2m US Troops Use Shannon Airport On Way To Wars

New figures show that more than two million US soldiers have passed through Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland over the past decade.

The airport has been used as a refueling stop by the US military as it transported personnel to US bases around the world, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The use of the airport has been hugely controversial in Ireland, where many believe it compromises the country's neutrality.

However, others point to the economic benefit of the business to the Shannon region, and have doubts that the airport could remain viable without it.

In 2003, in the build-up to the US invasion of Iraq, protestors calling themselves the "Pit-stop Ploughshares, caused €2.7m worth of damage to a US warplane at the airport.

New documents released to RTE following a Freedom of Information request to the US Department of Defence, show that the US military would have considered withdrawing from using Shannon if requested by the Irish government.

Speaking in 2007, General John W Handy, a senior official from USTRANSCOM, said that they were told the Irish government was afraid that if the US withdrew from using Shannon, it would send out a signal that the protestors had won and the Irish State did not want that.

However, he said if the government has asked them to quit, they would have.

Figures show the number of flights through Shannon more than doubled in 2003 when the Iraqi invasion began.

2005 was the busiest year when nearly 2,000 aircraft carrying 335,000 personnel flew through Shannon.

In all, between 2001 and January this year, there have been 12,154 flights carrying 2,030,925 passengers and 8,487 tonnes of cargo.