CIA Torture Jet sold in attempted cover up

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Thursday December 09, 2004 22:57 by Tim 087-9777703

Phantom jets! Phoney companies! Phoney investigation?

The Guantanamo Bay Express and another jet used by military, have been sold off by the phantom company that 'owned' them.
In the murky world of fake companies and dodgy jets, the activists are hot on the heels of the spooks.
The Gardai meanwhile, seem to be standing still.

FIRST we exposed them, and they hope that changing the registration of the aircraft will cover their tracks.

Then more activists found out the new registration, and it got published on websites worldwide within 24 hours.

So, now the phantom company that 'owned' the Guantanamo Bay Express and the equally mysterious 737 has 'sold' them on to two more dodgy companies, in an obvious attempt to blur the chain of evidence.

Regular readers of Indymedia will already be aware that a Gulfstream jet, registered as N379P was spotted by Shannon Peace Campers at Shannon airport and included in a log published here in 2003.

Together with a Swedish journalist, I helped to identify the plane's registered owners, what military clearance it had, and we uncovered its involvement in snatching people and taking them to places of torture.

The Irish Government has said little and done less in relation to this activity.
Minister McDowell promised an "immediate response" if he became aware that this type of thing was going on.

Since then he hasn't uttered a word about this in public.

Defence minister, Willie O'Dea attempted to play it down, and the minister for transport said that the aircraft had landed at Shannon about 14 times, but not been in Ireland in 2004.

Oh, yes it has! It changed registration from N379P to N8068V and has landed in Shannon at least three times this year.
We also found out that PETS Inc's other plane N313P has been in Shannon this year.

Senators David Norris, Mary Henry and Mary O'Rourke have all raised this in the Seanad.
TD's such as John Gormley, Joe Higgins, Michael D Higgins,Trevor Sargent, Finian McGrath, and Pat Rabbite have all raised this in the Dail, and still the Taoiseach said that he knew nothing about it.

The Gardai have had detailed complaints, phone calls and letters to keep them advised of developments.

RTE have barely touched on the topic, the government acts like it hasn't a notion about this plane.

Likewise, the Gardai at Shannon seem to be playing deaf dumb and blind on this one.

Four members of the MAMA group (Midwest Alliance against Military Aggression) lodged complaints about this jet and its activities at Shannon Garda Station.
The complaints were made under the Criminal Justice (United Nations Convention Against Torture) Act 2000.
So far there is no sign that the Gardai are doing anything more than going through the motions on this one.

The Gardai - who have said in open court, that they never inspect US military flights at Shannon - airport seem to be sticking to that pattern, even when presented with plenty of evidence that the aircraft is used by torturers.

Now the aircraft have been 'sold' by Premier Executive Transport Services Inc to mysterious Limited Liabilities companies :- Bayard Foreign Marketing, and Keeler and Tate Management.

As far as I have been able to ascertain, these three companies only exist on paper, not one of them seems to have a website or been mentioned on any website other than in connection with the torture jets.

The address on the plane's FAA registry for Premier Executive Transport Services Inc, is not their office, but the address of a lawyers office. The two dudes listed as directors don't seem to exist, one has a P.O. box near the Pentagon, and that's as solid as he gets.

This is supposed to be a company that leases planes, yet it has NO WEBSITE.
I used to work for a company that leases planes, and believe me, they all advertise.


Neither of the two purchasers turned up on a search of the US phone directory.

Keeler and Tate don't show up anywhere. They can afford a plane but not a website?

Bayard's listed address is really the address of attorney's office. they don't have a website. They don't show up on any website... any GENUINE company big enough to afford a jet will show up on a website, be it a mention on a business news website.
If they don't show up ANYWHERE, the reason is that they don't actually do any business.

So keep an eye out on the web AND at the airport for N8068V or, as it may soon be known, N4476S.