MID-West peace and human rights group Shannonwatch have called on the Government to explain why information received by the Gardai about rendition planes at Shannon Airport was not followed up on.
In a submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions, the peace activists claimed that over 100 complaints and requests to search suspect aircraft had been made between 2003 and 2013, none of which they claim were properly addressed.
The group also reiterated its calls for an end to the US military use of Shannon, and for full disclosure of all agreements made with the US authorities in relation to this use.
Shannonwatch made a number of recommendations to the parliamentary Committee, including that the Government should establish an independent and impartial inquiry into the use of Shannon in the CIA’s illegal renditions programme.
John Lannon, who was part of the Shannonwatch delegation to address the Oireachtas Committee, maintains that this inquiry should examine the reasons for the failure to inspect suspect rendition aircraft.
“The outcome of the inquiry should be made public. Over the years, we’ve had incomplete and selective reporting of investigations following requests to inspect known rendition aircraft at Shannon,” said Mr Lannon.
“This highlights the Government’s failure to protect the rights enshrined in treaties like the Convention Against Torture which Ireland is a party to,” he claimed.
Edward Horgan of Shannonwatch, who also addressed the Petitions Committee, outlined how the US military use of Shannon Airport goes against Ireland’s obligations as a neutral State.
“There are very grave matters of human rights involved in Ireland participating in unjustified wars and being complicit in breaches of international laws and conventions by complicity in torture,” Mr Horgan commented.
“The positive things we should be doing in matters of international relations are being neglected and damaged by our participation and complicity in wars. Ireland’s very beneficial role in promoting international peace and justice has been severely damaged by its complicity in war crimes and its breaches of international laws on neutrality and torture,” he concluded.
