RTE discuss Rendition. Pat Kenny interviews...

national | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis

Tuesday December 11, 2007 13:15

by paul o toole

Radio Telefis Eireann. 10.30 , 12/12/07

Pat Kenny this morning on his radio show discussed Rendition and torture with a man called Richard Coburn.
The discussion lasted a mere 10 minutes and during this time the dialogue focussed on how Rendition is not a new thing. In 1908, Coburns father was in the employ of the British Consul General, under the then Forigen Secretary Sir Edward Gray.
Coburns Grandfather terminated his ties with the forigen office over a Korean journalist named Mr.Yang whom the British wanted to hand over to the Japaneese because they diddnt like his nationalistic views.
Coburn diddnt want the British 'handing over an individual to another country to be tortured'...later he was...'finally handed over to Japan on the promise of an open trial'.
Mr. Yang was finally handed over with the promise (assurances) that he would not be tortured.
Pat then asked the question ..what is your opinion on the status of Iraq today?..
The answer came on how the situation has 'improved' ....2,000 deaths weekly six months ago, down to 600 deaths a week now....chuckles from both men followed and the segment ended...

Not one mention of Shannon and Irish participation in international warcrimes rendering individuals to concentration camps all over the world. No mention of the abhorrent treatment of human beings being kept outside the jurasdiction of the courts and being kept indefinately in torture camps.
This is the voice of the free press. No mention of the condemnation from the E.U and the U.N. about Irelands role in this obsenity.
I suppose little more could be expected of Pat the government apologist, a man on such a high salary cant possibly risk truth telling. It would be to much for delicate Irish stomachs and we need the oil.
So is he really doing us a favour, keeping the Irish population ignorant and silent, maintaining the 'normality' whilst we butcher millions ?
The segment ended and you would think rendition was a thing of the past, a horrible historical fact, to insipid to talk about which took years to own up to, but no. Even though we are up to our necks in bloodshed across the Middle-East we ignore it at every turn and have a little insignificant chats about Rendition which took place 100 years ago least RTE stand accused of NOT discussing Rendition....which cant be said now.