Ciaron O'Reilly Questioned by ASIO After Landing in Brisbane on Friday Night! : Melbourne Indymedia

Ciaron O'Reilly arrived in Brisbane, Australia, on Friday night Feb 3rd. after a 30 hour flight from Ireland. He was immediately met by two ASIO agents on disembarking. Brisbane born Ciaron is one of the PIt Stop Ploughshares defendants awaiting a third trial in Dublin, July 5th. Defendants have been allowed to leave the country, they are required to return to Ireland a week before the July trial. Ciaron has returned home to Brisbane, Australia to visit family.

ASIO is a secret Federal security agency. Ciaron was placed in a secure room in the airport during the interview. When asked if he had previous dealings with ASIO, he replied "Well you're a secret organisation! You tell me if I've had dealings with ASIO agents before?"

Ciaron was questioned about his plans during his 3 month stay in Australia, the civil disobedience that occured during the Shoalwater "Operation Talisman Sabre" joint U.S./OZ military exercises in 2005. Ciaron was questioned to whether he planned to accompany his brother Sean to his Alice Springs late February court date arising from his arrest following a peace demonstration at the CIA/NSA outback base Pine Gap.

References were made to the Pit Stop Ploughshares case in Ireland. Ciaron assured the agents both he and his brother were innocent of all charges awaiting hearing.

After a few jet lagged attempts to tease out the meaning of "security", "violence/nonviolence" "terrorism" and "war" the interview ended.

O'Reilly stated, "We believe security is built on the pursuit of peace and justice through nonviolent action. Security is not secured by shrinking freedoms, crushing civil liberties and harassing peace activists! If ASIO is serious about addressing violence and terrorism it should have investigated the role and arms of the USS Ronald Reagan in Brisbane last week and the ongoing targetting carried out by Pine Gap!"