 troops returning to the States from Iraq. This incident is is a reminder of the anti-Americanism so prevalent in IReland.

Where were the Irish police? What if these protestors had been terrorists placing a device on a plane? I recall where US military planes park in Shannon, right in the center of the field in view of the terminal building. How can intruders get so far into a major airport undetected? Another example of the laizze faire approach to things in Ireland. This is the same 'police force' who had a patrol car stolen from them by a suspected drunk driver two weeks ago. I understand that during O'Bama's visit to Ireland the Irish police were told to stand aside by the secret service, in other words don't get in the way. I wouldn't let those clowns anywhere near either.