New row over airport role for US officers
Saturday September 05 2009
PEACE activists have expressed concern and anger at news that two US military personnel are permanently based at Shannon Airport without any formal arrangement or Oireachtas approval.
It has emerged that -- apart from the US troops who pass through Shannon at a rate of almost 22,000 a week -- two US officers of "military rank" are permanently based at the airport. Their official role is to assist with the transit of US government and government-contracted flights.
In response to a parliamentary question from Labour TD Jan O'Sullivan, Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin admitted that there was no formal agreement governing the arrangement for the two officers. He insisted: "The stationing of the two US officials in Shannon is fully consistent with the Vienna Convention and is not governed by a specific formal agreement."
- Pat Flynn
