TÁNAISTE EAMON GILMORE has confirmed that two US military planes landed at Shannon Airport in one day last month.
When questioned by Independent TD Clare Daly, about the destination, purpose and cargo of the two aircraft which landed at Shannon on 30 June, Gilmore confirmed that the Department of Foreign Affairs had received a request from the US Embassy five days beforehand.
The request was for two Hercules C-130 aircraft to land at the airport for the purposes of “crew resting and refuelling”. Gilmore said both flights were en route from Trapani-Birgi, Italy to Newfoundland Canada.
“The requests confirmed that the aircraft carried no arms, ammunition, explosives, photographic or intelligence gathering equipment,” he added.
The Tánaiste said that details provided by Daly about a third aircraft were insufficient to identify its destination, purpose and cargo as required.
Activists have continued to call for the government to stop allowing the US military to land at Shannon. In May this year, a report showed that Ireland was one of 54 countries that had helped to facilitate the CIA’s secret detention, rendition and interrogation programme in the years after 9/11.
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