Shannonwatch Welcomes Oireachtas Petitions Committee Visit to Shannon

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Shannonwatch Press Release

Shannonwatch welcomes the visit to Shannon Airport by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions. The visit which took place on October 2nd was a follow-up to a petition by Shannonwatch earlier this year. The petition called for the Government to investigate the use of Shannon Airport and Irish airspace for the transit of US armed troops, munitions and other war material, as well as for the refuelling of CIA-associated aircraft involved in extraordinary rendition.

During their visit to Shannon, representatives of the Committee met with members of the Gardai including Chief Superintendent John Kerin and with airport officials before meeting again with Shannonwatch. They were informed that about 40,000 US troops had gone through Shannon so far this year. However Shannonwatch understands that airport officials said that US troops were not essential to the economics of Shannon Airport as they contribute relatively little, and that civilian passengers contribute far more with shopping, car parking and so on.

Amongst the topics covered in a constructive meeting between Shannonwatch representative Edward Horgan and the Committee were the non-searching of US military aircraft, and past indications from Gardai that the Attorney General had issued advice not to search suspected rendition planes.

“We had a long discussion on issue of Gardai searching or non-searching of US military and military chartered aircraft” said Mr Horgan. “Gardai continue to insist on needing a warrant from a judge to search chartered troop carriers, and it is even suggested that international diplomatic laws forbids them from searching US military aircraft. We have never received an adequate explanation of the legal basis for such claims”.

Shannonwatch asked the Oireachtas Committee to seek clarification of exactly what laws the government is referring to when it talks about sovereign immunity and chairperson Padraig MacLochlainn TD undertook to follow up on this.

Shannonwatch also raised the fact that military planes and chartered “civilian” troop carriers are treated differently and pointed out that both are bound by international laws on neutrality. “We also pointed out the direct contradiction in government policies when they continue to declare a policy of neutrality while being in gross breach of international laws on neutrality. We recommended that the Committee should consult an international law expert on neutrality and they agreed. Matters of policy are primarily a matter for legislators rather than Gardai.”

“The issue of whether or not a former Attorney General issued advice that suspect rendition aircraft, and maybe even US military aircraft, should not be searched has not yet been adequately addressed.” said Mr Horgan. “If such advice was ever given it would be a very serious matter, and for that reason it needs to be fully investigated.”

Prior to the Committee’s visit to Shannon Padraig MacLochlainn noted that Shannonwatch have also made serious claims that complaints or requests made to Gardaí at Shannon have not been followed up. He went on to say that “The series of meetings on the ground in Shannon tomorrow will assist the Committee in following up this controversial issue. We will also be able to assess first-hand Shannonwatch’s call for an independent inquiry in relation to what they perceive as the failure to investigate aircraft suspected to be involved in illegal rendition.”

During the meeting Shannonwatch’s Edward Horgan noted that while legal issues such as neutrality are important, the reality that Ireland has been facilitating wars in which hundreds of thousands of innocent people including children are being killed, while failing in our constitutional and moral responsibilities to promote international peace and justice, is of greater importance. “We will not allow our government or the Gardai to ignore that fact” said Mr Horgan.

Shannonwatch are organising a large demonstration at Shannon Airport on October 12th at 2pm. It is being supported by peace and anti-war groups from around Ireland, and is being held at a time of renewed bombing in the Middle East by the US and its allies.

Shatter rejects Corrib policing probe

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An Afri statement, supported by Desmond Tutu, Denis Halliday, Ed Vulliamy and others, calling for an urgent and comprehensive enquiry into the policing of the Corrib Gas project has been rejected by Minister Shatter. Despite what Archbishop Tutu described as the “many disturbing incidences” highlighted in the statement and growing concern in relation to Garda activity in general, Minister Shatter has claimed that a public enquiry is unnecessary.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/alan-shatter-rejects-corrib-policing-probe-264258.html

 

Further Calls for Investigation into Allegations of Alcohol Bribes to Gardaí

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McGrath's Pier, Pollathomais, 2007Pobal Chill Chomain Press Release 

As a community group committed to solving the continued difficulties with the ongoing Shell/Statoil Corrib Gas controversy, we are extremely concerned with the most recent developments regarding allegations of bribery and deception involving senior members of An Garda Siochana and agents acting on behalf of the Corrib developers; i.e. the long-term bribery of Garda members with gifts of alcohol, and misleading a Garda Ombudsman investigation.

These allegations strike at the heart of our community, but strike also at the basic notion of democracy and transparency in this country, and must be rooted out at their foundation if we are to move on from conflict and mistrust.

Various statements have been issued in recent days by Shell E&P Ireland and our police force, and we note with dismay that neither group has yet denied the accusations, but merely pushed them away with talk of repeated internal investigations with no possibility of independence. Continue reading “Further Calls for Investigation into Allegations of Alcohol Bribes to Gardaí” →

Abuses of Garda Power in Erris of ‘Donegal proportions’

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Clashes between protesters and Gardaí at McGrath’s pier in Pollathomais, Co. Mayo in 2007. Photo from Indymedia.

Afri has supported calls for an independent international enquiry into allegations that large quantities of alcohol were supplied by Shell to Gardaí in Belmullet, who are responsible for policing the Corrib Gas Project. The statement issued by the Gardai in response to these allegations was paltry and insulting, said Joe Murray of Afri.

In the context of the familiar images of Gardaí using heavy handed and violent policing tactics against peaceful protesters in Erris, the need for such an independent investigation is all the more urgent. Is it possible that such large amounts of alcohol, freely available in Belmullet Garda Station, has contributed to this violent behaviour, either as an incentive or reward? Afri called on Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, whose record on this conflict has been appalling to date, to overcome his bias against the protesters, and to initiate an independent enquiry. Otherwise, it will appear that he believes this to be an acceptable model of how the law works in Ireland. Afri has previously called for such an enquiry believing that there are abuses of Garda power in Erris of ‘Donegal proportions’, as revealed in the Morris Tribunal, and that urgent, immediate and independent investigation is required.

To read article in The Guardian which investigates claims of corporate “sweetners” from Shell, including a delivery of €35,000 of alcohol to the Gardaí in Belmullet during the height of clashes between protesters and the Gardaí here.

Articles in The Irish Times in relation to the story: “Garda says no evidence of Corrib alcohol being distributed”: here; “Garda examining claims alcohol was delivered to Mayo station”: here; and “Shell welcomes Garda examination of alcohol claims”: here