US Government Jets disguised as private executive Jets?

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Sunday March 09, 2008 00:20

by Edward Horgan, Conor Cregan

Two unwelcome return visitors to Shannon tonight N478GS and N54PA

Tonight, 8 March 2008, Executive jet Gulfstream IV, number N478GS, with known associations with the CIA torture rendition programme landed at Shannon airport. Unusually on this occasion Conor and Edward were told they were not forbidden to take photos, but that the Gardai were not allowed to search this plane without higher authority because it was a US Government aircraft.

The plane was on the ground refueling for about 30 minutes, and the engines were running during all this time. One crew member got off the plane briefly, and checked the refueling process. He is seen in the photo with one of the ground crew. A number of plastic bags possibly with rubish were taken off the plane. A tray about one square square possibly with sandwidches was taken on board, indicating that there may have been several passengers on board. The plane arrived from Fayetteville in the US via Gander Newfoundland.
Later tomorow morning a further CIA associated plane is due to arrive at Shannon, at about 5 am. Its number is N54PA. Ireland is trafficing in torture and doing so for economic reasons.
Last thursday, 5th March CIA associated plane N475LC refuelled at Shannon also. It may be months or years before we know what the purpose of these flights has been. The history of these planes indicate that their purposes are nefarious. The admission, or slip, by the Gardai that these are US government planes may be important into the future, and may explain the steadfast refusal by the Irish Government to allow the Gardai to search these planes. At this time, the traffic in prisoners by the US tends to be mainly from the US and Guantanamo back to the countries of origin of those prisoners. This is not intended as a 'happy release' for the prisoners. In most cases, their countries of origin are brutal regimes where torture is practiced on a wide scale. There new prisons in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, or wherever will make their memories of Guantanamo waterboarding seem almost humane.

There is still a large question make over the substantial number of prisoners that have already been returned to their home countries. While a handful have been released in countries such as the UK and Canada, the vast majority have been handed over to their dictatorial governments. Many are likely to have been permanently dissappeared following further torture.
Sleep well tonight in your warm comfortable beds, but spare a thougth for those who have and are being transported though our country for the purpose of being tortured.

CIA Torture Plane? N478LS Shannon 8 Mar 08 0.17 Mb N478GS caught on camera Shannon 8 Mar 2008 0.16 Mb