Activist held after bid to search US aircraft
Ex-UN peacekeeper had been boarding Aer Lingus f light at Shannon when he broke away
A PROMINENT anti-war activist and former Irish Army commandant was detained at Shannon Airport early yesterday after he attempted to approach and search a US military plane.
Dr Edward Horgan, a former UN peacekeeper, was preparing to board an Aer Lingus flight from Shannon to London where he was due to attend the AGM of the Veterans for Peace organisation.
As he approached the steps of his flight, he broke away from other passengers and attempted to walk across a live ramp and aircraft taxiing area. It is understood he managed to get beyond the tail of his aircraft before he was spotted by ground staff.
The veteran activist was intercepted by a member of airport staff and accompanied back to the terminal building where he was met by airport police.
He told authorities that he was attempting to search one of four US military transport planes that had been parked at the airport overnight.
Dr Horgan was escorted to the airport immigration office which is operated by gardaí. He was prevented from boarding his flight and was instead detained and questioned. He was released about 40 minutes later.
Gardaí are expected to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions on the incident.
Although he claimed to have reached the first plane, according to airport sources Dr Horgan only managed to walk about 100 metres from the aircraft he was boarding. The taxiway where the military planes were parked is about 200 metres from the terminal building.
The four C-130H Hercules transport planes were parked in a line on a taxiway designated and specially secured to facilitate US military. They are protected by gardaí and the Irish Army.
The United States Air Force planes, which arrived in Shannon on Friday, are attached to the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) 731st Airlift Squadron, part of the 302d Airlift Wing, based at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. The four C-130 aircraft departed Shannon in quick succession between 2 and 3.30pm.
Following his release yesterday, Dr Horgan said: ‘I had been about to board a flight for Heathrow to attend the AGM of the Veterans for Peace organisation. I felt obliged to go and search them as I believed they were carrying munitions to the Middle East.
‘I have no doubt there were weapons on board these planes and it’s very unusual to see four of the craft at the airport at one time,’ he added.
A Shannon Airport spokesman said: ‘A member of airport staff swiftly apprehended the man as he strayed from the designated approach to the aircraft steps.
‘He was handed over to An Garda Síochána. The flight departed on schedule,’ the spokesman added.
‘I have no doubt there were weapons on board’