AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has repeated its call for an inquiry into the use of Irish airspace by aircraft involved in US rendition flights following the publication of a 2007 diplomatic cable describing how then minister for foreign affairs Dermot Ahern was “quite convinced” at least three such flights had used Shannon airport.
The cable, released by WikiLeaks, details a meeting in December 2007 between then US ambassador Thomas C Foley and Mr Ahern.
It reports that the minister explained he had “put his neck on the chopping block” and would pay a “severe political price” if it ever emerged rendition flights had entered Ireland or if one was discovered in the future.
“[Mr Ahern] seemed quite convinced that at least three flights involving renditions had refuelled at Shannon airport before or after conducting renditions elsewhere,” the cable said, adding the minister stated he “could use a little more information” about the flights, musing that it might not be a bad idea to allow the random inspection of a few planes to proceed, which would provide cover if a rendition flight ever surfaced.
The cable, which was written by the US ambassador, stated Mr Ahern’s public stance on renditions was “rock-solid” but added that “his musings during the meeting seemed less assured. This was the only issue during the meeting that agitated him”.
“Ahern seemed to be fishing for renewed assurances from the ambassador that no rendition flights have transited Ireland, or would transit in the future,” the cable said.
The dispatch also notes that the ambassador thanked Mr Ahern for his “staunch rejection” of the Irish Human Rights Commission’s demand that the Government inspect aircraft suspected to have been involved in rendition flights.
Colm O’Gorman, director of Amnesty’s Ireland section, said the leaked cable showed the Government clearly knew that Shannon was being used as “a launching pad for CIA operations” but was unwilling to do anything about it.
“The use of Shannon to facilitate extraordinary renditions must be fully investigated and the legislation around aircraft using Irish airspace has to be toughened up,” he added.
Earlier this month, another diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks revealed former US ambassador to Ireland James C Kenny suspected the government imposed restrictions on the use of Shannon airport by US troops in 2006 “to dampen public criticism” ahead of a general election the following year.
That cable was the first from the US embassy in Dublin to be released by the whistleblower as part of its “Cablegate” leaking of US diplomatic dispatches.