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Heavy handed security at first 2012 Shannon vigil international |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report
 Sunday January 08, 2012 19:21 by Edward Horgan - Shannonwatch and PANA
 War Planes at Shannon Warport Twenty five peace activists were again far outnumbered by security forces at Shannon airport at the January peace vigil. Inside the airport three OMNI Air Troop carriers were under army and garda protection, at taxpayers expense. Garda and army personnel were not complaining of course, with their Garda overtime and army security allowances. The taxpayer may wish to question however, why Ireland is incurring such expenditure, in addition to waving many of the air navigation fees due to US military traffic over and through Ireland. This military air traffic is also breaching Irish neutrality on a daily basis. I arrived at Shannon airport at 1 pm, and was waved casually through the combined Garda and airport security checkpoint, set up to detect such a pesky peace activist. I went on foot to the airport car park near the control tower to photograph the US military war-planes. At the terminal building was an OMNI Air DC 10 being loaded with food and fuel for its journey to or from on the war zones in the Middle East. This plane had two Gardai on patrol at the aircraft. In the centre of the airfield was another OMNI Air DC 10 also being guarded by a uniformed Garda. Nearby was a Hercules C130 warplane numbered BD 5379, with United States Navy markings and what appeared to be long-range fuel tanks under the wings. This is the type of aircraft used at times by US special forces, including US Navy Seals, to carry out special operations, included targeted assassinations such as the one that killed Osama Bin Laden, and many others besides, in breach of international laws. Nearby was an Irish Army patrol standing guard on these warplanes, instead of searching and possibly arresting any war criminals who might be on board. Having spent 10 minutes phootgraphing these planes, three Gardai arrived on not-so hot pursuit (of me, not the war criminals). I was informed that I was trespassing on private property and ordered to leave. I informed them that I was in a public car park that was additionally owned by the Irish public and taxpayers, and asked the gardai to desist from making false statements. I took some more photographs, retired to the nearby hotel for a cup of coffee, before joining the peace vigil at our usual location at the roundabout. In the meantime my colleague who was in the arrivals area of the terminal building was also being escorted by two additional Gardai, and two more joined me when I walked through the terminal building. I requested Garda Downey to search and investigate the US Navy Hercules warplane, but his response was that that was not his business. We had a friendly discussion on this matter. Back at the roundabout vigil, we had 25 peace activists from Galway, Cork, Dublin, Westmeath, Limerick and Clare, including two octogenarians, who have been very regular supporters of these monthly vigils. Roger Cole, Chairperson of PANA, the Irish Peace and Neutrality Alliance, formally requested Sergeant Noel McMahon to have the US Navy Hercules warplane searched and investigated, but he refused to do so, and suggested that any such request should be made in writing to Shannon Garda Station. Edward Horgan then asked why no action had been taken so far on the hundred's of previous requests for searches of US military and CIA associated aircraft at Shannon airport. There was no coherent response from any of the Gardai present. Thanks to all the peace activists who turned up for this peace vigil, and we hope that many more will join us on the second Sunday of each month throughout 2012, and beyond if necessary. Please note that on March 11th 2012, there will be special peace vigil at Shannon to mark the aniversary of the begining of the US war against the people of Iraq. Special busses will be provided by PANA from Dublin for this occasion. Please contact info@pana.ie for further information.
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Comments (5 of 5)
Jump To Comment: 5 4 3 2 1Nice rhetoric, Ed, as usual; bad law.
Dear Contrarian,
You ask
".....what specific Act of the Oireachtas you invoked to ground your request of the Gardai to search the plane and or arrest the alleged "war criminals." And what offences against Irish law do you allege were committed? When, where and by whom? You do know that there is no general power of arrest for "a breach of international law", impressive and all as that phrase sounds. And as a former army officer yourself, you should know the extremely limited powers of arrest that can be invoked by a soldier. Yet you profess to be surprised that the army patrol was not arresting war criminals."
Answer:
The act of An Oireachtas that we usually cite to the Gardai at Shannon is the “CRIMINAL JUSTICE (UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE) ACT, 2000”. I suggest you read this act carefully, as it is an Act of An Oireachtas which brings the original UN Convention Against Torture into Irish legislation, and which imposes a duty on Gardai to enforce the provisions of this act, which they have been consistently failing to do.
http://www.acts.ie/en.act.2000.0011.1.html
In addition all crimes of assault, illegal imprisonment and or kidnapping, are also specific crimes under Irish law. Any prisoner being transported through Shannon airport has a right to be protected by the Gardai from any of these offences against him/her, and the Gardai have a corresponding duty to investigate any reports that such crimes may have been committed. These reports come not only from peace activists at Shannon, but are also supported by detailed research and reports by the EU Parliamentary Committee TDIP, by the Council of Europe, the United Nations, Amnesty International, and many other sources. I never suggested that there were “general power of arrest for a breach of international law", but there are specific powers and obligations imposed on all governments by customary international law, and by international law conventions, such as the Geneva Conventions on War, international laws on neutrality, and international laws governing the International Criminal Court.
The following was published on the Government website on Thursday 15th December 2011
Ireland accepts compulsory jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court
The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore T.D., has announced the formal acceptance by Ireland of the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.
Speaking in Dublin, to coincide with the lodgement of Ireland’s official declaration at the United Nations Head Quarters in New York today, the Tánaiste said:
“I am delighted that, from today, Ireland will accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.”
” This decision is fully consonant with the commitment in Article 29 of the Constitution to the peaceful settlement of international disputes by international courts and tribunals. It is also consistent with the Government’s objective of enhancing Ireland’s standing as a respected and influential member of the international community.”
The possibility of accepting the Court’s compulsory jurisdiction had been signalled as far back as the White Paper on Foreign Policy in 1996. The Government took a decision in principle in April that Ireland would accept the Court’s jurisdiction by the end of the year and a decision on 7 December that a declaration should be lodged. The Government’s decision has already been warmly welcomed by other states and by the President of the ICJ.
Tags: Minister Eamon Gilmore
http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.php/2011/12/ireland-a...ourt/,
Under the Hague Convention on Neutrality, and other customary international laws on neutrality, the Irish Government has powers and duties as a self-declared neutral state, and these duties and powers include the arrest and detention of all foreign troops who are transiting through Irish territory, territorial waters or air-space, while on their way to war as troops of a belligerent state. The Irish government therefore has the authority and the duty to order Irish soldiers to carry out arrests under these aspects of international law.
With regard to the powers of arrest applicable to Irish soldiers, you are incorrect to state that only “extremely limited powers of arrest that can be invoked by a soldier”. Every Irish citizen, and that includes all Irish soldiers, have certain powers of arrest, that apply in the absence of members of An Garda Siochana, and these powers of arrest apply when it is necessary to prevent a serious crime being committed. With regard to the powers of arrest applicable to Irish soldiers at Shannon airport, soldiers on duty at Shannon airport are normally there in their capacity of being “in aid of the civil power”, and that means that they are normally accompanied by a member of An Garda Siochana, and that Garda is the one who would carry out any necessary arrests. In the absence of a Garda, the soldiers would have citizens’ powers of arrest.
Poor rhetoric, Contrarian, and poor knowledge of Irish and International laws.
Complete with tricky dicky nixon out-line............'..they wont have Richard Millhouse to kick around any more..'.
..shame about your imperial green-light ethics.
.....what specific Act of the Oireachtas you invoked to ground your request of the Gardai to search the plane and or arrest the alleged "war criminals." And what offences against Irish law do you allege were committed? When, where and by whom? You do know that there is no general power of arrest for "a breach of international law", impressive and all as that phrase sounds. And as a former army officer yourself, you should know the extremely limited powers of arrest that can be invoked by a soldier. Yet you profess to be surprised that the army patrol was not arresting war criminals.
Nice rhetoric, Ed, as usual; bad law.
I'd imagine '..the taxpayer.... is incurring such expenditure..' because the brown envelopes are being waved under the pink-collared blue-shirted brown-noses; and probably under several green-shirted noses just to be sure to be sure.
But then FG have had a hard-on for NATO since they were kids together in the WASPy womb. Snug as Deimos and Phobos.
Fair play all. No doubt there will be a few bob bonus when Iran gets its WMD mk II 'liberation' to ensure the Saudi/Zion axis of virtue remains the sectarian lynchpin of the region. The Shi-ite blowback from mission accomplished taught them war-fans zilch.
Keep on the Sunni side..eh?