Rendition: Irish Police Sitting on their Thumbs Over Issue

Communiqué de presse publié le 20/09/12 12:10 dans Europe par pour

News from Celtic League Press

The Irish Justice Minister has been asked why no serious investigation has been carried out into Irelands links to rendition torture flights. The move comes following new clear evidence that aircraft which used Shannon during the rendition episodes were involved with the intelligence services of the US and United Kingdom.

The Celtic League have also urged An Garda Siochana to re-open enquiries and accused the force of `sitting on its thumbs' over the issue (see attached correspondence):

The Garda Commissioner
An Garda Síochána
Garda Headquarters
Dublin
IRELAND

09/09/2012

Dear Sir

The Celtic League wrote to you in December 2004 concerning allegations that Shannon Airport may have been used for aircraft involved in the criminal rendition of persons against their will to countries where they would be tortured

We subsequently spoke with Gardai at Shannon who indicated that they were looking in to the issue

One of the aircraft allegedly used in these renditions was a Boeing 737 (serial number N313P) which called at Shannon airport on several occasions. One of the problems in relation to pursuing this matter was (we understand) the fact that there was no corroborative evidence that this aircraft was involved in such rendition flights.

However new documentation (recently published) shows that this flight was directly involved in these criminal activities. The documentation is in the form of a memo from US and British intelligence officials to Libyan intelligence head Musa Kusa and it clearly identifies the aircrafts involvement in these activities and indeed also names those involved.

The new evidence also establishes that those `rendered' to Libya were subsequently tortured.

Given that such strong new evidence is now available will An Garda Síochána seek to establish if any law was broken whilst this aircraft was using airport facilities in Ireland and specifically if the aircraft was carrying persons against their will to be tortured.

From enquiries using our limited resources the particular aircraft made several calls at Shannon Airport.

One can only speculate as to why An Garda Síochána are `sitting on their thumbs' over this issue.

Yours sincerely

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information

cc. European Committee for the Prevention of Torture
Justice Minister Irish Government.

The Minister for Justice
94 St. Stephen's Green
Dublin 2
IRELAND

09/09/12

Dear Minister,

I draw your attention to the attached.

I trust your Department will attempt to ascertain why no serious attempt has been made by Police in Ireland to pursue this issue. There is now growing evidence that aircraft connected to these scurrilous criminal acts were utilising airspace and airport facilities in Ireland.

Yours sincerely

J B Moffatt (Mr)
Director of Information