Extraordinary Rendition & Gulfstream N379P???
 

The Sunday Times - Ireland

October 03, 2004

Scott Millar



WILLIE O’DEA has said that one of his first actions as Ireland’s new minister for defence will be to investigate allegations that the American secret service has been illegally transporting prisoners through Shannon airport.

The Limerick TD said that initial inquiries by the Department of Foreign Affairs have concluded that terrorist suspects are not being transported through the airport, and this was the government position.



But O’Dea added: “I will make absolutely thorough inquiries next week, as soon as people come back to their desks, to make sure this isn’t the case because I would be extremely disturbed if it were, and I have to say I would find it totally unacceptable.

“Indeed, this is a matter I will be raising with my colleagues in cabinet and I would be looking for a situation where this sort of facility wouldn’t be allowed.”

The defence minister said that anybody on Irish soil is entitled to the protection provided by the Irish constitution. “I will be suggesting to the Irish government that they wouldn’t countenance any such activity, no matter how friendly the country in question was,” he said.

“Personally I would be horrified to think that Shannon is being used for this sort of activity (illegally transferring detainees). I would be totally opposed to it. And if this is happening I will do my utmost to put a stop to it straight away.”

In his first interview since his appointment last Wednesday, the minister also promised to ensure that all weaponry being transported through Shannon airport is checked by the Irish authorities.

The minister’s comments follow growing disquiet over reported landings of a privately hired Gulfstream jet at Shannon. The plane has been linked by the Swedish government to a clandestine American operation to transfer military prisoners to and from detention centres around the globe.

The plane, call sign N379P, has been spotted on several occasions by peace campaigners camped at Shannon airport since early last year.

It first came to international attention when Swedish television documentary makers, who were investigating the disappearance of two Arab asylum seekers from their country, found they had been transported by American agents by plane to Egypt, where they were allegedly tortured.

Following pressure from the Swedish government, one of the men was released without charge and the other has been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment. The Swedish investigation found that the plane’s flight path regularly originated in North Carolina. It proceeded to Dallas where it picked up American intelligence agents and flew to Europe after which it made stop-offs in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Afghanistan. The plane has also visited the American military base and prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Earlier this year Seymour Hersh, an American journalist, uncovered the workings of a secret American military operation known as Extraordinary Rendition, in which the plane is believed to play a role.

The operation is said to involve the transport of “high value” prisoners around the world. Believed to be authorised by Donald Rumsfeld, the American secretary of defence, the movement of prisoners from one jurisdiction to the other allows them to be subjected to “interrogation methods” that may be illegal in other countries.....................
Fact or fiction or a bit of both ???????

According to the FAA website, registration N379P is neither assigned or reserved ........

doesnt just go through Shannon doing this operation btw

It became N8068V & is fairly common into Luton & RAF Northolt. Operated by the Ministry of dark Glasses :E

WNC

I agree - it's a Gulfstream V, msn 581.

Already discussed here as well.

From Biz Jet and GA

These "unattributable assets" are in many countries' arsenals, including, of course, the UK.

In 1969 Henry Kissinger needed to get to Paris several times without much attention for secret talks with the Viet Cong. The French provided a Falcon 20 with a civil registration after being told of the urgent need for discreet transportation. Even the French were not aware of the real mission. "There is a woman involved" was the cover story given for the Secretary's travel requirements.

The UK used to operate a couple of Hawkers with civil registrations and murky missions. Presumably, these have been upgraded to something else.

The South Africans had a mysterious Cessna Citation operation that now seems to have been involved in nuke weapons "research" with Pakistan and Israel.

In recent years, a lot of covert aviation activity seems to cycle between contractors and military crews. The famous "Janet" flights from KLAS to Area 51 have at times been operated by contractors like Key Airlines. Now, I believe they are flown by Air Force pilots. Of course, this operation is well known to the locals and has even made the cover of National Geographic.

Geez, talk about 'run spot, run'!
What does one have to do to follow a thread on PPRuNe?

Please if you're going to move the topic, couldn't it at least be indicated?

Surely it's not that much of a conspiracy theory

:confused:

Regards
GG