Madam, - The British foreign secretary has admitted that two rendition flights carrying prisoners landed and were refuelled on Diego Garcia, which is British territory.
This fact had been strenuously denied by both the US and British governments several times in the past. The British government had accepted US "diplomatic assurances" that British territory had not been used for the rendition of prisoners to Guantánamo and elsewhere.
The Irish Government has also accepted US "diplomatic assurances" that Shannon airport has not been used for similar purposes.
The question that remains to be answered is: How many, of the many thousands of US military and CIA flights that were refuelled at Shannon airport since October 2001 were carrying prisoners in contravention of the UN Convention Against Torture?
- Yours, etc,
EDWARD HORGAN, Newtown, Castletroy, Limerick.