Irish Archbishop says Shannon flights immoral

John Neill, The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, has said the Irish government compromised morals, in allowing US military to use Shannon airport while on transit flights to Iraq.
Archbishop Neill says "I feel very strongly that economic links to America have made us very blind to the moral issues ... I think as a nation there has not been sufficient questioning of these (alleged CIA) rendition flights and the link of Ireland with the war in Iraq."
The Irish government has defended cooperation with the US on the grounds that troops travelling to Iraq and Afghanistan are operating under UN mandate.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had already ruled out changing the Government's position on the use of Shannon Airport by US troops - an important issue for the Greens, and for a number of Independents during coalition negotiations.
The Fianna Fáil-led government in Dublin has recently shown their own unease about Shannon, summoning the US ambassador when airport cleaners found a manacled US soldier held prisoner -on disciplinary charges - aboard a hired troop transporter. US authorities had failed to notify the Irish government of his presence.
Back in 2003 the extra weekly cost of Irish soldiers guarding Shannon was €40,000 in allowances.
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Irish Archbishop says Shannon flights immoral