US: Shannon airport has never been used for CIA rendition flights, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has told Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern.
Mr Ahern said in Washington yesterday that he accepted Dr Rice's assurance, which had confirmed what US officials had told the Government consistently.
"She was very categorical that Shannon has not been used for anything untoward. We fully accept the categorical assurance of a friendly nation," Mr Ahern said.
During what officials called a "forthright" exchange, Dr Rice told the Minister that the United States was not a rogue state and upheld US and international law.
She would make a statement on allegations that the CIA has run secret prisons when she visits Europe next week.
The New York Times reported yesterday that 26 aircraft "known to be operated by CIA companies" flew 307 flights in Europe since September 2001, including 33 in Ireland. Only Germany and Britain, with 94 and 76 flights respectively, hosted more CIA flights than Ireland.
The paper said its information came "from Federal Aviation Administration data, aviation industry sources and, to a lesser extent, a network of plane spotters who often report to human rights groups".
British foreign secretary Jack Straw has written to Dr Rice on behalf of the European Union, asking her to explain media reports about secret CIA prisons - including two allegedly sited in Poland and Romania - and the secret transfer across the Continent of suspects to foreign states for interrogation, a process known as rendition. The US has sent some prisoners to countries such as Egypt that are known to practise torture.
Washington has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of secret prisons, prompting Dutch foreign minister Ben Bot to warn that his country could reconsider its 1,100-strong military presence in Afghanistan if the Americans "continue to beat around the bush" on the issue.
A number of European countries have begun inquiries into allegations that their airports were used for rendition flights, but the Government has consistently said it has no evidence that such flights have used Irish airports.
According to the New York Times, Portugal hosted 16 CIA flights, Spain and the Czech Republic 15 each, Greece and Cyprus 13 each, Poland six, Italy five, Romania and Iceland four each, Switzerland three, France and Turkey two each, and Sweden, Estonia, Hungary, Malta, Croatia and the Netherlands one each.
Earlier yesterday Senator Edward Kennedy told Mr Ahern he was "enormously concerned about the reports of secret prisons. The American people are very concerned about it. Torture has no role in the American tradition," he said.
Mr Ahern and Mr Kennedy discussed the political process in the North and the US debate about immigration reform. Mr Kennedy said he welcomed much of what President Bush proposed to secure US borders and introduce a temporary worker visa programme.
But the senator said it was essential any reform should give immigrants a chance to get on to a path to permanent residence and citizenship.
"This would permit them to initially adjust their status, pay a small down-payment, indicate a work record and clear other kind of security issues and be able to work towards both a green card and citizenship over a period of years. I think that is the way to go, it makes the most sense," he said.