SHANNON: GOI UNDER PRESSURE BUT NO CHANGE IN

S E C R E T DUBLIN 001739

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2014
TAGS: MOPS PINR PREL
SUBJECT: SHANNON: GOI UNDER PRESSURE BUT NO CHANGE IN
POLICY

Classified By: DCM JONATHAN BENTON FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D


1. (S) DCM met with Keith McBean, DFA's Chief of
International Security Policy. McBean's office has the lead
in the Irish government for issues surrounding U.S. use of
Shannon airport. McBean noted that while there always has
been an element of Irish society that objects to the U.S.
military's use of Shannon, the government feels increasingly
under pressure. On a weekly basis, members of parliament
question the ministers. While most of the criticism and
pressure come from the opposition, the president of the
Senate, from the PM's own party, also has entered the fray
periodically. Parliamentarians draw on allegations from
journalists, activists' web sites and tail spotters to
suggest the USG has used Shannon for nefarious purposes.
Particularly difficult have been questions in the last two
weeks about a Gulfstream jet that allegedly has been used to
transport prisoners and allegedly had its tail number
changed. McBean cited this allegation as both politically
and legally difficult for the GOI. The political problem is
that the government's defense of Shannon rests heavily on
friendship with the U.S. and the Irish government saying it
relies on the "good faith" of the USG. He said the
allegations that the tail number has been changed raise
suspicions and caused confusion within the GOI, along with
the hope that there is a "benign" explanation about why the
tail number was changed. He cautioned that if it were ever
to be discovered that the U.S. was not good on its word or
had transported prisoners through Shannon in the context of
the war on terrorism, there would be enormous political
pressure on the government. As for the legal issue, he said
that were a plane to include Shannon in an itinerary that
also included transporting prisoners, GOI lawyers might be
forced to conclude that the GOI itself was in violation of
torture conventions. His colleague cited breaking press
reports of ICRC comments about Guantanamo as adding fuel to
the fire.


2. (S) The DCM told McBean that the USG would be in no
position to respond to the detailed questions asked about
particular planes, such as the Gulfstream jet, but stood by
its commitment to abide by Irish law, consult with the Irish
and avoid actions that would bring embarrassment to the Irish
government. McBean confirmed that there is no/no change
pending to Irish policy allowing U.S. use of Shannon, but
reiterated that some ministers feel they are going out on a
limb defending U.S. use of Shannon and that the GOI is
counting on the fact that the word of the USG is good and
that the U.S. has not and will not transfer prisoners through
Shannon or engage in any other activity that would place the
government in legal or political difficulty. He said that
the government consistently says the same thing and that this
must not be shown later "to have holes in it." He also said
it is critical that no "blue water" be found between
statements that Irish and U.S. officials make. He said
activists dissect statements and take any divergence as a
sign that something is amiss. He said the recent assurances
from the USG that prisoners had not been transferred through
Shannon was helpful, as is, in general terms, the UNSCR
resolution asking members to support Iraq.
KENNY