Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

As part of its brief, does the National Security Committee have a political role in advising the Government on how aspects of foreign policy or actions the Government might take might lay the people open to an increased chance of an outrage by groups using terrorist methods? How often does the committee report to the Government? For example, has it indicated how the obliteration of Fallujah and the huge anger that has caused in the Arab and Moslem worlds might allow some groups to feel they should go around the world and quite wrongly seek revenge on ordinary people?

Has the National Security Committee a role in how the Shannon facility is used, which the Government affords to the United States military to assist in its occupation? Has the committee made inquiries as to whether prisoners being spirited from the Middle East have stopped there on the way to President Bush's gulag in Guantanamo? The Taoiseach might also give us his on reaction to that matter. Should it not be absolutely clear given the strong indications that this is happening, which would be an absolute outrage, that all US military airplanes or airplanes on duty related to the US military should be checked when they stop at Shannon to ensure the Government is not facilitating the kidnapping of suspects and their illegal relaying to Guantanamo?

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