Madam, - The pre-Christmas Dáil statement from Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern on the question of rendition flights, was essentially a restatement of the Government's position to date. This has now been overtaken by events and is wholly inadequate.
Either (a) the Government is aware of and is therefore directly implicated in the illegal rendition of personnel through our country for torture elsewhere; or (b) if unaware of such practices has deliberately chosen not to investigate the allegations of same; or (c) such illegal practices did not occur.
Mr Ahern is clear in his denials of (a) and, unless evidence emerges to the contrary, the Irish Government is therefore not directly implicated. Obviously, if (c) such practices did not occur, there is no case to answer. Possibility (b) is where the Irish Government per se and individual ministers and officials may be exposing themselves personally to criminal and civil litigation.
It is now essential that positive action be taken to investigate claims of illegal rendition of prisoners of torture. Arrest warrants have been issued in Italy for US government personnel accused of this practice there. The UN and Irish Human Rights Commission have unambiguously warned that US diplomatic assurances on this matter have no validity and, crucially, confer no exemption from legal obligations or indeed future legal accountability if such illegal activity is subsequently demonstrated.
I would urge that the Minister for Foreign Affairs advise the Government to fulfil its obligations in this matter without further prevarication. - Yours, etc,
Dr BRIAN O'CONNOR, Avoca Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin.