US and Shannon - Assurances by US called into question

THE controversy over Ireland’s alleged collusion in the unacceptable US practice of airlifting suspects for interrogation and torture took an extraordinary twist yesterday when it emerged that a convicted US marine, shackled and in military custody, was transferred through Shannon Airport last Sunday with the knowledge of the Irish Government.

In an even more bizarre turn, it now transpires that a cleaner, and not the State authorities, discovered he was on board the civilian aircraft which landed at Shannon for a technical refuelling stop en route from Kuwait to America. Apparently, cleaners are now the eyes and ears of the Irish security forces.

Though guilty of a minor breach of the US military code, the man, who wore military fatigues, was handcuffed and bound with shackles.