Perhaps I was too quick to give credit to the Garda Siochana for its attitude to US (illegal) rendition flights at Shannon.

On 24th November 2007, the new Garda Commissioner urged the public to aid the Gardai in fighting crime.

Five days later, activists at Shannon notified the Gardai of the arrival there of what is allegedly one of the CIA’s busiest rendition Gulfstream private aircraft.

The response of the Garda Siochana was to order the activists to leave the airport and then to arrest them. The activists were waiting at the airport to point out the suspect aircraft. The Gardai refused to search the aircraft.

A junior Government Minister “explained� the Garda response by stating:

a) The aircarft was only landing briefly;

b) It was owned by a private Las Vegas company

That, in the real world, would suggest inculpatory evidence of a CIA rendition flight, not, as he seems to suggest, exculpatory evidence.