Madam, - There have been many questions and few answers about the US military's use of Shannon airport over the past three years. Fintan O'Toole (Opinion, September 28th) documents the appalling abuses of human rights in one special-access programme (SAP) operation involving Gulfstream jet number N379P, also a visitor to Shannon Airport. This must concern anyone who expects the Irish Government to honour human rights conventions and up uphold international law.
The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, questioned in the Seanad on June 23rd about "untried and unsentenced people" being brought through Shannon to Guantanamo Bay, had this to say, according to the official record:
"No person can be brought through the soil \ of Ireland in the custody of any other state except in accordance with international law. If the Senator has reason to believe any person has been transited through Irish territory, in unlawful custody, particularly to Quantanamo \, I would be interested to her it because I would respond to it immediately.
"We have our Constitution and the right of the freedom of the individual is not confined to citizens; it applies to all persons. Therefore, it would cause me great concern if I thought people were being smuggled through Irish territory in circumstances that amounted to unlawful detention in Irish law or in international law for that matter."
I call on the Minister to honour his commitment and also to instruct the Garda authorities to have all suspicious flights and activities checked at Shannon. - Yours, etc.,
COLM RODDY, Bayside Walk, Dublin 13.