Another Irish airport could welcome U.S. military flights
Dublin Joe | 15.01.2007 12:45 | Anti-militarism
Knock airport could become a new stopover point for U.S. military planes en route to the illegal war in Iraq. Will it also be a stop on the Guantanamo Express?
War profiteer Ulick McEvaddy wants to give U.S. military planes en route to and from the illegal war in Iraq a new place to refuel in Ireland.
McEvaddy was recently appointed to the board of tiny Knock airport in western Ireland. He plans to raise the issue at the next Airport board meeting in March.
The board has refused to rule out the possibility that it could become a stopover point for US military flights.
Businessman McEvaddy already has a lucrative contract to refuel US military aircraft at Shannon Airport.
McEvaddy's comments did not specify whether Knock airport would become a stop for Guantanamo Express, the CIA's passenger service for victims of torture.
A European Union report and Amnesty International believe more than 100 CIA rendition flights have landed at Shannon.
The Irish government claims to be opposed to the war in Iraq and yet the business deal cut by McEvaddy brings part of that war onto Irish soil. Recently, ruling party leaders from Fianna Fail sought to delete references in a 2006 European Union report to Ireland's role in CIA rendition flights.
Note: This story could not be posted on indymedia.ie because of a server crisis. Please help out your sister site with a donation so this story can reach the people of Ireland.
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McEvaddy was recently appointed to the board of tiny Knock airport in western Ireland. He plans to raise the issue at the next Airport board meeting in March.
The board has refused to rule out the possibility that it could become a stopover point for US military flights.
Businessman McEvaddy already has a lucrative contract to refuel US military aircraft at Shannon Airport.
McEvaddy's comments did not specify whether Knock airport would become a stop for Guantanamo Express, the CIA's passenger service for victims of torture.
A European Union report and Amnesty International believe more than 100 CIA rendition flights have landed at Shannon.
The Irish government claims to be opposed to the war in Iraq and yet the business deal cut by McEvaddy brings part of that war onto Irish soil. Recently, ruling party leaders from Fianna Fail sought to delete references in a 2006 European Union report to Ireland's role in CIA rendition flights.
Note: This story could not be posted on indymedia.ie because of a server crisis. Please help out your sister site with a donation so this story can reach the people of Ireland.
http://www.indymedia.ie/
Dublin Joe
Comments
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A Math question
15.01.2007 14:13
"A European Union report and Amnesty International believe more than 100 CIA rendition flights have landed at Shannon. "
Uh -- how many people do the folks at the European Union and Amnesty International estimate have been "reditioned"? In total? These are not small airplanes, surely not carrying just ONE "special pasenger" per flight. A dozen per flight? So we are talking about at least a thousand?
OR -- if the estimate is that just a hundred or so then I rather suspect way less "redition flights" than these reports.
Mike Novack
e-mail: stepbystpefarm mtdata.com