Dublin ‘put at risk of terrorist attack’

THE Government’s support for the war in Iraq is putting Dublin at risk of a terrorist attack, an anti-war group told an Oireachtas Committee yesterday.

Peace activists protesting at the use of Shannon Airport by US military planes said the capital could be a retaliation target by victims of the conflict.

The Mid West Alliance Against the War yesterday called on the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee to carry out a full investigation into the stopover of CIA planes carrying terror suspects en route to alleged torture camps.

Spokesman Edward Horgan said: “The decision by the Irish Government to support the war being waged by the US puts the Irish people as a whole, and the people of Dublin city in particular, at risk of retaliation by those who perceive themselves to be the victims of the US-led war.

“The transit of very dangerous military cargoes and munitions through Shannon is also putting members of the public and Shannon Airport employees at grave risk.

“Some of these prisoners are believed to have died under torture or been killed following torture.”

Mr Horgan said that by assisting the US-led war in Iraq, Ireland was in breach of the UN Charter, the Hague Convention on Neutrality and the Geneva Conventions on War.

“The Irish Government has allowed 650,000 US armed troops in uniform to pass through Shannon Airport for the purposes of the Iraq war, and this has resulted in the unlawful killing of up to 100,000 Iraqi people.”

Senator Paschal Mooney said he found the alliance’s arguments were one-sided and said the removal of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was a good thing.

He pointed out the 80% voter turnout in the recent democratic elections.

He disagreed with Labour committee member Michael D Higgins who claimed there may have been political interference in decisions by the DPP in relation to complaints about activity at Shannon.

Mr Mooney said he accepted assurances from the Irish and US governments that Shannon was not being used for rendition flights until there was evidence to the contrary. He also said he would support a parliamentary investigation into rendition flights, similar to other European countries.

Seanad leader Mary O’Rourke said a Seanad select committee had been set up to inquire into the matter and report to the European Council.

“There have been incidents of which we would not be proud as a country. The democratic process benefits from people questioning things. We’re not all cloned dolly sheep bobbing our heads up and down.”

Greens chairman John Gormley claimed gardaí were infringing the civil liberties of peace activists at Shannon airport.

“In order to kowtow to the US, the Garda Siochána is simply making up the law as they go along,” he said.