Posted on 02/20/2005 11:21:09 PM PST by r5boston
DUBLIN, Ireland - In an unprecedented confrontation, the Irish government on Sunday publicly identified three of Sinn Fein's top figures — including party leader Gerry Adams — as members of the Irish Republican Army command.
The government's blunt declaration indicated it no longer would tolerate Adams' protestations that his party should not be held accountable for IRA actions. The shift is intended to force the illegal IRA to disarm fully and disband, or risk the marginalization of the legal Sinn Fein.
Political passions are reaching a boiling point in Ireland over the IRA's alleged $50 million robbery of a Belfast bank — the biggest heist in history — and an unfolding investigation into wider IRA money laundering. The Irish government says Sinn Fein leaders are involved in both.
(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...
The people of Belfast have got behind the McCartney family and stood up to the IRA. The Irish public are literally laughing at the protestations and denials of the Sinn Fein leadership. The SDLP, UUP, DUP, Fine Gael and the two governments have completely rounded on Sinn Fein. Mary Lou McDonald, a woman who never left the television last summer before and after the European election, is nowhere to be seen.
What will they do now?
I don't think they can ride it out and hope everything will blow over like before.
Adams will be here in NY for Paddy's Day. I wonder what kind of reception he'll get? The two Irish-American weeklys have been full of irate people writing in looking for cast-iron proof and making wild accusations of dirty tricks and conspiracies regarding the robbery. It'll be interesting to see what Irish America has to say this week after the arrests and the discoveries by the Criminal Assets Bureau.
No suprise there. Adams is the IRA Arafat.
Clinton is irrelevant to this. He did the right thing supporting the peace process. Its not his fault the IRA won't give up their criminal empire.
That's the way I think about it too.
Sometimes Presidents have to be involved with things they don't really want to, and I recognize that. It wasn't so much that Clinton had to help the peace process that bothers me, it was his glee at being in the presence of Adams that sickened me. You'd have thought they were bosom buddies from birth.
For that, I am more than happy to tie Clinton to this guy. It isn't irrelevent.
This just seems quite redundant--I always thought Sinn Fein was the "political branch" of the IRA as it was....
I think the US should bar Gerry Adams from coming here
Why, because he's smiling for the camera? I'm sure similar photos can be dug up of Adams with John Major, Tony Blair, Bertie Ahern, and perhaps even John Bruton and George W Bush. Fair is fair. There's a mountain of dirt to throw at him without denigrating one of his (in my opinion) worthwhile achievements.
Clinton invited Adams to the States - and to raise money - before the IRA had committed itself to the political process. Thanks for allowing the IRA to raise money to kill us, Bill.
Regards, Ivan
My wife was anti-IRA in Ireland and after 17 years in the States, still wonders how people in both the US and Ireland can be duped by Sinn Fein. How blind they are that do not wish to see. Me, I'm just an Irish American that got thrown out of the Black Rose pub in Boston "for my own health" after a moderate debate about the values of the IRA.
In another recent thread, I learned that Cork was the "Rebel County". Last night we had some friends over and a woman who arrived in the US as a toddler 30+ years ago from Cork was over. We were talking about the situation there and I remembered a debate with her mother I had about gun control in the US during the GFA talks; basically she wanted to confiscate the guns of Americans for our own good. I then asked if the same should be done in Ireland; specifically the IRA. She changed the topic!
Well, they have ample reason to do so now, if they want to. He's been named as a member of the IRA Army Council by the Irish Minister for Justice. I wonder will people like Congressman Peter King still make the effort to meet him?
Clinton is right at home in the Republic of Ireland too.
Clinton only wishes he could get away with parading his mistress around the country the same way Bertie Ahern can!
Oh, and adding my Irish bump list.
Yes, I remember it being very controversial at the time. However, I doubt if it was a decision Clinton made alone. Albert Reynolds would have had a big say in advising Clinton that affording Adams the opportunity to engage Irish America would help move things along towards a ceasefire. And it did, five months later.
Based on the comments made so far...I would say that a US statement on Adams is only a week or two away. He will be declared an issue, and unless he can disarm the IRA...he probably won't be allowed into the US. This might be the end of free reign for Sinn Fein...without access into the US, and being declared a potential terrorist...cash won't flow easily.
And what kind of ceasefire was it? It was just a bargain with what is essentially, a racketeering organisation. Clinton should not have been so generous to them - particularly when there was no guarantee at the time that the IRA wasn't going to use the cash it raised to kill people. Quite the contrary.
Ivan
The Brits forgot the first rule of fighting terrorists.
When confronted by an enemy willing to die to the last man, in order to end the conflict you must kill the last man.
(I wonder if we're going to make the same mistake?)
I appreciate your position on this. I know that some see it that way.
When Dan Rather went to Cuba to do the interview with Fidel, it wasn't so much the idea he did it. It was the idea that his mouth was stretched from ear to ear in a giddy smile when Fidel walked into the room. Dan scuba'd with the dude and posed for pictures reminscent of a young boy in the presence of his baseball hero.
When I watched Clinton in the presence of Jerry Adams, it was the same damned thing. I have no idea why leftists get so giddy in the presence of terrorists and dictators, but they do. Clinton with Arafat was a sickening thing to watch.
I've never been a big fan of Jerry Adams, so I kept my eye on C-Span when the guy came over and met with Clinton. Going through the motions it wasn't.
Adams always came here to raise funds. I think we all know what those funds went to pay for. Hamming it up with the guy was way over the line.
I'll drop the subject. Thanks for the comments.
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