US Peace Veterans Granted Bail in Dublin

KEN and TARAK were in court this morning in Cloverhill, Dublin.  They were given bail (own bond each €2500) and will be released later today from Limerick prison to the house of a named Limerick supporter.  

They must stay away from airports (especially Shannon) and surrender their passports.  They had good ood support in the small, crowded court room and were represented by a solicitor and 2 barristers'

They looked well behind the glass but were not allowed to speak.  How long they will remain in Ireland is an unknown.

Their next appearance in court will be 3 April.

Last night there was a vigil of support for the 2 peace veterans outside Limerick prison where they have been incarcerated since 17 March.

In the court today the US organisation Veterans for Peace were praised by a defending barrister. 

Tarak and Ken are members of Veterans for Peace

UPDATE:  They're out!

Having been in the custody of the State since17 March Ken and Tarak were finally released on bail on Friday morning 29 March. 

Now they are guests of the nation and will be hosted by Irish families until they are free to return to their homes in the US.

Welcome to freedom Tarak and Ken!

US Veterans' Jailing Raises Hackles on Both Sides of Atlantic

The refusal of bail to two US Peace veterans in Ireland has stirred up concern about issues of Irish justice and fairness both in Ireland and in the USA

The refusals on 18 and 20 March in Ennis District court means that the Peace Veterans are still in prison in Limerick, Ireland.

The US Peace organisations Veterans for Peace , Stop These Wars and Codepink have staged protests in Washington, Santa Fe, New York and other places  while the Nuclear Resister has published extensively and supportively on the action of the peace veterans.

 

photo credit ED

In Ireland, supporters have written to the Taoiseach, the Tanaiste and various Ministers demanding that the veterans be released. Amnesty International has been contacted.

Ed Horgan of Shannonwatch hsa called for supporters to lobby TDs and Ministers and to write letters of support to Ken and Tarak at Limerick prison, Mulgarve Steet Limerick. 

A lawyer in Belfast believes that the bail refusal is wrong as it was based solely on the "seriousness" of the alleged crime - which is not a legal basis for refusing bail.

Tarak and Ken will appear in CLOVERHILL High Court in Dublin on Thursday 28 March at 11 a.m. where the decision to deny them bail will be appealed.

Meanwhile Ken and Tarak have received visits in prison from activists John Lannon and Sean Clinton.  And The Nuclear Resister reports (all the way from America) that prison staff in Limerick are friendly and good humoured and that the food is better then in US jails!

Photo Credit ED

Offer to Shannon group to pay for Damaged Fence

 
Photo credit: Ellen Davidson

To: Shannon Group plc,

Chairperson Rose Hynes

CEO Matthew Thomas. 

Deputy CEO Mary Considine


Dear Sisters and Brother

As you know two very brave and honourable gentlemen are in Limerick prison because they conscientiously oppose the US military use of Shannon airport. 


They themselves are US ex-military and know what happens when US armed troops go through our civilian airport to air bases like Djibouti. 


They know that they help to wage war and havoc on our sisters and brothers in Yemen.


The two Peace Veterans had heard that an OMNI Air International plane, tail number N351AX, on contract to the US military, had arrived at Shannon Airport about 8.30 a.m. last Sunday having come from Eielson US air force base in Fairbanks Alaska, and it was on its way to the Middle East with up to 300 armed US troops.


I don't know if what they heard was true.  The plane was certainly at Shannon airport.  The Gardaí are not allowed to inspect  such planes to determine whether or not their presence here breaches Irish neutrality. The Gardaí are not allowed to enquire whether or not the planes are likely to take part in war crimes.

The Veterans including Ken and Tarak at Dublin Press conference on 15/3/2019

Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff, who respect Irish neutrality and hate war crimes more than our government does, tried to inspect the plane themselves.

They object strongly to children being killed in places like Yemen by US forces, aided and abetted by the Irish government.

There was a wire fence in their way at Shannon.  Allegedly, someone caused  damage to the fence and the two Peace Veterans gained access.  They carried a large banner with them. As a result they have been charged with criminal damage and trespass.

Although I do not accept that the alleged damage was criminal, rather the opposite - to save the lives of war victims including children - I am now offering to pay the money for whatever damage may have been done to the fence - on one simple condition: namely that the  US military are no longer allowed to use Shannon airport for the facilitation of war crimes.

Thanking you
With best personal wishes
Justin Morahan

Letter to Irish Ministers re US Peace veterans in Limerick prison

 Photo credit: Ellen Davidson

To: Minister Charles Flanagan
Minister for Justice and Equality
Dáil Éireann
Dublin

Copies : President Higgins, Taoiseach Varadkar,  Minister Ross, Minister Coveney


Dear Minister Flanagan

Further to my telephone call to your office this morning, during which  I lodged a complaint and protest with your secretary, Paula, I wish to confirm in writing that I am protesting the detainment in Limerick prison of two veterans for peace of the US army who are in Ireland with 5 other companions to help put an end to Irish participation in US led wars.

On Sunday last, 17 March, an OMNI Air International plane, number N351AX, which is on contract to the US military, had arrived at Shannon Airport about 8.30 a.m. from Eielson US air force base in Fairbanks Alaska, most likely on its way to the Middle East with armed US troops. At around 10 a.m. the two  Veterans, Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff, entered Shannon air field for the purpose of inspecting and investigating this aircraft which they believed to be carrying the armed US troops through our civilian airport. They were carrying a large banner that asked us to respect Irish Neutrality and keep the U.S. War Machine [their words] out of Shannon Airport. Before they got to the plane they were arrested and brought to Shannon Garda station.

They were questioned and detained there  until about 6 pm when their period of detention was extended for a further six hours  At 9.30 pm, they were allowed to make a phone call and told a fellow American, Ellen Davidson, that they were being held overnight.

On the following day in Ennis District Court they were charged with "trespass and criminal damage" and denied bail at the request of the prosecution. Not realising that it would take about two years for the case to come to trial they offered to surrender their passports but later their solicitor advised the court they were willing to swear affidavits that they would return to Ireland for trial whenever needed.  Nevertheless, the prosecution persisted in opposing bail and Judge  Marie Keane again agreed with the prosecution and remanded them in custody to Limerick Prison.   They are to appear for further court mention proceedings  by video from Limerick  prison on Wednesday 20 March.

In my opinion this is outrageous for many reasons. 

Firstly and paramountly, three branches of Government, Justice, Transport and Foreign Affairs, turn a blind eye to the passage of US troops through Shannon, allowing it in effect to be a US military base.  Time and again all three Departments engage in stonewall-speak in the Dáil when asked legitimate questions about, or when presented with moral arguments against, this abuse of a civilian airport.  The veterans uncover the implicit lies in all of this stonewall-speak.

Secondly, the US Peace veterans are honourable people - whistleblowers against wrongdoing - upholding the best principles of Nuremberg, especially Principles 2,3,4,6 and 7. They know what's happening in US war zones.  They know of the innocents murdered. They are crying out on behalf of the innocents. "If these hold their peace the very stones would cry out".

Thirdly, Limerick prison is an unsafe place for former US soldiers who are in danger of attack there from prisoners who might mistake them for warmongers rather than peace veterans.

The treatment of these brave people since they did their peace action at Shannon.has been despicable and a disgrace to Ireland and its people.
I call on you to release them immediately and order our own investigation into the war planes that are flying through our civilian airport.  A previous Taoiseach (Ahern) cravenly accepted the word of "the great President Bush" as he called him (even in the aftermath of the Iraq war) that there were no terror suspects on the planes going through Shannon.  Now your government refuses to confirm that armed US soldiers are passing through it.  We know better.

Stand for the truth.  Stand for justice.  Stand for peace.

Stand with the veterans not with Mr Trump.

With best personal wishes
Justin Morahan

US veterans denied bail after protest in Shannon, Ireland

 Photo credit: Ellen Davidson

St Patrick's Day 2019

Two US veterans for Peace (above second and third from L) entered Shannon airport around 10 a.m. yesterday morning, St Patrick;s Day, to approach a US plane they believed was carrying up to 300 armed troops to war zones.  They are Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff. The two were arrested and this morning they have been denied bail in Ennis District Court.  They had been questioned in Shannon Garda station throughout yesterday and held there overnight.

According to Ed Horgan of Shannonwatch an OMNI Air International plane, tail number N351AX, had arrived at Shannon Airport about 8.30 a.m. from Eielson US air force base in Fairbanks Alaska, most likely on its way to the Middle East with up to 300 armed US troops.

The Veterans were carrying a large banner (see above) that said:

U.S. VETERANS SAY RESPECT IRISH NEUTRALITY

U.S. WAR MACHINE OUT OF SHANNON AIRPORT

VETERANS FOR PEACE

They walked across the air field but were apprehended by airport security and Gardai before reaching the plane. This morning they were charged in Ennis Court with trespass and criminal damage.

The Peace Veterans' action happened before a scheduled protest at Shannon that was later attended by over two dozen people.

Today there is outrage among peace activists that bail has been denied to their fellow protestors.

With Niall in the swirling wind

There were three other protests, two within the airport and one outside the boundaries, yesterday.  Two peace activists  had unfurled a protest banner inside the terminal around 10 a.m. but were persuaded by Gardaí to desist. I arrived shortly afterwards and showed my own protest sign saying MURDER via SHANNON. As I had done in February 2006 I also recited the lyrics of Ed McCurdy's anti-war song "Last night I had the strangest Dream" as a  prelude to a speech about what was happening at Shannon. Three Gardaí arrived and after dialogue ordered me to put away the sign which eventually I did. Later, at the protest outside (see left) we all tried to hold our flags or banners against a swirling wind and then all of us, 30 or so, approached the waiting Gardaí where Ed Horgan challenged them about their refusal to search planes passing through Shannon. Several others including 3 different US Veterans added their voices to the urgent pleas to the Gardaí to do their duty at Shannon airport.


Before leaving the remaining Veterans for Peace led  the group in singing their own protest song to the air of Galway Bay.  The first verse went as follows:

Do you know who flies across the seas to Ireland?
Th US Army has the right of way
You can sit and watch the aircraft land at Shannon
Transporting troops and weapons every day
 

Lay Litigant Kevin Tracey Wins Significant Case in Supreme Court

Courts Service rapped for backdating of High Court order

Lay litigant Kevin Tracey had a significant win in the Supreme Court when he succeeded in having a contempt of court order quashed after 12 years and  9 months. In the judgement delivered by O'Donnell  J and supported by 3 colleagues including the Chief Justice it was found that he had not received fair procedures in the District Court. In his long struggle for justice there were many obstacles in his way. One of these was the Courts Service within whose walls someone backdated a Court order by nine months. This prevented him from appealing a High Court judgement  within the permitted time limit. The long struggle for justice reminds me of the remark of  a passing countryman to a mason called Mike who with my student brother was taking longer than expected to build a hen shed: “Do you know, Mike, if every hen was as hard housed, a lot of them would shleep out”.
It’s not funny to recall in these days of homelessness, that  many other lay litigants may be left literally sleeping out after the justice system in Ireland prolongs their agony in their efforts to obtain simple justice from that same justice system.