Minister Seamus Brennan, on RTE, justifies the Government attitude to CIA rendition flights (kidnap flights) at Shannon by claiming that some “specially trained� Garda officers have reported to the government that there is no evidence of CIA rendition through Shannon.

These Gardai have not inspected the CIA flights. He could not or would not specify the form of their special training, but he was, with the Government, determined to rely on their assurance.

“Specially trained� has no meaning. It might mean “inadequately trained�. It might mean adequately trained for, say, the control of weeds in fields.