Warplanes at Shannon - business as usual?

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Friday December 30, 2011 17:29

by Edward Horgan - Shannonwatch

Warplane security substantially increased at Shannon

Three OMNI air troop carrying warplanes at Shannon on 30 Dec 2011, are now under heavy guard by a combination of Shannon airport security, Gardai and the Irish Defence Forces.

Two DC 10 troop carrier warplanes at Shannon 30 Dec 2011

I visited Shannon airport at about 2.30 pm today to check on the transit of US military forces through this supposedly nuetral airport in a supposedly neutral state. There were two OMNI Air DC 10 troop carriers parked towards the middle of the airfield. There was a Garda patrolling on foot just under the aircraft, and an Irish Defence Forces armed patrol in a military vehicle about 100 meters from the aircraft. Up at the terminal building a third OMNI Air Troop carrier, this one a Boeing 757, also had a Garda patrolling under the aircraft. In addition an Airport Security patrol vehicle AP 12, was patrolling close to this warplane. Perhaps they were part of a special investigating team, investigating whether any of the soldiers being transported on these aircraft had participated in some of the many war crimes committed by US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan? Then again, probably not. Most likely these security forces represented the Irish taxpayers contribution to the US wars against the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Garda gruarding Two warplanes at Shannon 30 Dec 2011

Irish Defence Forces guarding US warplanes at Shannon 30 Dec 2011

Garda guarding US warplane at Shannon terminal building 30 Dec 2011

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Comments (3 of 3)

VIDEO (47 mins) John Needham (On the dark side in Al Doura)

by Ciaron - Giuseepe Conlon House, London Catholic Worker

Fri Dec 30, 2011 19:26

Thanks Ed for this report and your conitnued vigilance at Shannon Airport. It is obvious from this report and photos that the Irish state, garda and military take the bloody "business as usual" at Shannon and opposition to it very seriously. The disengagement of civil society to the daily grind at Shannon is not a coincidence. They have finetuned the waging of war, and marketing it in the imperial centre, to guarantee disengagement.

I was recently moved by viewing the below video of one soldier's story. Meanwhile Bradley Manning who passed through Shannon remain in chains for attempting to shine a light

VIDEO (47 mins) John Needham (On the dark side in Al Doura)

http://vimeo.com/33755968

Keep up your good work

Fri Dec 30, 2011 22:56

Hello Ciaron
Happy New Year,
Keep up the good work you are doing on the various human rights campaigns. We will never always get it 100% right, but we must continue to do what we believe is right. We will also be criticised from within and without, but we should recall the quote from Mark Twain, "When you find yoursef on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." The reality in Ireland and elsewhere is that people frquently either support or turn a blind eye to abuses of human rights as long a they think that they are benefitting from those abuses, and they themselves are not being abused. It is usually only a small minority who take a stand against the type of human rights abuses that are being facilitated at Shannon airport. Its a privilidge to be part of that minority.

See below a letter had published in the Examiner yesterday. There are many in Limerick who would disagree with me, and the Limerck Leader wrote an editorial condemning the naming of the men who were charged with soliciting prostitution.

Best regards to all at Guiseppi Conlan House.
Edward

Gardaí deserve our support in prostitution crackdown

Thursday, December 29, 2011

I HAVE been critical of the gardaí in the past, especially in matters relating to the human rights abuses associated with US and CIA misuse of Shannon airport.

However, their recent actions in Limerick whereby they brought over 20 men before the courts for soliciting prostitution should be commended. In the past, it was normal that only the female prostitutes were prosecuted and their so-called clients escaped prosecution and public shaming.

Human rights abuses of all types must be condemned and the gardaí have an important duty to uphold all laws that are designed to prevent human rights abuses. Prostitution is often glibly described as one of the oldest professions, but the reality is that prostitution involves serious abuses of human rights.Like war, prostitution is a profession we could do without. The vast majority of persons engaged in prostitution do so because they are forced into it for a variety of reasons, including physical violence, poverty, social and educational depravation. Prostitution in Ireland involves a significant amount of involuntary trafficking of women and children from eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. Claims that the gardaí are using "entrapment" in these cases could also be claimed for most road safety speed limit enforcement cases, but such claims are unreasonable.

Successful crime prevention means that gardaí must be proactive in detecting and preventing crime, otherwise criminals and law-breakers would be ruling the country instead of the rule of law.

The gardaí deserve to be supported in their efforts to stamp out prostitution in Limerick, and hopefully their recent success will be replicated elsewhere in Ireland.

Dr Edward Horgan
Newtown
Castletroy
Limerick

Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/opinion/letters/gardai-deserve-o...nOWYG

coming soon?

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party

Mon Jan 02, 2012 15:37

More business for the war-economists @

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=ca&aid=28439

Boomtime for rats.

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Warplanes at Shannon - business as usual?

Comments (3 of 3)