Special cabinet committee on rendition ‘failed to deliver’

A SPECIAL cabinet committee on international human rights set up in 2008 to review the law around searching suspected rendition flights and, if necessary, bringing forward legislation to change it has failed to deliver, it has been claimed.

The committee, of which Minister Brian Lenihan is chairman, has met just three times in more than two years, and according to Amnesty International Ireland, there is no sign of any progress.

According to Amnesty, in December 2009 activists reported five planes previously connected to renditions had used Shannon Airport since March 2009, some of them on multiple occasions. “There is a widespread belief that President Obama ended the practice of renditions. This is not the case. The CIA is still permitted to carry out rendition operations,” Amnesty said.