Shannonwatch

The Afghan War Diary released by Wikileaks earlier this week provides startling insights into the war in Afghanistan. Thanks to their release, we now know that coalition forces have killed hundreds of civilians, that the CIA’s paramilitary operations are expanding in Afghanistan, and that the Taliban has been able to use the same portable missiles that helped defeat the Soviet occupation in the 1980s against U.S./NATO aircraft.

We also know that neighbouring Pakistan and Iran are probably fuelling the war. Western commanders suspect that Pakistan's military spy service guides the Afghan insurgency that fights U.S./NATO troops, even as Pakistan receives more than $1 billion in aid from the U.S.

Shannonwatch condemns the brutal attack by the Israeli Defence Forces on the six humanitarian aid ships in the 'Freedom Flotilla' to Gaza, and the murder of between 9 and 20 civilians on board one of the ships. This was a gross violation of international law, and it should be investigated fully and independently with those responsible held accountable.

The return of Omni Air International flights to Shannon over the weekend indicates that its back to the business of war as usual for the airport and its staff. Over the weekend (Friday to Sunday), 12 of their U.S. troop carrier aircraft landed at the airport.

U.S. military traffic through Shannon was down significantly in April due to the spread of the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland. The ongoing presence of this ash in and around Irish airspace has now resulted in the re-routing of all troop and military cargo flights through different bases worldwide. Since early May there have been no U.S. Air Force cargo or troop carriers at Shannon. Clearly the U.S.

Following on from a decision by the U.S. military and their main troop carrier to re-route their traffic through different military bases and airports, it has been reported that Shannon Airport-based companies are temporarily laying-off staff.

Shannonwatch member Edward Horgan will speak at a conference on rendition and torture in Duke University in North Carolina this week. In January of this year the U.S. revoked the ten year visa which he had been granted in 2009, but at the last minute he was granted a 3 month visa and will be attending the conference.