Aircraft attacked at Shannon

[Navy_Adversary]

There have been reports on the Mil Spotters site of a US Navy C-40(737) being attacked by a woman with an axe at Shannon a few days ago.
I thought this may have been reported by now, (sorry if it has).
The aircraft was quite badly damaged and I believe it is still in a hangar at Shannon.
It seems rather incredulous that one cannot take a nail file on an aircraft yet this woman goes on to the ramp with an axe!
No doubt using a search engine will provide more info.

[Airbubba]

She wasn't a terrorist, lunatic, vandal or saboteur, she was a "peace protester" so I'm sure she will get a free ride in the media:


THURSDAY 30/01/2003 09:37:27
Woman charged over plane damage

A 50-year-old peace protester has been charged with causing £330,000 or €500,000 damage to a US navy plane at Shannon Airport.

Mary Kelly was charged at Killaloe District Court with causing criminal damage without lawful excuse.

Kelly, who gave her address as Shannon peace camp, was arrested at 5 am after she breached the airport`s perimeter fence.

The court was told she was arrested with a hatchet in her hand.

Irish police said there was damage to the plane`s nose, the nose wheel, hydraulics and electrics.

She was remanded in custody to appear at Tulla District Court on February 5.

Kelly is one of a number of people who have been living in a peace camp near the airport in recent weeks.

They have been demonstrating at the use of the airport for refuelling by US military aircraft, arguing that this breaches the Republic`s tradition of military neutrality.

Green Party leader Trevor Sargent gave his support to Kelly, saying it was sometimes justifiable to damage property in certain circumstances.

"Day to day security at Shannon airport is deeply flawed," he said. "There is really no excuse for this given the revenue (airports-operating company) Aer Rianta is gleaning from the US military authorities in landing fees."

The incident came as the Irish parliament discussed the possibly war in Iraq and the use of Shannon.

As Prime Minister`s questions began members of the Green Party brandished placards spelling out No to War and walked out of the chamber in protest.

Mr Ahern told the Dail that the Irish government may review the situation at Shannon if war goes ahead without a UN mandate.


http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?pt=n&id=28298

[MarkD]

Guess who's paying the bill? The Irish f****** taxpayer is who!

Grrrrrrr!!!!

Wait until one of these idiots goes for a DL or CO plane and let's see how appropriate it is then... Trevor f****** Sargent, who leads a party whose members shackle themselves to trees, but only until the cameras stop clicking!

[MarkD]

From unison.ie breaking news

10:22 Monday February 3rd 2003

Five people have been arrested in Shannon airport this morning after another alleged attack on a US plane. The affected aircraft was the same plane that was damaged in an incident at the airport last week. The last attack on a US plane at Shannon resulted in half a million worth of damage been done. At around 4 this morning, three women and two men ran into the hanger and overpowered guards watching the plane. The group armed with lumphammers were arrested after the allegedly causing further damage to the plane. The five, all with Dublin addresses, are being questioned in connection with the incident. The five are being detained at Shannon Garda station.

[newswatcher]

I seem to remember that three "peace protestors" who were tried for causing £80K damage to the nuclear submarine depot near the Clyde, had their case thrown out by the Sherrif's Court, on the basis that nuclear missiles were illegal, and therefore their protest entirely reasonable. Trying to find the story now, think it was about 3-4 years ago.

Here's something:

Three protestors accused of damaging the Faslane Trident Submarine Base in Scotland during a demonstration this past summer have had their case thrown out of court. The judge cited international law to declare the UK nuclear arsenal illegal. Presently the British nuclear deterrent consists of the Trident nuclear submarines, missiles and warheads located in Scotland. On July 1, 1999 Scotland opened its first Parliament in 300 years in a deliberate movement toward a decentralized United Kingdom, with power shifting away from the central government in London on matters of taxes, health and local governance. In her decision, the presiding judge in the protestors' trial, Greenock Sheriff Margaret Gimblett stated "...I have to conclude that the three accused in company with many others were justified in thinking that Great Britain in their use of Trident, not simply possession, the use and deployment of Trident ... coupled with a first strike policy ... is an infringement of international and customary law." The surprising decision freed the three protestors while more protesters face trial in other courts. Sheriff Gimblett later stated that "I am rather worried about my job after this. I certainly won't be expecting a mention in the Queens Honours list."
Scottish Express, Oct. 22, 1999

[Navy_Adversary]

If these people are the same kind as the human shields, the US Navy should strap them to a Phoenix missile and let them protest about heading into oblivion:mad:

[Archimedes]

I seem to recall that the government appealed about that judgement. Although the case against the protesters wasn't pursued any further, the appeal verdict came down that the magistrate was talking utter rubbish.

Since C-40s are not exactly lethal weapons, I doubt that the 'preventing nasty aeroplane from killing innocent, human-rights respecting Iraqis' will be a little more difficult to use as a defence.

Other questions - did they gain access to the aircraft's interior? If they did, I wonder whether a case could be made that they committed a crime on US territory? And if so, whether they could be sent on a short jaunt to sunny Cuba to await trial? Optimistic, I know, but if only, if only...

[rivetjoint]

Some in some places suggested that the C-40 was carrying weapons as cargo. Obviously having much more suitable aircraft in the inventory for such tasks was overlooked.

[newswatcher]

Archimedes,

Your memory served you better than mine! From The Guardian(31/3/2001):

A high court ruled that Britain's nuclear deterrent is not illegal following the acquittal of three women peace campaigners, in October 1999, of damaging a laboratory at Coulport, part of the Trident nuclear submarine installation at Faslane naval base on the Clyde.

Greenock sheriff Margaret Gimblett accepted the women's argument that nuclear weapons were illegal under international law and that they had a right to commit crimes to prevent their use or deployment. But at the court of session in Edinburgh yesterday, Lords Prosser, Kirkwood and Penrose ruled against her judgment. The acquittal of the three protesters still stands, however.

Angie Zelter, one of the women arrested and later freed after the Coulport incident, said she was disappointed. She was part of a group of peace campaigners who held an all-night vigil out side the court. "Even if the result had been yes, we would still have had to continue with our campaign."

The crown had challenged Sheriff Gimblett's ruling and a reference hearing was held at the high court in Edinburgh last October.

Yesterday Lord Prosser said: "The reference contains four questions for the court. The first raises a question of competency in law and we find in the negative.

"Each of the other three questions raises an issue of substantive law. All of these issues concern different aspects of possible defences to criminal charges on the basis that the act charged might be justified either as a matter of customary international law or as a matter of Scots law necessity.

"We answered each of these three questions in the negative."

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the legality of Trident was never "in the dock".
.

[MarkD]

this discussion is also going on at the Irish BB

http://www.irishaviation.net/forums/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001262.html

[sprucemoose]

MarkD - I shouldn't worry if the Irish taxpayer is footing the bill on this one; the EU is paying for everything else over there!

Fair point raised by Airbubba though - she'd go to prison for years if she did that level of damage to a commercial aircraft, and should - but won't - in this case.

Well done, madam, your act will doubtless will bring down the anti-Iraqi coalition and bring forth world peace...

[MarkD]

spruce

EU money only goes to farmers and the odd road.

An army company will be deployed tomorrow. Media shock that they will be armed. Questions about whether the "peace"niks will be shot if they attack the a/c again. Well obviously the servicemen should not shoot just for that, but if they happen to be standing beside said a/c when a smelly workshy pinko comes at them with an axe - don't take the chance they don't mean you boys!

[Navy_Adversary]

Maybe the best option for everyone is to route these mil flights via NAF Keflavik into RAF Lakenheath/Mildenhall or Navy Mildenhall.

[bakseetblatherer]

Still it is a little amusing that a 50 year old mad woman has managed to do as much damage as the entire Iraqi IADS in the last 10 years!

[rivetjoint]

I agree with Navy_Adversary, why don't they just for another 30 minutes either to Moron or Mildenhall? Full AMC reception party then AND a nice tall fence with lots of barbed wire.

[MarkD]

Bet Mildenhall etc. doesn't have a nice duty free though :D

most of these are civ flights [World Airways, ATA etc.]

The C-40 doesn't even seem to have been going to the Gulf, but to Naples.

[rivetjoint]

LN has a very good BX, spot the number of European fighters around Christmas time just popping by...!

[steamchicken]

The thing about "weapons on board" was that the troops in the aircraft carry their personal weapons in the overhead lockers. Naturally, the protestors are convinced that the 737 was stuffed with nukes and the pax are served tasty flamegrilled babies as snacks!

[EI_Sparks]

Not quite steamchicken. While some Irish people are quite happy to see Saddam bombed past the stone age, some of us are rather miffed that US planes are landing here, since we're meant to be neutral. And various other reasons too, which are covered in the IABB thread whose URL is posted up above (and which only descended into name-calling once or twice :p).

Of course, those that feel that the protesting was immature and childish can now relax: this morning the Irish government deployed 120 armed Irish troops in Shannon to protect US military assets from Irish citizens who were engaged in peaceful protest (as is their right under Article 40 section 6 of the Irish constitution). The non-peaceful protestors are currently being dealt with by the courts and thus are not a threat And despite early reports to the contrary by the minister for transport, no-one was hurt, traumatised or hospitalised in any of the three incidents which means the worst charge is effectively vandalism.

You'll have to excuse my rather annoyed tone here - I always thought that a democracy's armed forces were used by the government to protect the people from foreign military assets. It's rather galling to discover your own government has other ideas :mad:

[rivetjoint]

Didn't some General many years ago say military power is just another form of political power?

[SPIT]

According to the unofficial Irish Air Corps website the Irish Army are going to deal with the Shannon protestors. If it is true it is about bloody time if not it will be typical Irish Defence /Politicians
at work.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[TRF4EVR]

Good call. I think we should reroute our traffic elsewhere, but fast. And leave the Irish to brandish their madwomen and clubs at each other while standing knee deep in peat, trying to cash the last check from the US government/tourism industry. Seems they've a talent for knocking each other around, let em stick to what they're good at.

Remind me to take a hammer to the next Irish Air Force plane I see over here. Wait. What Irish Air Force? :P

--------------------------
TRF4EVR
Irish-American and glad his forefathers had the good sense to take the slow boat to evil warmongering America.

[MarkD]

Some info on one of the five arrested:

http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sggELtOuvh1V6.asp [just a chunk]

Ciaran O’Reilly, 42, an Irish-Australian, is something of a hero to peace activists having already shown he is willing to spend time in jail for his beliefs.

On New Year’s Day, 1991, Mr O’Reilly and three others entered Griffith’s Air Force Base in New York and began hammering on a military refuelling plane for B52 bombers. He then proceeded to the engine of a nearby B52 bomber armed with cruise missiles and caused enough damage to the engines to disable it.

Before being arrested the small group began breaking up the runway.

[this in pinko speak was referred to as "disarming" the B-52, were they disarming the runway too??