Substantial increase in US military use of Shannon
national |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report 
Wednesday June 07, 2006 22:56
by abihanuse
.
The following outline paraphrases today's RTE report:
Substantial increase in US military use of Shannon
According to figures obtained and broadcast today by RTE there has been a substantial increase in the U.S. military use of Shannon over the first five months of this year, despite the growing international controversy over the U.S. 'extraordinary rendition' flights.
Shannon Airport's profits from U.S. military business are estimated at between €27-37 million. Last year over 330,000 U.S. soldiers transited through Shannon. Figures released today reveal that 177,741 U.S. troops passed through the airport on 1,128 'civilian' aircraft in the period January-May of this year. That amounts to a daily average of 1,177 per day. If this rate of traffic continues the total for 2006 is expected to be 426,578 - an increase of 96,578 on last year.
Human Rights Commisioner Maurice Manning called for a fundamental rethink on the government's policy, whereas Ed Horgan was less euphemistic in his call for the Irish gvt. and the people of Ireland to completely withdraw it's consent and facilities vis-a-vis the U.S. military use of Shannon.
The Irish government authorities reasserted that 'it cannot search the planes of a friendly nation' while Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern stressed that there was still no evidence that such planes have travelled through Ireland.
'When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.'
- Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) American Musician, Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter
Full report here:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0607/cia.html
Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7I hope our government continues to give the use of shannon to the US army, after all they are a force for good and its good for ireland to be on good terms with america.
As World Airways confirms that it will move operations through Leipzig in Germany from the end of this month... so that's about half of the troop flights gone.
Martin23 ... "a force for good"....? Tell that to the families of 100,000 dead Iraqis... howabout doing a survery in Fallujah or Haditha or Ishaqi?
maybe they're a force for the good of yer pocket if your one of the small group getting bloodmoney from troop flights transiting Shannon
Aer Rianta announced last year that they would get rid of half the staff at the airport. Now they'll use the timing of this to suggest that it is protestors fault (which is ludicrous because the protests haven't had any direct effect since the summer of 2003)
With World Airways gone, it would just be American Trans Air bringing troops through Shannon.
RTÉ and Irish Indo both confirm
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http://groups.google.com/group/miscrandometc/browse_thr...0a20a
TV 3 did one of their "text in " polls as part TV3 news.
These usually get you a pretty reactionary result.
Any way an amazing 74% of those polled thought US troops on the way to Iraq (specifically) should not be allowed through Shannon
Krossie
Good news on the poll. Be at the quiz 2nite or else!
The Peace & Neutrality Alliance organised its first demonstration at Shannon airport against its use in the invasion, conquest and occupation of Iraq in May 2002 in the build up to the invasion and along with other groups has campaigned actively against its use on many occasions since then.
From next July the number of US troops using Shannon will be cut in half. We regard that as a great victory as the continuing on going campaign clearly was responsible.
It is not enough. We need to continue to campaign until no US troops use Shannon in this war for oil. We will seek to ensure it is an key issue in the next General election.
The Pentagon has declared this war will be a "long war". The Irish political/media elite has totally backed the war from the start and has consistently tried to minimize and belittle the role played by
all those opposed to this Imperial war whether they are the Plowshares Group or PANA. Ahern is a born-again Redmondite who absolutely committed to dragging this country deeper and deeper in this Imperial war in which the defeat of the US/EU military is the only inevitable outcome. All of use who oppose the restoration of Ireland's Imperial tradition by the Irish political/media elite need to work together more closely to defeat the war party led by Ahern. We have plenty of work to do.
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