Rendition flights - Conduct spot checks

IF — as Ciarán Cuffe, the Green party’s spokesman on justice, suggests — it is a “sea change” in policy for the Government to examine existing laws to ensure the gardaí have sufficient legal powers to search US military aircraft suspected of using Shannon Airport for flights of extraordinary rendition, then the Government has some serious questions to answer.

The Government already stated that it has been assured by the Americans that no flights of extraordinary rendition were using Shannon Airport. No matter how the US elections turn out tomorrow, there will be a change of administration in the United States next January. Mr Cuffe suggests that the new administration should be asked to end both extraordinary rendition and torture, and to close Guantanamo Bay.

Waiting for the advent of the new administration smacks of cynical posturing.

Both Barack Obama and John McCain have pledged to end the dismal record of the Bush administration on these matters. As a sovereign country, there should be no suggestion that we are waiting for a change in the White House before taking a proper stand on such important matters.

There would be no doubt if spot checks were conducted at Shannon — and these should be conducted without further delay.