US torture ruling has implications for Ireland

THE recent decision by an American court to clear the way for two British residents who were released from Guantanamo Bay to sue a subsidiary of Boeing over complicity in their rendition is to be welcomed.

The two men, Binyam Mohamed and Bisher al-Rawi, who were tortured and unlawfully held by the US government, claim the Boeing subsidiary, Jeppesen Data, should be held accountable for providing aircraft, pilots and logistical support to the CIA for the rendition flights that transported them.

This ruling has serious implications for airport authorities and others in Ireland, as rendition aircraft operated by companies like Jeppesen have been facilitated at Irish airports on numerous occasions.