IRISH CITIZENS RIGHTS --- IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY --- COULD BE VIOLATED BY USA INVESTIGATORS

Thanks in advance to Dave at spacecoastweb: blog for posting this interesting information!

Seems as though the USA and Ireland signed an agreement last week which, although the Department of Justice insists it simply updates existing caveats, goes much further than previously.

Under the new agreement, according to this story in the Irish Examiner newspaper, US investigators --- including CIA operatives --- would be allowed to:

--- Interrogate Irish citizens on Irish soil in total secrecy.

--- Ask Irish authorities to track down people in Ireland.

--- Transfer prisoners in Irish custody to the USA.

--- Carry out searches and seizures on behalf of the US government in Ireland.

And it would allow US authorities access to an Irish citizens' confidential bank information. All this must be kept secret by Irish authorities if requested to do so by the US.

Irish Minister for Justice, Equality, and Law Reform Michael McDowell said that "the international community must do everything it can to combat terrorism with every means at its disposal...Ireland will not be found wanting."

The agreement was condemned by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, saying it appears to go even farther than what has been agreed to between countries of the European Union.