Fewer than 250,000 US troops passed through Shannon in 2011

FEWER than a quarter of a million US troops transited through Shannon last year, Minister Leo Varadkar told the Dáil last week.

He also said that 1,382 permits were issued to civilian aircraft to overfly or land in Ireland while carrying munitions, with the vast majority of them landing in Shannon.
In response to a question from Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn about the number of troops passing through Shannon, Mr Varadkar said, “My Department does not collate information with regard to the number of military troops on board civilian aircraft. However, on the basis of information collected by the Dublin Airport Authority, I understand the number of troops that have passed through Shannon Airport in 2011 was under 250,000.”
With regard to munitions being carried through Ireland, the Transport Minister said, “The number of applications from civilian aircraft to overfly or land in Ireland in 2011 while carrying munitions was 1,393. The number of permits issued was 1,382. Approximately 86% of these flights landed at Shannon Airport.”
Mr Varadkar said that it was impossible to anticipate the use of Shannon by the US military this year.
Peace group ShannonWatch say that the figures show that Ireland now longer practices neutrality. “Like Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan, Ireland and Shannon have now become staging posts for US invasions and occupation. The figures make a mockery of the notion of Irish neutrality and show that successive governments have relinquished all interest in maintaining an independent Irish foreign policy.”
The spokesperson also said that military traffic doesn’t offer secure business to Shannon.
“Minister Varadkar has said it is not possible to anticipate how many munitions requests will be made over the next year, or even to say what the expected use of Shannon Airport by the US military will be. This shows how insecure the war business is for the airport and the region. And it leaves Irish people in the dark over their involvement in current and future acts of war.”