Shannon Monitors come face to face with US troops in Shannon

Thursday October 31, 2002 22:06

by Tim Hourigan - Green Party, Gluaiseacht, L4C, RefuellingPeace

Special forces and Special Agents... but we get the boot.

In a bizarre encounter at Shannon airport, two of the war monitors at Shannon today came face to face with a group of US military personnel in the arrivals hall at Shannon airport. The monitors were in the public area, watching the three Hercules C-130s at the airport, and did not expect to see uniformed military personnel in the public part of the terminal. One monitor asked a simple question and both were ordered out of the terminal, at the behest of an anonymous special agent. Two inspectors, two Garda and several security personnel made sure we left the premises. They were very determined to get us out, and the whole thing raises a lot of questions. Today is Halloween so maybe they were just trick or treating? Strange and scary stuff…

At 14:30 today, I went out to the airport to meet up with Conor, who had been there a while. I wanted to check out these Hercules that had been spotted by the night shift.
As I arrived I could see three C-130s at the airport. Two were parked on the centre strip, one behind the other and the third was on the edge of the terminal apron towards the cargo area.
Even from the bus I could see they were different. The single Hercules had a US flag on the tail and yellow stripes on its propellers, while the other two had red stripes and no obvious marking. The two ‘unmarked’ Hercs were also a darker shade of grey than the US C-130.
I went to the viewing gallery to get a better look and I met Conor up there.
He said he had seen cargo being transported from one of the ‘unmarked Hercules’ to the other which was parked in front of it.
I had a look through the binoculars and I could see that the number two engine on the rear Hercules was being fixed. There was a crane hauling parts and three military personnel on ladders working on it. On the ground nearby was a set of propellers and other forward engine parts. It looked like they had just replaced a forward section of the engine.
With the binoculars I could make out the markings of the two Hercules.
The paint has either faded (remarkably evenly) or been sanded away.
The faint outline of the word “Canada” was on both aircraft as was a faint outline of the Canadian flag, complete with maple leaf.
I could also make out the aircraft numbers, 328 on the nose of the first and 343 on the second one. One the tail I could see the full numbers, 130328 and 130343.
The area where the squadron patch usually appears was completely cleaned.
While “Herc 343” was being worked on, I spotted a bunch of big black suitcases near the front left door.
We noted the details, and left the viewing gallery.
We then went into the main hall (arrivals) to get a look at the USAF Herc.
Conor asked the airport ‘police’ / security woman at the arrivals door if she saw the Hercules. She refused to say anything or even look at us. So we went over towards the airport pub to look at the planes.
From the window by the Burren Bar, we could see the aircraft quite well.
Several men in sandy coloured uniforms and brown leather flight jackets were walking around it.
The aircraft was facing the cargo area so we could see the right side.
There was the US flag on the tail, with the letters AMC and the number 40496.
On the main fuselage was the USAF logo. I’m guessing that AMC stands for Air Mobility Command, but I’ll check that up.
While we were watching this and having a friendly banter with some tourists, about 7 men in desert cammo uniforms marched past us accompanied by FBO personnel (FBO is a handling company at Shannon. www.fbo.ie)
We followed the men, and I noted a few of the patches on their shoulder. I don’t think any of them were from the same unit. I didn’t spot any identical patches. One patch was marked “Special Expeditionary Force”. We walked up beside them, andConor politely asked one of them were they were from.
“the States” one of them replied. But that was as much conversation as passed between us. When they got to the arrivals door (usually a one way, NO ENTRY from the hall) the airport ‘police’ woman told them “don’t answer their questions” and turned a key to shut the door behind them. (We weren’t going in, WE would have been arrested for doing that)
We asked her who they were and if they had visas to be in the country. They were, after all inside the public area, not in the controlled arrivals or departures lounges.
She refused to answer. We asked her if she thought she was aiding and abetting a crime by letting these men through the door, if she didn’t see visas, or I.D. and given that they are not allowed in the country under article 28.3.1? I told her that I thought this was a serious issue. She remained silent.
Another airport ‘police’ dude came up and stood next to her, but he was suddenly whisked away by a guy in a blue fleece.
The dude took him to one side and was overheard saying “we have to do something about these two”. So Conor, and his Dictaphone, wondered over to them.
The dude in the fleece, (about 5’9” brown hair, balding in the middle and top,) turned and told Conor, that he took the harassment of his passengers “personally” and would make it “personal”. They both then came back towards me as Inspector Joe Grady arrived on the scene. Joe said nothing, allowing the guy in the fleece to do all the talking.
He told us that he had received complaints that we were “harassing passengers”. I denied harassing anyone, and said that Conor had asked a simple question, got a reply, but no complaint from the soldiers.
The man then told Conor to stop recording or he’d take the Dictaphone.
We told him “You have no right to do that”
“Yes, I do” he replied.
“No you don’t” I insisted “you may ask us to leave, but you cant’ take our recorder”
“Well then I’ll ask you to leave.” He said.
At this point, I should point out, that Inspector Grady had his hand over his badge (even though we know him from previous encounters) and that the guy in the fleece had no ID displayed.
He was wearing a small ‘shield’ shaped, blue and red badge with said “Special Agent” and had either “D o D” or “D o E” on it in gold lettering
I started reading the badge and he immediately removed it and put in his pocket.
He wouldn’t give his name or say what “agency” he worked for.
He repeated his order to leave the terminal.
I told him that I would not comply with his orders unless he proved that he had authority to give them. I again asked him for a warrant card, or other ID. Conor asked for his name and authority.
He said that he was not going to tell us.
When pressed he said that his authority was from the Irish Government "the same one that gives you permission to speak".
"I don't get permission from the government.
I have a RIGHT to speak, and you have no right to order us out unless you say what authority you have" I replied, unimpressed with his lack of civil rights knowledge.

“Well, HE can ask us to leave” I said pointing at “Inspector” Grady who was still covering his Aer Rianta ID. “Joe has a warrant card” but you can’t ask us to leave unless you produce one.
He then apologised for asking us to leave. “Inspector” Grady looked surprised that I knew his first name, even though he has chucked us out before.
The special agent said “your internet is wrong anyway, I’ve worked here for six years and there has NEVER been a B-52 at Shannon.”
After informing him that I don’t own a website, I said
“There were B-52s here in 1991. lots of them.”
I think he was confused with the posting about the B-2 stealth bomber. Doesn’t know his planes I guess.
Inspector Grady then asked us to leave and we left the terminal while politely protesting at being ordered out of a civilian airport, while foreign military are escorted through.
Many members of the public saw this and seemed quite annoyed at the spectacle of uniformed troops coming through, and two people being ejected from the airport for asking questions.

As Conor unlocked his bike we saw Airport ‘Police Inspector’ John Martin arriving for duty. Conor greeted him, and ‘Inspector’ Martin asked how he was.
“Pi$$ed off about these soldiers being in the airport actually” said Conor.
As we went to leave, the airport security guy comes out to the door to guard it.
We asked him who the special agent was. He said he had “never seen the guy before”
“He’s a special agent , who claims to have worked here for six years, he ordered you around in there, took you to one side and you say you don’t know who he is?”
“Nope”
“What agency does he work for and how come he wanted to throw us out while he let unfiromed military personnel through the airport? What is going on here? Why are there secret special agents at Shannon? Why is the military parading through the hall? Do they have visas? Why are Irish citizens ejected for asking this?”
He simply shrugged and turned away, while many people looked on, confused.

We left the terminal, walking slowly, followed by Airport ‘squad’ car AP 10.
We saw the USAF Hercules take off heading 060 and continue heading east.
When we got near the cargo area we were stopped by the Gardai who asked our names (even though they know us well. Garda Keating and Flaherty have spoken to us on several occasions at court, at demos and while planespotting)
We heard the radio say, “stall them, don’t let them get on the news”.
They kept talking to us, asking inane questions, asked us about ‘harassing passengers’
And how Eoin Dubsky was doing etc. They also recommended “six months in the middle east with them lads, that will make men of ye”
I replied that dropping bombs from 10,000 feet wouldn’t ‘make me a man’ neither does wiping out whole villages to kill one suspect.
This probably doesn’t reflect his real beliefs ( I hope) more likely it was his way of stalling us and provoking us to talk on. We were in no rush however.
Garda Keating remarked that he was surprised not to see his picture on Indymedia, while his superiors are featured well.
Perhaps the next time I see him smoking on duty and throwing the butt out the window of the Garda car, I will put a picture of that on the web.
The airport ‘police’ car (AP 10) pulled up in front of the Garda squad car and Garda Flaherty asked us our names, addresses, and dates of birth. We gave him the info.
Politely as ever, I reminded him, that he knows, my details, and that they even have my fingerprints on file at the station. I suggested he was simply ‘looking busy’ for the airport security who had called them.
As we went to part, they asked if we could have the next demo on a Sunday as they get better overtime, we said we’d do what we could. Garda Keating then asked us where we were going, I said I would be at the station later to make a complaint about the illegal landing at the airport and ask for the return of my tent and sleeping bag.
He asked if I was going straight there. I said, “no, I don’t want a lift in the back anyway, people would get the wrong idea. I’ll get some food first”

So we continued on out, and I phoned a colleague who had a camera. He happened to be close by and arrived shortly. We told him what had happened and he drove us to the airport so he could get pictures. Conor and I decided to wait for him by the bus shelter, not wishing to re-enter the terminal.
Lo and behold, Inspector Martin appears with one of the airport ‘police’ (no photo ID on his uniform) and ordered us to leave the airport.
As usual, ‘Inspector’ Martin flashed his warrant card (at least he doesn’t hide it)
And gruffly told us to leave.
We slowly strolled along as he followed. He refused to answer any questions about the ‘special agent’ and was rather rude to us, even though we were simply walking on a footpath. I again asked who the special agent was but he said “I’m finished discussing with you”.
At one stage he bumped me onto the road and stood on my toe, possibly to encourage me to move faster. I complained about being bumped onto the road, as a safety issue.
The toe didn’t bother me in my boots.
He said that if we came back, he would arrest us. I asked him if he had that power.
A Garda Sergeant had told me “the airport police can only detain people and call the Gardai. The Gardai then decide whether or not to arrest.”
‘Inspector’ Martin refused to listen to this and spoke over me, telling me to look up
various acts in the government publications office.
I asked him to clarify his powers of arrest, given what the Garda had told me.
He again interrupted me, and demanded that I listen to him.
“Are you gonna listen or are you gonna talk?” he asked.
I replied that if I listened it would be my usual manners, but if I talked over him, I would be adopting his manners.”
So he talks on saying I can arrest you.
I asked if he was prepared to arrest us for simply standing around, bothering no-one, and if he was not obliged to hand us to the Garda if he detained us.
“I’ll arrest you” he replied.
“Even for this?” I asked “I don’t think you want to.”
“Try me, anytime” he said.
At that point he left, telling his silent subordinate to escort us the whole way to the exit (about a 15 minute walk)
We got about halfway down the road, while talking to this guy. Asking if he was aware of the constitution etc, and telling him that ‘just following orders and doing your job’ is no defence, it didn’t help any of the Nazis.
He refused to speak, although he looked a bit stressed and bored with this assignment.
When we got to the SRS hangar, Inspector Martin appeared again in the squad car, followed by a van, which collected his tight-lipped colleague.
He jumped out, and called me over to show me a copy of an act by which he claimed to have his arrest powers. He showed me section 33 of an act from 1988 and told me to get a copy from the Government Publications Office and study section 33.
He then jumped into his car. Before he pulled off I tapped the window and opened the passenger door.
In a dignified voice I asked “While I’m getting that, would you like me to obtain a copy of the Constitution for you so you can study article 28, and see which one is the more serious law?”
He didn’t seem to like that. He told me he had a copy, and told me to “shut the door of a state vehicle”
We walked as far as the exit, and the car passed us out.
We then crossed the road to check out some by-laws on the wall that ‘Inspector’ Martin had quoted.
After that he returned with another man in a blue car, who we think was a Shannon Garda detective.
They looked towards us but said nothing. We went to the roundabout to wait for our friend to return to take us home.
Sure enough a Garda squad car came by and told us to move on, because we were loitering in a public place. Garda Keating quoted the name and section of the Public Order Act (probably the most used act by the Gardai)
I said we were waiting for a lift and had not been there long enough to loiter.
I seem to remember the act stipulating that a person has to be in a spot for three minutes before it constitutes loitering.
They also said that we had been loitering in the bushes by the wooden building next to the archway.
“If Martin had bothered to ask, I would have told him we were checking the notice with the bye-laws. If I was doing anything in bushes, it wouldn’t be with a scruffy bloke like Conor. How’s about we go lurk at the bus stop just down here?”
“What about the closer one” they asked.
“That’s inside the archway, they don’t want us there.” I replied.
So we agreed after much negotiation, that it would be OKAY if Conor and I stood at a bus stop to wait for a lift.
That’s a lot of hassle for two guys who just wanted a couple of answers.

But instead of a couple of answers we are left with more questions.

Did the US military have the necessary visa to be in the public part of the terminal?
Why were these departing soldiers allowed through the arrivals door rather than departures?
Who is the mysterious special agent who hid away his badge?
What agency does he work for?
Why were the aircraft identification numbers not clearly visible on the Canadian / Ex-Canadian Hercules? Is this not a breach of air safety regulations?
Just how many times can Inspector Martin call the Garda on us for no good reason, before they charge him with wasting police time?