This article is from page 8 of the 2006-07-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
INTERNATIONAL law expert, Dr Jean Allain, told a trial of five antiwar protestors accused of damaging a US aeroplane at Shannon airport that the consensus among the international legal community was that the Iraq war was “clearly illegal.”
Dr Jean Allain, of Queen’s University, Belfast was giving evidence on day six of the trial, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
The five accused have pleaded not guilty to two counts each of causing damage without lawful excuse to a naval plane, property of the United States Government and to glass door panels, property of Aer Rianta at Shannon Airport, Clare on February 3, 2003.
The accused are Ciaran O’Reilly (46), an Australian national, Nuin Dunlop (34), a US citizen and counsellor, Damien Moran (26), Karen Fallon (35), a Scottish marine biologist, all of Rialto Cottages, Rialto; and Deirdre Clancy (36), a copy editor of Alverno Apartments, Clontarf.
Dr Allain was called to give evidence by the defence yesterday. He said there were only two situations in which a war would be legal: if the Security Council of the United Nations agreed to it, or if a country was acting in self defence.
He said that the general consensus of opinion among legal scholars was that the USA had acted in violation of those principles.
The jury has been told that Sergeant Michael O’Connell was on duty in the hangar at 3.45 am when he heard glass breaking and five people came running through a fire door, one of whom carried a large axe. Evidence was given that they were shouting “some words of God” and went to the front, side and rear of the aircraft using the items to hit the plane. They then knelt in a circle and prayed until gardaí arrived to arrest them. Copies of the Bible and Koran, Rosary and Islamic prayer beads, candles, flowers, St Bridget’s crosses and photographs of distressed children were among the items found at the scene in the form of a shrine at the doors to the hangar.
One of the accused, Ms Fallon, told the trial she believed her actions saved lives, while Ms Dunlop said her actions were political and calculated to draw attention to activities at Shannon. The case, before Judge Miriam Reynolds and a jury, is due to conclude this week.