Reassurance needed on US flights

IN JULY, our national newspapers informed us of how the CIA has been issued with operational carte blanche in Ireland for the purposes of countering global terrorism, although Justice Minister Michael McDowell refuted such claims.

Newspaper reports earlier this year informed us of passenger aircraft using Shannon, wherein the somewhat dubious registration of some of those aircraft was to “unknown persons” in America.

These aircraft, large and small, were suspected by many of transporting “prisoners”, some of whom may have been apprehended in non-war zones on a global basis.

Fortunately, the United Nations very recently demanded from our Government an account of what went through our airports.

It seems timely and appropriate that the Government now reassures us that nothing untoward has occurred and that Ireland continues to honour the Geneva Convention and all international human rights laws to which we are signatory.

John Stack

2 Aghamarta

Carrigaline

Co Cork