The following letter was sent to all members of Oireachtas na hEireann (Parliament and Senate) today by Shannonwatch's Edward Horgan.

Subject: Ending Irish complicity in US war of aggression and war crimes in the Middle East

Dear Oireachtas Legislators,

Peace activist individuals and groups from all parts of Ireland have been monitoring, and protesting against, US military use of Shannon airport particularly since October 2001, but also previously during the First Gulf War in 1991. Successive Irish Governments by allowing foreign military forces to transit through Irish territory and Irish airspace, while still maintaining that Ireland is a neutral state, have been acting in clear breach of international laws on neutrality. More importantly, such assistance to a military force engaged in wars of aggression makes Ireland and the Irish people complicit in the multiple war crimes and clear breaches of international laws, including the UN Charter that have been committed by US forces. Since 1991 up to one million children and several million adults are estimated to have died directly and indirectly due to war related reasons across the Middle East. Other countries and groups apart from the United States have also been involved in wars of aggression and war crimes in the Middle East, but none of these have been actively assisted by successive Irish Governments.

This evening at Shannon Airport we were "honoured" with a visit from the Royal Saudi Air Force. The visitor was one of their Boeing 737s with registration HZ-101.

Shannonwatch are calling for an immediate review of the safety standards applied to US military and military contracted planes at Shannon Airport. A fire on an Omni Air International troop carrier brought the airport to a standstill on Thursday August 15th. This once again highlights the dangers posed by daily military traffic at a civilian airport like Shannon. 

The troop carrier, which is reported to be carrying approximately 150 troops, was on its way to the Middle East. It had arrived earlier from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma USA. 

Saturday August 25th at Shannon, two more aircraft on contract to the US military were refueled on their way from the USA. 

Omni Air International N477AX using US military call sign CMB556 arrived at Shannon about midday having come from Kileen Fort Hood Airbase. It took off at 16.14 pm and landed in Poland near Poznan Airport. 

Here are the two letters handed over for delivery to US President Donald Trump and Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar during the protests at Shannon today. We have been assured that they will be delivered.

Open letter to Mr Donald Trump, President of the United States of America

Dear US President Donald Trump,

Today (May 31st) at Shannon Airport the US military have effectively taken over the airport in preparation for the unwelcome visit by US President Trump. At lunchtime there were four large US military aircraft, including 3 C-17 transport aircraft and one Hercules C130. These planes causes significant environmental damage as they fly across the world. Unlike civilian passenger planes that are designed for maximum power and therefore consume vast amounts of fuel.

To coincide with US President Donald Trump's visit to Ireland, protests will be held at Shannon Airport starting at 3pm on June 5th. The US President is expected to land at Shannon that day, to fly out and back again on June 6th, and to leave on June 7th. A Peace Camp will be set up outside the airport for the duration of his visit, including overnight on the 5th and 6th June, and people are invited to spend whatever time they can there in order to maintain an ongoing protest against his presence in Ireland.

by Mike Ferner

May 24, 2019

Can a pair of U.S. military veterans and the Irish peace movement topple a key outpost of the American Empire entrenched on the Emerald Isle?  

That's the question a new mini-documentary explores about former Marine Ken Mayers and former Army paratrooper, Tarak Kauff as they begin a third month of activist exile in Ireland following a peaceful act of civil disobedience at Shannon Airport on St. Patrick's Day, walking onto the airfield with a banner that said, "Respect Irish Neutrality.  U.S. War Machine Out of Shannon Airport." 

Effectively using photos and film accounts of troop planes arriving and departing, as well as images of Ireland's "Easter Rising," the Action from Ireland production, "War Crimes Facilitated At Shannon Airport" lets the words of three veterans and Clare Daly an Irish Member of Parliament provide the narration.  They explain how the U.S. military quietly turned the civilian airport into a major hub for troops and weapons en route to wars in the Middle East.  Some three million troops have passed through Shannon since the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003.

On the evening of Thursday, May 30th, as a Shannonwatch member drove toward Shannon Airport he was overtaken by a Garda patrol car that then pulled off the road near Bunratty and proceeded to follow him all the way to Shannon. As he drove into the Shannon Industrial Estate the Shannonwatch peace activist saw a large US Air Force transport aircraft at the airport, so he pulled in to take a photograph of it. He got out of his car and was getting his camera when the Garda car that had followed him stopped behind him. A Garda got out and asked for his drivers licence which the Shannonwatch member produced. He asked the Garda if it was an authorised road traffic checkpoint, and if so who had authorised it. The Garda simply said he was authorised by the Constitution to demand the driving licence! 

The Shannonwatch member then pointed out the US Air Force C17 military aircraft and requested that the Gardai search and investigate it. The Garda responded twice that this was way beyond his level of pay. The Shannonwatch member then asked the Garda to contact his superiors and take steps to have the aircraft searched and investigated. He gave no indication that he intended to comply with the request.

US Veterans and peace activists Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff who entered Shannon Airport on March 17^th with the intention of investigating an Omni Air International plane on contract to the U.S. military are still being denied permission by the Irish state to travel home to the US to their families. 

For information on their ongoing case see http://www.stopthesewars.org/kenandtarak/.