Numbers of US troops at Shannon to increase

THE number of US troops using Shannon Airport will increase dramatically in the coming days as the American Army reinforces its numbers in the Gulf.

It is estimated upwards of 1,500 troops will pass through the airport each day during the next few weeks. In the region of 40,000 troops will travel via Shannon in a move that is likely to heighten security fears.

Any escalation in the use of Shannon is set to result in further protests from anti-war campaigners. This will increase security worries at the airport which is already protected by the army and gardaí.

Already gardaí have claimed that the security operation at the airport has stretched garda resources in the west of Ireland. Almost 10% of the total Mayo Garda Division is in Shannon providing security for the US Army.

Garda Representative Association member, Mick Gill, believes counties like Mayo are suffering because of Shannon.

“Security at Shannon Airport has drawn resources from the whole Garda western region, yet no extra overtime, manpower or resources have been dedicated locally to combat this,” Garda Gill said.

It has also emerged that the number of foreign planes using Casement Aerodrome at Baldonnel in Dublin, increased in the lead up to the invasion of Iraq.

The Government will be asked questions in the Dáil this week about the exact use of the Aerodrome. Defence Minister Michael Smith recently told the Dáil that only 22 US army aircraft have used Baldonnell since September 2001.

These were routine training flights and the airport has not been used for this activity since July, the Department of Defence said.

However, there have been reports from witnesses in south-west Dublin of several foreign planes at Casement recently.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Garda Commissioner Kevin Carty has asked his superintendents to log all anti-war protests in the Dublin metropolitan region.