LETTER IN IRISH TIMES, 080213.

Sir, – The news that the government facilitated CIA rendition flights should come as no surprise to anybody (Home News, February 6th).

It does, however, serve as a reminder of the shamefully sycophantic attitude that successive governments here have had and still have in relation to dealings with the US regarding foreign policy. Nothing shall be allowed to undermine potential inward investment from US corporations – not even the possibility that alleged suspects, illegally kidnapped and brought to torture centres, were carried through our air space. It seems there is a price for human rights after all. – Yours, etc,

BARRY WALSH,

Linden Avenue,

Beaumont, Blackrock, Cork.

Report finds Ireland facilitated illegal US rendition programme

EOIN BURKE-KENNEDY

Ireland was one of 54 countries that helped facilitate the CIA’s secret detention, rendition and interrogation programme in the years after the 9/11 attacks, according to a new report.

The report by the Open Society Justice Initiative, a human rights advocacy group, said foreign governments aided the US counterterrorism offensive in various ways including by hosting CIA prisons on their territories; detaining, interrogating, torturing and abusing individuals; assisting in the capture and transport of detainees; permitting the use of domestic airspace and airports for secret flights transporting detainees.

Its Globalising Torture report identified 136 people who had been held or transferred illegally by the CIA, the largest list compiled to date.

It also provided new information about the CIA’s handling of both al-Qaeda suspects and innocent people caught up in its global counterterrorism network.

The report said Ireland permitted the use of its airspace and airports for flights associated with CIA extraordinary rendition operations.

Its evidence against Ireland was based on a number of sources including three high-level reports from the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the United Nations, which expressed concern about the country’s “alleged co-operation” in the CIA rendition programme.

It also cited documents from a legal case brought by extraordinary rendition victims against Jeppesen Dataplan, a company that provided flight planning and logistical support services for CIA extraordinary rendition flights, and which indicated that Ireland allowed use of its airspace and Shannon airport for CIA rendition flights.

‘Moral cost’ 

Eoin Burke Kennedy - The Irish Times

Ireland was one of 54 countries which helped facilitate the CIA's secret detention, rendition and interrogation programme in the years after the 9/11 attacks, according a new report.

The report by the Open Society Justice Initiative, a human rights advocacy group, said foreign governments aided the US’s counterterrorism offensive in various ways including by hosting CIA prisons on their territories; detaining, interrogating, torturing, and abusing individuals; assisting in the capture and transport of detainees; permitting the use of domestic airspace and airports for secret flights transporting detainees.

Its Globalising Torture report identified 136 people who had been held or transferred illegally by the CIA, the largest list compiled to date.

It also provided new information about the handling of both al-Qaeda suspects and innocent people caught up in the counterterrorism programme.

The report said Ireland permitted the use of its airspace and airports for flights associated with CIA extraordinary rendition operations.

Its evidence against Ireland was based on a number of sources including three high-level reports from the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the United Nations which expressed concern about the country’s "alleged co-operation" in the CIA rendition program.

It also cited documents from a legal case brought by extraordinary rendition victims against Jeppesen Dataplan, a company that provided flight planning and logistical support services for CIA extraordinary rendition flights, and which indicated that Ireland allowed use of its airspace and use of Shannon airport for CIA rendition flights.

US court records from another case involving Richmor Aviation, a company that operated CIA extraordinary rendition flights, also show that at least 13 flights operated by Richmor involving US personnel landed in Ireland between 2002 and 2004.

Shannon Airport has landed in a moral quagmire

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Irish Examiner: Shannon to target Dublin-bound flyers for growth
By Pat Flynn . Thursday, January 24, 2013

Shannon Airport plans to target passengers travelling from the mid-west to Dublin for flights as part of its plan to increase
passengers numbers. The head of the Shannon Airport Authority also stated that the airport
wants to secure connectivity with a second European hub.

Lawyer and Clare native Rose Hynes, who was appointed by the Government as chair of the new authority last month, addressed the
Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications on its future plans. While Ms Hynes confirmed none of the 230 staff at Shannon will lose
their jobs, there was a need for certain "efficiencies".

"The airport’s cost base is currently higher than its industry peers, partly because of its reduced traffic levels. Productivity
improvements and flexible work practices can help to reduce this disadvantage." ...

...She was also asked about Shannon’s "over-reliance" on US military traffic which has dropped significantly over the past year. "Military
traffic has been in the DNA of Shannon for many years.
"It’s something that’s important, it’s lucrative and we are certainly going to go after it as much as possible."

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Shannon targets Dublin traffic. Irish Independent. Thursday January 24 2013.