Ireland: used as stopover

Dick Marty mentions Ireland only twice in the 67-page report published by the Council of Europe yesterday.

Dick Marty mentions Ireland only twice in the 67-page report published by the Council of Europe yesterday.

Ireland invoked "the principle of trust" in explaining its position on Shannon, Mr Marty noted, quoting Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern as saying: "We would not see any reason to search US aircraft] because we have received categorical assurances from the US that they are not using Shannon in this way."

In the conclusion of his report, Mr Marty notes that Ireland, like Britain, Portugal, Greece and Italy, is a "stopover" for flights involving the unlawful transfer of detainees.

"Shannon is involved in an indirect fashion," Mr Marty explained at his press conference. "Planes landed at Shannon after rendition operations, when they no longer had detainees on board."

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The Swiss senator added however: "I criticise this attitude of the Government - which is also the attitude of the Swiss government - which is to say, 'Our conscience is clean. If the US says everything is okay, then everything is okay.'

"It seems facile to express confidence when there are such concrete elements."

Responding to the publication of the report last night, Mr Ahern said from Messines in Belgium that it contained "no significant new evidence".

"Ireland is absolutely opposed to extraordinary rendition and has made that clear. The US is fully aware of our position and has made it clear that it wouldn't move prisoners through Shannon without the express consent of the Irish Government."

In Luxembourg, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen, said: "We have made it very clear we didn't, willingly or unwillingly, aid any renditions.

"I don't accept we were involved in any renditions whatsoever and we have assurances to that effect that we find satisfactory."