US aircraft cargo puts Irish at risk

WHEN questioned on the RTÉ Joe Duffy programme last Tuesday (April 1), a spokesperson for Murray Air left us with the worrying doubt that one of its aircraft which experienced difficulties over the towns of Asketon and Shannon might have been carrying explosives.

Even more worryingly, the spokesperson could not assure us that there was no depleted uranium (DU) munitions on board.

British and US forces fired about 320 tonnes of DU munitions in the first Gulf war and may have used up to six times that amount during the Iraqi invasion in 2003. Meanwhile, the British Medical Journal has noted that reports from southern Iraq have documented a steep rise in the incidence of cancers since the 1990s, especially in children. It would be naive to think these are not linked.

Furthermore, the US Army acknowledges the hazards of DU in its training manual, by requiring that anyone who comes within 25 metres of any DU-contaminated equipment or terrain wear respiratory and skin protection. The manual states that “contamination will make food and water unsafe for consumption”.

Figures released by the Transport MiInister show that permission was issued for 1,495 aircraft carrying weapons and munitions to land in Ireland in 2007.

Presumably, many of the landings would have been linked to the US military use of Shannon airport, making it a significant munitions transportation hub.

Given the doubts raised by the Murray Air spokesperson and the risks associated with DU, this raises an alarming number of questions.

For a start, how many of the aircraft were carrying DU? And what precautions were taken to ensure that the aircraft would not crash into towns like Askeaton or Shannon, causing widespread contamination and serious health problems?

And did anyone ask the Irish people if they wanted to take these risks in order to inflict contamination, cancers and five years of destructive occupation on the people of Iraq?

John Lannon

Raheen

Ballyneety

Co Limerick