_____ From: Alice Kehoe [mailto:akehoe@xxxxxxx] Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 10:48 AM To: brendan@xxxxxxx; dave@xxxxxxxxxx; derry; elana Subject: [Irish] Govt under pressure over Shannon 'torture flights' Ireland OnLine News: http://212.2.162.45/news/story.asp?j=229254000 <http://212.2.162.45/news/story.asp?j=229254000&p=zz9z5495x&n=229254987> &p=zz9z5495x&n=229254987 Govt under pressure over Shannon 'torture flights' 24/01/2006 - 13:35:39 The Government is under growing pressure today to say exactly what it knows about alleged CIA 'torture flights' passing through Shannon Airport. A Swiss investigator has concluded that the US intelligence agency has illegally abducted suspected Islamic militants in Europe before transporting them to other countries for torture. Dick Marty had been asked by the Council of Europe to investigate claims that European territory was being used as part of the Bush administration's controversial "extraordinary rendition programme". Under the scheme, al-Qaida suspects are effectively abducted around the world and taken to secret interrogation centres where many have ended up being tortured. Mr Marty has concluded that European governments were almost certainly aware that their territory was being used as part of the scheme, which he said amounted to an "outsourcing" of torture by the US authorities. Irish anti-war activists say planes involved in the CIA programme have landed at Shannon Airport on numerous occasions and they want the Government to conduct inspections of these landings. However, the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrat Coalition has said it accepts US assurances that no detainees have been on board any of the flights. The Irish branch of Amnesty International said today that this was not good enough, particularly in light of Mr Marty's revelations. "The Irish Government and the international community have a clear responsibility to seek actively to prevent any act of torture," he said. "To date, we don't feel that they have done that. The starting point for the Irish Government has to be to put on the public record exactly what's going at Shannon." ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
<<attachment: winmail.dat>>