Ambassador Daniel Mulhall
Embassy of Ireland
2234 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington DC 20008
Dear Ambassador Mulhall,
Our international organization Veterans For Peace is composed of military veterans who have served our country the United States of America. We who have participated in times of war, witnessed death and destruction We now work for peace and justice throughout the world.
We are writing to you today to bring an incident to your attention that occurred at Shannon Airport in Ireland, involving the arrest and detention of two U.S. citizens, who are U.S. Army veterans. Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff are members of our organization. They were in Ireland at the invitation of the Ireland chapter of Veterans For Peace.
They, as well as members of the peace community of Ireland, are very concerned about the breach of Ireland’s longstanding neutrality by the U.S. military being allowed to land combat troops in contract aircraft and U.S. military aircraft at Shannon International airport as a refueling stop on the way to conflict areas in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
Many from Ireland have been arrested for challenging this breach of the neutrality of their country. Our Veterans For Peace members from the United States are also challenging our government that forces Ireland to breach its “neutrality” by allowing U.S. combat personnel and aircraft to land at Shannon International airport.
Mayers and Kauff were arrested at Shannon Airport on 17 March for entering the airfield to bring attention to this breach of neutrality by inspecting and investigating an OMNI Air International plane on contract to the U.S. military. The plane, tail number N351AX, arrived at Shannon Airport about 8.30 a.m. from Eielson US air force base in Faribanks, Alaska, believed to be on its way to the Middle East with up to 300 armed US troops.
They were arrested on Sunday, March 17, 2019 and refused bail at their hearing the following day at Ennis Court. Their charges include trespass and criminal damage.
Judge Maire Keane ruled that she was denying bail to the accused and remanded them in custody to Limerick Prison, where they are to appear for a further court mention hearing by video from the prison on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.
An appeal to the High Court in Dublin regarding refusal of bail will not be heard until March 28th.
We feel that this process is an obvious attempt to punish Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff before a trial occurs.
Major Ken Mayers served 12 years in the US Marine Corps. He is a former National Board member of Veterans For Peace and participate in veterans peace team delegations to Palestine, Okinawa, Jeju Island, South Korea, and Standing Rock.
Tarak Kauff was a paratrooper in the US Army during the early sixties. He was a member of the VFP National Board of Directors for six years. He has organized veterans delegations to Palestine, Okinawa, South Korea and Standing Rock. He is currently the managing editor of Peace In Our Times, VFP’s quarterly 24-page newspaper.
We bring this incident to the attention to request that your Government insure a speedy judicial process for the two American veterans.
We also ask that your government stop allowing U.S. military aircraft and U.S. military personnel to use Shannon International Airport or any other facility in Ireland.
Sincerely,