Anti-war group fights Shannon troops plan

An anti-war group has warned of further protests at Shannon Airport after the chairman of the Shannon Airport Authority said the facility will specifically target US troop business.

Rose Hynes told the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications that Shannon will continue to operate 24-hours to accommodate troops.

“Military traffic has been in the DNA of Shannon for many years... it’s lucrative and we are certainly going to go after it as much as possible,” she said.

However, Shannon watch spokesman John Lannon said: “US military traffic that traditionally passed through Shannon Airport... were obliged to be unarmed, not even engaged in military exercises, and no munitions were allowed on their aircraft”.

He added: In Oct 2001 this situation changed. Armed US troops on their way to war in Afghanistan, and later Iraq, were invited by the Irish Government to transit Shannon Airport, in breach of international laws on neutrality.

“By claiming that military traffic is “in the DNA of Shannon” she [Ms Hynes] is doing a grave disservice to the very many people living and working in Shannon who want nothing to do with unnecessary warfare.”