Treaty gives CIA powers over Irish Citizens

Post by **HORATIO** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 6:42 am

Treaty gives CIA powers over Irish citizens

By Dan Buckley

US INVESTIGATORS, including CIA agents, will be allowed interrogate Irish citizens on Irish soil in total secrecy, under an agreement signed between Ireland and the US last week.

Suspects will also have to give testimony and allow property to be searched and seized even if what the suspect is accused of is not a crime in Ireland.

Under 'instruments of agreement' signed last week by Justice Minister Michael McDowell, Ireland and the US pledged mutual co-operation in the investigation of criminal activity. It is primarily designed to assist America's so-called 'war on terror' in the wake of the September 11 atrocities.

The deal was condemned yesterday by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) as "an appalling signal of how the rights of Irish citizens are considered by the minister when engaging in international relations". The ICCL said it appeared to go far beyond even what has been agreed between EU countries.

On signing the agreement, the minister said that "the international community must do everything it can to combat terrorism with every means at its disposal.

"Ireland will not be found wanting," he added.

The treaty will give effect to agreements on Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition signed by the EU and the US in June 2003. These are aimed at building on mutual assistance and extradition arrangements.

Although the Department of Justice insists that the arrangement merely updates existing agreements, it goes much further. The US may ask Irish authorities:

To track down people in Ireland.

Transfer prisoners in Irish custody to the US.

Carry out searches and seize evidence on behalf of the US Government.

It also allows US authorities access to an Irish suspect's confidential bank information. The Irish authorities must keep all these activities secret if asked to do so by the US.

The person who will request co-operation is US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the man who, as White House counsel, instigated the notorious 'torture memo' to US President George W Bush which advised how far CIA agents could go in torturing prisoners. The person to whom the request is sent is the Minister for Justice.

About 20,000 immigrants, who have not been charged with any crime, are currently in prison in the US. In two recent US Supreme Court cases, the US Government argued that US citizens could be imprisoned indefinitely without charge if the president designated them as "enemy combatants".

ICCL director Aisling Reidy said: "An extraordinary aspect to this treaty is, despite its scope and its potential to violate basic constitutional and human rights, that all this happened without debate or transparency.

"To agree to give such powers to a government which has allowed detention of its own citizens without access to a lawyer for over a year, which has legitimised Guantanamo Bay and the interrogation techniques there, without public debate, is an appalling signal of how highly or not the rights of Irish citizens are considered by the minister when engaging in international relations."

The Department of Justice said it was wrong to say the treaty happened without debate, as the agreements update and supplement existing arrangements, and the EU-US agreement has been scrutinised by the Oireachtas four times since December 2002.

A spokesperson also rejected that the measures go beyond what was agreed between EU countries.

Legislation will be required to give effect to some elements of the Mutual Legal Assistance Instrument. The necessary provisions will be contained in the Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Bill which Mr McDowell expects to publish shortly.http://www.irishexaminer.com/pport/web/ ... IStPSk.asp

Post by Ry » Sat Jul 23, 2005 9:08 am

This is amazing and I know for sure that will not get any news in the US.

No wonder they quietly mentioned the IRA over and over during the london bombings.

I think England should get out of Ireland myself. I'm going to send this link out to as many people as I know.

Post by **Fat Pat** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 11:43 am

Why the fuck would Ireland willingly give up their soverignty? I mean that's pretty much what's going on here. The Irish now have the least beneficial aspects of American citizenship yet don't have access to the best. What is this, bizzaro world? This is idiotic.

Post by **HORATIO** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 3:46 pm

Next thing we know they'll be ding the same in england,over my dead body that is

.

Post by **Fat Pat** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 3:50 pm

Oh wouldn't that be some irony!? America becoming the tyrant over the British. The 4th of July would be even more sweet for us, ha ha!

Post by **ivyleaguexxx** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:33 am

Holy fucking shit, is this true? I cannot believe this.... I have heard NOTHING about this and I watch CBS, NBC, ABC and all the cable news channels, even Fox (as painful as it is!) just to see what is mentioned and what the spin is...... I'm going to post this in some blogs and get the word out.....holy shit

Post by **HORATIO** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:03 am

Fat Pat wrote:Oh wouldn't that be some irony!? America becoming the tyrant over the British. The 4th of July would be even more sweet for us, ha ha!

The USA already is the De Facto government of Britain,otherwise we would not have gone into the last 2 wars.

Post by **Fat Pat** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 12:17 pm

You have a point. But I think Blair had a lot to do with that also. Your government basically sold you guys out. Such a shame.

Post by **Dilapidated Nation** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 3:00 pm

Fat Pat wrote:You have a point. But I think Blair had a lot to do with that also. Your government basically sold you guys out. Such a shame.

they sold us out too.

Workers of the World Unite

Just wondering, is the IRA really 'down' with Militant Islamism? hmm