on use of Irish airports and airspace for transfer of terror suspects for interrogation, torture and transport to Guantanamo, Cuba

Background

Irish peace activists and observers of military air traffic at Shannon Airport in the Republic of Ireland, maintain  that aircraft owned or controlled by the US military and the CIA have been transporting prisoners of war, to jurisdictions where they have been tortured during interrogation.

Allegations have surfaced that US Special Forces teams have taken terror suspects, without trial or charge, from the countries where they had been living, to Egypt, Pakistan, Kuwait and Guantanamo Bay, where it is alleged some were tortured during interrogation.

The Irish Government’s policy of allowing US military and CIA aircraft to use Irish airports leaves the Irish government open to allegations of cooperation and compliance in abuses of human rights of prisoners detained as part of the war on terrorism.

UNHCR inquiries include Ireland on the list of countries on which it will collate and investigate allegations of human rights violations.

Recommendations

The European Greens in support of its sister party, Comhaontas Glas, call on the Irish Government to act immediately to uphold Irish neutrality which has been a tradition since the founding of the State; ; to guarantee that human rights are respected; to avert the threat of terrorist action in Ireland and to ensure that  Ireland does not enter into unnecessary conflict with the Islamic world by disallowing the use of Irish airspace and Irish airports for military use in the transfer of prisoners to inhumane conditions in Guantanamo Bay.