John Zarocostas/Human Rights Tribune, Geneva – "We have information of concrete cases of rendition taking place at Shannon airport," and use of Ireland’s air space by the CIA in several instances such as the case of Khaled al-Maqtari, Judge Rajsooner Lallah (Mauritius) told the Irish delegation during proceedings examining the country’s compliance with the international covenant on civil and political rights.

Amnesty International said last month it believes the aircraft that took Mr. al-Maqtari from Baghdad to Kabul in January 2004 had left Shannon the previous day. Mr. al Maqtari, who moved from his home in Yemen to Iraq in early 2003, was detained by US forces in Falluja the following January.

Earlier, speaking to the expert Human Right Committee Mr. Gallagher was adamant that the assurances were given "Unequivocally at the highest level of the US government…"

"They were specific and factual and related to the very issue of whether Shannon was used by aircraft which were engaged in extraordinary rendition, and the government made it clear that similar assurances had not been made available to other European states, "he said.

The top Irish official also stressed that the assurances "were confirmed by the president of the United States, and the secretary of state. Ireland has been assiduous in raising these issues."

Mr. Gallagher emphasized repeatedly that the Government is totally opposed to extraordinary rendition and that "freedom from torture of punishment is among freedoms protected by the Constitution," and also by international instruments to which Ireland is a party.

But he also conceded that the Government is aware "there are instances where diplomatic assurances can not be relied upon."

However, as one expert panelist noted during the proceedings , the Irish government was inquiring after the events had taken place, and added that even assurances at the highest level could not be relied upon.

Similarly, a new report by Amnesty International "State of Denial: Europe’s role in rendition and secret rendition," notes that on February 21 of this year, the UK Foreign Secretary, Mr. David Miliband, announced that information from Washington had "just come to light", confirming that the UK territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean had been used for renditions."

In a statement to Parliament, Mr. Miliband said:" contrary to earlier explicit assurances that Diego Garcia had not been used for rendition flights, recent US investigations have now revealed tow occasions, both in 2002, when this had in fact occurred," says the report.

The Amnesty study critically concludes that the involvement of European states in such cases "has long been known despite denials and obfuscation by individual governments."