Dermot Ahern and Wikileaks

Dermot Ahern and the rendetition flights landing in Ireland. A brave patriot of Ireland and our Miinister of Justice, Equality and Law reform.

¶2. (C) Ambassador Foley thanked Ahern for his staunch
rejection of the Irish Human Rights Commission's (IHRC)
demand that the Irish Government inspect aircraft landing in
Ireland that are alleged to have been involved in so-called
extraordinary rendition flights (Ref B). Ahern declared that
the IHRC report contained no new information, but warned that
opposition parties Fine Gael and Labour could be expected to
continue to raise the issue from time to time in efforts to
politically embarrass the Fianna Fail-run Government. Ahern
said that several alleged rendition flights had been
inspected during the past year and fully cleared; the last
flight, he wryly noted, was carrying six touring golfers.
Ahern said that a public response by the Embassy would not be
useful, but suggested that the Ambassador personally engage
Fine Gael leadership to explain the U.S. position.

¶3. (C) Ahern noted that he had "put his neck on the chopping
block" and would pay a severe political price if it ever
turned out that rendition flights had entered Ireland or if
one was discovered in the future. He stated that he "could
use a little more information" about the flights, musing that
it might not be a bad idea to allow the random inspection of
a few planes to proceed, which would provide cover if a
rendition flight ever surfaced. He seemed quite convinced
that at least three flights involving renditions had refueled
at Shannon Airport before or after conducting renditions
elsewhere.