Kelly Dougherty US Army National Guard, Co-founder Iraq Veterans Against the War Dublin 14 March 2005 Dear Taoiseach, Photo Series: Pitstop Ploughshares supporters March from the Four Courts to Dáil Éireann after trial collapses. Delivering Kelly's Letter to Bertie... ''You should be proud of where you're from. There's been a lot of damage to the idealism that the US is supposed to be all about: freedom and optimism and democracy. That image is really being ruined by the Bush administration.'' - An Interview with Kelly Dougherty... As an American citizen and a former US army sergeant, I implore you to withdraw the Republic of Ireland’s support for the US war on Iraq by no longer allowing US military planes to land or refuel in Ireland. During my year of service in Iraq I witnessed first-hand the destruction, poverty and violence that the US occupation is causing. The lies used to justify the invasion of Iraq have long been exposed, and yet the occupation continues and the casualties mount. A recent study conducted by The Lancet has estimated that close to 100,000 Iraqi citizens have been killed since the March 20, 2003 invasion of Iraq. More than 1,550 of my fellow American men and women, and dozens of foreign soldiers and civilians, have lost their lives in this illegal, immoral war. Added to these gruesome figures are the tens of thousands of people returning from Iraq physically wounded and emotionally shattered. More than 350,000 US troops have passed through Shannon Airport in recent years, including 158,000 just in 2004. Many of those soldiers were en route to Iraq, where they were being sent to fight, kill and die for a war based on lies. Taoiseach, I ask you to help end the US-led occupation of Iraq by no longer allowing the US military to use Shannon Airport as a stopping point on the way to Iraq. There has been a strong friendship and connection between Ireland and the United States. My own ancestors emigrated to the US from Ireland. As an Irish-American I ask you to demonstrate the Republic of Ireland’s commitment to peace and to its policy of neutrality by ending Irish participation in this illegal war. I also request that Ireland offer safe refuge to US service members seeking asylum as a means to avoid participating in the illegal occupation of Iraq....

Today (Monday) saw Nigerians from all over the country called in by the immigration police. It appears that they will be deported tonight.

UPDATE:Residents Against Racism have called a protest for 12.30pm on Wednesday March 16th at the Garda National Immigration Bureau on Burgh Quay. (Burgh Quay is the street between Tara Street DART station and O'Connell bridge on the south side of the river)

From a report by someone who was in the GNIB offices today: "Among those to be deported is a 19 year old who has been here for 5 years and is to sit his Leaving Cert in June. He has no family alive. His solicitor was with him so we were a bit optimistic but as we were leaving the guy was lifted and taken home to pack his luggage for deportation."

Follow the Feature Continued Link Below for More Detailed Information On The Deportations

On 3rd February 2003, as part of ongoing resistance at Shannon Airport, the Pitstop Ploughshares disarmed a US warplane. Within the month, three of the four companies contracted at the time to ferry US troops and weapons had left Ireland.

The trial began on Monday March 7th and is expected to last for just over a week. Watch this space for daily updates as things progress:

Day Six:The presiding judge discharged the jury for undisclosed reasons this morning and ordered a retrial. Defendants to appear in Four Courts Tuesday 10.30 am for new trial date
-Threre will be no peace walk from the spire. read more here

Day Five:I'm afraid this will be rather a short report as the trial thus far today has involved legal argument in the absense of the jury. Under these circumstances, it not possible to give details of the submissions put forward by the defence. Sub judice, and so on.Read more here

Day Four:
Defendant Ciaron O'Reilly took the stand and began to describe his backround, with special attention as to how it affected his belief that the actions on February 3rd were justified. He was repeatedly interrupted by the judge, who severely restricted his testimony. ...Read More

Day Three:"A legal controversy arose when the defense asked that a number of photographs of war-injured children and two documentaries about destruction in Iraq be admitted into evidence."

Day Two: The defense attorneys stated that the case revolved around "the reckless damage being wrought on a defenseless population," the prosecution made no effort to restrict this line of defense".

Day One: "That could really read 'Day Zero', because nothing much happened down there at the Four Courts..." Read the report and details of solidarity actions down under here and here.

Every (court) day:

• Supporters Gather at The Spire,O'Connell St. from 9am
• Peace Walk to Court, 10am
• Vigil to Remember The War Dead, Four Courts, 10.30am onwards

Flashback: Original Report of the CW5 Action

(Ireland, 12th March 2005) Forty people in Dublin, sixty in Belfast, fifteen in Galway and twenty in Derry gathered to express their solidarity with 42 Basque Youth activists of the Basque pro-independence left youth organizations Jarrai, Haika and Segi and who have been brought to courts in Madrid for a show trial and who are facing a total of 654 years in prison for their political work defending Basque youth rights and Basque Country's right to self-determination.

The judge and the state prosecution allege that "these organizations are all ETA".

Trials against the political party Batasuna, two anti-repression organizations, two newspapers, one magazine, a publishing house, etc. are to follow. All these organizations and media have been banned in the last 7 years.

Judge Garzon became famous worldwide for his attempt to extradite Chile's former dictator Augusto Pinochet from London to Spain a few years ago, but he looks elsewhere when Basque detainees are brought in front of him covered in bruises or with signs of deep psychological shock after the customary five day incommunicado period of interrogation (4 Basque detainees have died in police custody since Spanish "democracy" began).

Answers to our SpotTheCrime competition should be sent to:: email: [email protected] Phone: 01-6194020 / 4021 / 4043 Fax: 01-6764048 Valid entries should contain only one X marking the criminal action. Employees and relatives of employees of An Dáil are precluded from entry. Expletives will render the entry null and void. Participants may enter any number of times.

From the newswire (Tim Hourigan):

Just got a phone call from Ed Horgan. He was gathering more evidence of the crimes at Shannon when he was set upon by the Airport Police. Ed was told that Airport "Police Inspector" John Martin, Garda Morrissey and Garda Coleman were taking him into custody for taking a photograph of a US militatry Hercules. UPDATE: It also appears that Ed saw a plane very similar to the CIA torture jet that has been using Ireland as an essential part of its war crime infrastructure.

The arresting officers cited Section 33 of the Air Transport and Navigation Act, which only restricts photographs in certain areas (such as the airfield) not on the public roads.

Under Section 59 of the same act it says "lest there be any doubt, the road, is, for the purpose of any enactment, a public place."

UPDATE Wed 9th March: Ed Horgan visits Shannon again. Photos of warplanes.