<p>This DOD cable discusses an article in the Irish Times that links flights from Shannon Airport to the flights detainees were placed on for transport and possible rendition. The Irish Times called them "Detainee Torture Flights". The article stated that plane spotters witnessed chartered flights, known to transport detainees on behalf of the US military, re-fueling at Shannon Airport. The article spurred activity in Ireland among anti-war activist and opposition politicians to investigate and expose the flights and potential rendition program.</p>
CDS RTTSZYUW RUEHDLA3719 352152848903 ¦RHEFDIA RHEFLGX RHEFSNG. ZNYIlleeee-HEADER R 1715282 DEC 04 (b)(2) • TO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON (b)(2) RUEHC/SECSTATE WASH RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/CJCS WASHINGTON RUEKJCSISECDEF WASHINGTON DC/ 1b)(2) ST CONTROLS ....e.R4+SECTION 01 OF 05=111.5 *(b)(2) 4){-49.4444•¦ SERIAL: (U) IIR (b)(2) /**•••••• THIS IS A COMBINED MESSAGE ••••••••/ BODY COUNTRY: (U) IRELAND (El). S SUBJECT: IIRIIIMIIIIMPRISH SUSPICION OF A LINK (b)(2) BETWEEN SHANNON FLIGHTS AND ALLEGED DETAINEE TORTURE (b)(2) • •(b)(2) FLIGHTS4Q4NPr• .(b)(2) IPSP: (U) may WARNING: (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. REPORT CLASSIFIED -41 1-k Page 2 DIA6 DODDIA-000213 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE I.NDONNIMIMIMMINM.M0.....001•1,....•••¦•••••mlowwwwww¦¦•••••¦•••¦••¦•¦¦•¦••• DOI: (U) 20041212. ,(b)(2) REQS: (0111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111.1 SOURCE: A. (U) DAILY NEWSPAPER, IRISH TIMES', DUBLIN, IRELAND, 20041119, (U), IN ENGLISH, CENTRIST CONSERVATIVE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER WITH A CIRCULATION OF ABOUT 112,000. (b)(2) D. (U) DAILY NEWSPAPER, 'IRISH INDEPENDENT', DUBLIN, IRELAND. 20041119 (U), IN ENGLISH, MODERATE LIBERAL NATIONAL NEWSPAPER WITH A CIRCULATION OF ABOUT 170,000. E. (U) WEEKLY NEWSPAPER, &SUNDAY BUSINESS POSTS, DUBLIN, IRELAND, 20040929, (U), IN ENGLISH. LIBERAL NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER WITH A CIRCULATION OF ABOUT 100,000. (b)(1) G. (U) DAILY NEWSPAPER, 'IRISH EXAMINER', CORK, IRELAND 20041210, (U), IN ENGLISH, CENTRIST DAILY NEWSPAPER WITH CIRCULATION ABOUT 52,000.SUMMARY. ONO) OPPOSITION AND ANTIWAR PROTESTERS SEEKING TO PROVE A LINK BETWEEN SHANNON FLIGHTS AND ALLEGED DETAINEE TORTURE FLIGHTS PRESSURE THE IRISH GOVERNMENT TO ACT. TEXT. 1, (U) WRITING IN THE IRISH SUNDAY BUSINESS POST ON 26 SEPTEMBER 2004, FREELANCE JOURNALIST PAUL T. ((COLGAN)) NOTED THAT A JET CHARTERED BY THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, WHICH IS KNOWN TO HAVE ABDUCTED AND TRANSPORTED AL QUAEDA SUSPECTS, HAS LANDED AT SHANNON AIRPORT SEVERAL TIMES. BASED PRIMARILY ON TIPS FROM ANTIWAR ACTIVISTS AND PLANE SPOTTERS IN IRELAND AND ELSEWHERE, COLGAN STATES THAT CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED THAT SHANNON AIRPORT IS REGULARLY USED AS A REFUELING POINT FOR THE US MILITARY PLANES AND THAT THE PARTICULAR JET NOTED IN THE SWEDISH DOCUMENTARY) A CESSNA CITATION JET WITH THE CALL SIGN N379P ) HAD LANDED WHILE TRANSFERRING SUSPECTS TO CUBA. COLGAN THEN CLAIMS THAT THE PLANE IS WIDELY USED TO TRANSFER SUSPECTS TO COUNTRIES WHERE THEY CAN BE INTERROGATED page 3 .4101Nr DIA7 DODDIA-000214 WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF WESTERN LAW. 2. (U) ON 14 NOVEMBER 2004, STEPHEN ((GREY)), WRITING IN THE SUNDAY TIMES NOTES THAT CONFIDENTIAL LOGBOOKS FROM AN EXECUTIVE JET REVEAL SHANNON AIRPORT WAS ONE OF THE PLANES MOST REGULAR STOPPING POINTS USED BY AMERICAN INTEWGENCE AGENCIES TO TRANSPORT TERRORIST SUSPECTS TO/FROM TORTURE SESSIONS. GRAY ASSERTS THAT THE GULFSTREAM V JET, WHICH IS LEASED BY DEFENSE DEPARTMENT AND CIA AGENTS, HAS STOPPED IN SHANNON FOURTEEN TIMES SINCE JANUARY 2002, ACCORDING TO LOGS OBTAINED BY THE SUNDAY TIMES. GREY FURTHER ASSERTS THAT MOVEMENTS DETAILED IN THE LOGS CAN BE MATCHED WITH SEVERAL SIGHTINGS OF THE GULFSTREAM AT AIRPORTS WHEN TERRORIST SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN BUNDLED AWAY BY US AGENTS. ANALYSIS OF THE PLANE,S FLIGHT PLANS SHOWS THAT IT ALWAYS DEPARTS FROM WASHINGTON DC AND OFTEN STOPS AT SHANNON EN ROUTE TO OTHER DESTINATIONS.COUNTRY: (U) IRELAND (El). (b)(2) SUBJECLIIRMIIIMIRISH SUSPICION OF A LINK BETWEEN SHANNON FLIGHTS AND ALLEGED DETAINEE TORTURE FLIGHTS-One (b)(1 4. (U) CONCURRENTLY WITH SPECULATION IN THE PRESS, MEMBERS OF THE IRISH PARLIAMENT SOUGHT TO COMPEL THE IRISH GOVERNMENT TO CLARIFY THE PRESS REPORTS AND WEB SITE CHATTER. DEPUTY FINIAN ((MCGRATH)). AN INDEPENDENT MEMBER OF THE DAIL REPRESENTING NORTH DUBLIN, ASKED WHETHER MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT HAS NOTED THAT AN ALLEGEDLY SUSPICIOUS SMALL AIRLINE BASED OUT OF VIRGINIA, USA HAD BEEN TRANSPORTING PRISONERS. MCGRATH HAD PREVIOUSLY ASKED SIMILAR QUESTIONS IN MAY AND JUNE 2004 AND THE MINISTER FOR JUSTICE HAD RESPONDED THAT ANY PERSON WHO IS ON THE SOIL OF IRELAND IS ENTITLED TO THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTION. NO PERSON CAN BE BROUGHT page 4 -Se DIA8 DODDIA-000215 THROUGH THE STATE OF IRELAND IN THE CUSTODY OF ANY OTHER STATE EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW. 5. (U) LIKEWISE ON 24 NOVEMBER 2004, IRISH SENATOR DAVID ((NORRIS)) WARNED THE LEADER OF THE SENATE THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO STEP UP HIS DEMANDS FOR INFORMATION ON THE SITUATION AS HE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY GET THE FULL STORY. HE SAID IT HAD BEEN WILDLY STATED THAT THE GULFSTREAM JET IN QUESTION HAD BEEN ADAPTED TO FACILITATE THE TRANSPORT OF KIDNAPPED PRISONERS TO DESTINATIONS WHERE THEY MIGHT BE SUBJECTED TO TORTURE AT THE BEHEST OF THE US CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. SINCE SHANNON WAS BEING USED HE BELIEVED THEY WERE ENTITLED TO INFORMATION ON THE LEVEL OF USAGE AND WHETHER THE GARDA HAD AVAILED OF ITS POWERS TO BOARD THIS PLANE AND SEARCH IT. NORRIS WAS QUOTED IN THE IRISH TIMES AS SAYING, SARIN THINK IT IS VITAL THAT WE HAVE THIS INFORMATION IN THE LIGHT OF THE BEHAVIOR OF ALLIED FORCES IN IRAQ, WHERE THEY APPEAR NOW TO BE DRIVING TANKS OVER WOUNDED PEOPLE IN THE STREETS OF FALLUJA WHERE THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THEY ARE MURDERING UNARMED PEOPLE INSIDE MOSQUES. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SOMEBODY ATTACKED A CHURCH AND SHOT PEOPLE DEADB? (WO) . (b)(1)' HE SAID THE ALLEGATIONS THAT THE TAIL NUMBER HAS BEEN CHANGED RAISE page D IA9 DODDIA-000216 SUSPICIONS AND CAUSED CONFUSION WITHIN THE GOI, ALONG WITH THE HOPE THAT THERE IS A 'BENIGN' EXPLANATION ABOUT WHY THECOUNTRY: (U) IRELAtt (b)(2) SUBJECT: 11411111.11111DRISH SUSPICION OF A LINK BETWEEN SHANNON FLIGHTS AND ALLEGED DETAINEE TORTURE FUGHTS WO, TAIL NUMBER WAS CHANGED. HE CAUTIONED THAT IF IT WERE EVER TO BE DISCOVERED THAT THE U.S, WAS NOT GOOD ON ITS WORD OR HAD TRANSPORTED PRISONERS THROUGH SHANNON IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WAR ON TERRORISM, THERE WOULD BE ENORMOUS POLITICAL PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT. AS FOR THE LEGAL ISSUE, HE SAID THAT IF A PLANE WAS TO INCLUDE SHANNON IN AN ITINERARY THAT ALSO INCLUDED TRANSPORTING PRISONERS, GOI LAWYERS MIGHT BE FORCED TO CONCLUDE THAT THE GOI ITSELF WAS IN VIOLATION OF TORTURE CONVENTIONS. HIS COLLEAGUE CITED BREAKING PRESS REPORTS OF ICRC COMMENTS ABOUT GUANTANAMO AS ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE. 1b)(1) S -036111EF. page 6 DIA10 DODDIA-000217