Top Issue 1-2024

18 April 2016

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Shannon US military aircraft charges dropped against peace activist Edward Horgan

● Dr Horgan and TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly at Ennis District Court

CHARGES against former Defence Forces officer Dr Edward Horgan after he tried to approach four US military aircraft parked at Shannon last year have been dismissed by Ennis District Court. The ruling has been welcomed by the Shannonwatch campaign group.

Dr Horgan was on his way to a peace conference in London on 18 April 2015 when he saw four US military Hercules C-130 turboprop aircraft lined up just beyond the Aer Lingus plane he was boarding. Evidence to the court showed that he engaged in a “communicative protest” by walking towards the planes to highlight the need to inspect them by Irish authorities.

Shannonwatch said that one of the most notable aspects of the court case last Friday was the failure by a Garda sergeant to identify a single instance in which he or his colleagues at Shannon used their powers to inspect a US military plane.

“Under cross-examination by Dr Horgan’s solicitor he confirmed that he had never inspected one despite being aware of the volumes of information and evidence provided by Shannonwatch,” the group said.

Evidence was presented to the court by John Lannon of Shannonwatch, TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly, and Dr Horgan himself.

Shannonwatch said they showed the absurdity of “assurances” from the Fine Gael/Labour Government that the US military planes are not carrying arms or engaged in military operations. Details were given of weapons on troop carriers, of visible 30mm cannon on Hercules planes, and of rendition planes at Shannon.

“As is usual in trials of peace activists, none of this evidence was contested,” Shannonwatch pointed out.

Shannonwatch spokesperson John Lannon said:

“Hundreds of statements to the Garda as well of hundreds of parliamentary questions have failed to shed light on the nature of the US military use of Shannon.

“We know now that gardai never inspect them despite their presence there being in breach of Irish neutrality.”

A National Air Cargo plane that went through Shannon recently on its way to the US airbase at Bagram in Afghanistan was claimed to be carrying “foodstuffs” from the USA. This sort of nonsense is a clear example of the need for inspections at the airport, campaigners say.

Shannonwatch has repeated its calls for the inspection of all US military planes passing through Shannon for as long as they are allowed to land there.

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