FREIGHT CONTAINERS labelled “Royal Air Force Brize Norton” were spotted by protesters at Shannon airport last Saturday.
This would show a new development in the military use of Shannon airport with evidence suggesting that Shannon is now no longer solely used by the US military but also by Britain, according to the Peace and Neutrality Alliance and the Irish Anti War Movement.
A spokesperson for Shannon airport confirmed that the containers were still on site, but said that they were empty and “here on a purely commercial basis”, declining to comment further.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs stated: “Our records show that British military aircraft rarely land at Shannon and there have not been any landings so far in 2009.”
She further said that permission for the landings by foreign military aircraft were usually granted provided that “the aircraft is unarmed, carries no arms, ammunition or explosives, and does not engage in intelligence-gathering, and that the flight in question does not form part of a military exercise or operation”.
Brize Norton airbase, in the UK, has played a significant role in the deployment of British troops and air freight to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002.
Michael Youlton, from the anti-war movement, said: “Three people went very close to the fence with cameras and immediately airport security turned up and told us that we had no business being there.”
Both Mr Youlton and Roger Cole, from Pana, said there were now US military personnel permanently present at Shannon airport.
The Department of Foreign Affairs also stated that the officials were liaison officers from the US embassy in Dublin, necessary on location in the case of technical or logistical issues arising in relation to transiting aircrafts or their passengers. “They do not wear uniforms nor are they authorised to carry firearms.”
Mr Cole, also one of the organisers of the No to Lisbon Campaign, said: “Ireland is not a neutral state. There is no neutrality left to defend.”