US embassy cable - 04DUBLIN1739

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