The Irish Times reports that “Secret US military flights that refuelled in Shannon during America’s “war on terror” were never checked at the airport, according to a former pilot who flew military personnel to Afghanistan.”  

“Bill, an American contract pilot who worked for a private US company, flew small numbers of US government personnel on trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan during the George W Bush years.”  

“The pilot, who did not want to be identified, said that he never carried any al-Qaeda suspects on so-called “rendition” flights. Some passengers did have weapons but were instructed to store them in the plane’s luggage hold, he said.”