Troop Numbers at Shannon Soar

By Mairead Carey

The number of U.S. troops traveling through Shannon Airport is at an all-time high, according to figures released by the Department of Transport this week.

The number of military flights landing at the Co. Clare airport en route to Iraq and the number of U.S. military planes flying through Irish airspace is expected to surpass 1,000 this year, for the first time since the U.S. invaded the country almost 2 1/2 years ago.

The most recent figures from the Shannon Airport Authority show that almost as many U.S. troops have passed through Shannon during the first six months of this year as during the whole of 2004.

From January to June, 153,381 troops stopped over at Shannon compared to the 158,549 troops who passed through last year.

The latest figures also show that no Garda (police) inspections have been carried out on any of the planes landing at Shannon despite constant calls from human rights activists to carry out such inspections amid fears that alleged terror suspects were being transported illegally through the airport.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has said that it has received assurances from the U.S. government that no prisoners have been transported through Shannon at any stage, but many people remain unconvinced.

Former Labor Party leader Ruairi Quinn told reporters this week that he was “alarmed” to learn that the Gardai had carried out no inspections on U.S. aircraft involved in the war in Iraq.

He said this was extraordinary “considering the evidence that exists indicating that people have been illegally kidnapped and transported through Ireland to destinations unknown for torture.”

He said he had serious concerns about the U.S. “renditions” program which he said concerned the alleged smuggling of terrorist suspects on unmarked planes operated by U.S. intelligence operatives to third party countries for interrogation and then on to Guantanamo Bay.

Quinn said there had been widespread media reports about the so-called rendition planes landing in Shannon, but despite powers allowing the gardai to investigate such complaints, no inspections had been carried out.

Anti-war activists have criticized the government for allowing Shannon to be used by the U.S. military when Ireland is supposed to be a neutral country.

However, the government insists that the stopovers are simply for refueling and have contributed millions to the local economy.