Dublin in Rendition Plea to Us

Ireland is to raise its opposition to extraordinary rendition, Guantánamo Bay and the use of torture with the new American administration. The Green Party, junior party in the Fianna Fail-led coalition, welcomed the decision of the Irish government to raise the issues with the next US government.

The Greens have also been seeking an assurance that the government allows the Garda Siochana to inspect any flight landing in Ireland if there are concerns that detainees arrested under extraordinary rendition are on board.

The decision was made by a new Cabinet sub-committee to examine aspects of international human rights. Green party foreign affairs spokesman Ciaran Cuffe said: 'This represents real progress. I met the Minister for Justice in August to discuss the issue and am delighted that the government had decided to send a clear signal to the incoming US administration. 'We have consistently said that ordinary citizens could not be expected to have enough evidence to prompt gardai to board US planes. This has been echoed by human rights bodies, including the Irish Human Rights Commission.'

The government has set up a cabinet committee on aspects of international human rights composed of Green party ministers Eamon Ryan and John Gormley, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern and Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey. It has agreed to contact the transition team of the new US administration seeking a clear commitment that extraordinary rendition and interrogation techniques considered torture, such as waterboarding, will cease.

The government will also ask the new administration to close the detention facility in Guantánamo Bay as soon as possible.