The former beef-futures trader herself.
Posted on 03/15/2005 6:31:28 PM PST by aculeus
The family of IRA murder victim Robert McCartney today dismissed Sinn Féin's warning that they are in danger of being used as political pawns.
Catherine McCartney, who left Dublin this morning with her four sisters and Mr McCartney's financee for a meeting later this week with US President George Bush, responded to the warning by saying that they were not stupid.
"We have to be very careful that we're not being used by anybody and that includes Sinn Féin and all political parties, we're not stupid women," Ms McCartney said. "We get the impression that someone thinks out there that somebody's behind this, pulling our strings. The only person behind this is our Robert and he is the person pulling our strings."
Ms McCartney also revealed that she and her sisters, Paula, Gemma, Claire and Donna, as well as her brother's partner Bridgeen Hagans, would present President Bush with a dossier on their brother's killing, which happened outside a Belfast pub on January 30.
"We will give President Bush the dossier when we meet him at the St Patrick's Day event in the White House," she said.
"Basically it details everything that has happened since January 30, the events leading to Robert's murder, the people involved and events since. We are very focused on what we are trying to achieve. We want justice for our brother."
The McCartney sisters will arrive in Washington this evening to a blaze of publicity as they prepare to meet prominent US politicians, including senators Hillary Clinton and Edward Kennedy. They will also have talks with congressman Richie Neal and President Bush's special adviser on Northern Ireland, ambassador Mitchell Reiss.
The family are scheduled to attend a number of St Patrick's Day events involving politicians and leading members of the Irish American community, including the American Ireland fund dinner, the Northern Ireland bureau's reception and the Irish Embassy reception.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams has been frozen out of most of the St Patrick's Day events he has attended over the past decade as concern grows in the US about the IRA's involvement in organised crime.
Last night Sinn Féin's chief negotiator Martin McGuinness appear to warn the family to abandon its campaign for justice. He said they "would need to be very careful" that they "don't step over the party political line and allow themselves to be used or manipulated" by Sinn Féin's enemies.
Today Mr McGuinness denied his comments had any menacing connotations.
He told the BBC's Today programme: "It wasn't intended in any way to be a threat." "It was intended to be a word of friendly advice from someone who is 100% behind their campaign for truth and justice."
The IRA expelled three members following Mr McCartney's murder and the subsequent cover-up. Sinn Féin's also suspended seven of its members.
In recent days it has emerged that assembly election candidate Cora Groogan, former councillor Sean Hayes and local government candidate Deirdre Hargey were also in the bar where Mr McCartney had been drinking before his murder. All three have given statements to their solicitors which have been passed on to the office of Northern Ireland police ombudsman Nuala O'Loan.
In a series of statements, Sinn Féin's president Gerry Adams has called on republicans to help the McCartney family's quest for truth and justice. He said that if he had been in the bar, he would have passed on what information he had about events leading up to Mr McCartney's death and the wounding of his friend Brendan Devine.
o The Provisional IRA has forged an alliance with criminal gangs on the British mainland in a multi-million pound cigarette and fuel smuggling racket, it was alleged today. A former head of the special branch in Belfast told a BBC File on Four investigation that senior PIRA members built links with British gangsters during their time in high-security jails. Increases in IRA and PIRA organised criminal activity have led to the groups being nicknamed in some Catholic areas as the "rafia".
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
Refreshingly blunt. None of the "alleged" or "suspected" bs you'd see in an American paper.
Gee, I thought Clinton solved all that IRA stuff. The way certain Irish folks went on and on about the guy, and gave Bush crap, you'd think it was all sorted out by All Hat No Cattle Clinton.
If he were killed by Al Qaeda, though, it'd be "suspected" and "terrorist" in quotes.
Translation: Sinn Féin warns the McCartneys that they'll end up like their brother.
Did you notice who's going to meet these women?
The former beef-futures trader herself.
The former beef-futures trader herself.
I am suggesting that true Freepers wear orange on St. Patricks Day, to express support of our beseiged Ulster conservative friends & contempt for Mr. Clinton
My respect for these visitors would go up astronomically if they would publicly berate Teddy for his embarassing support for the IRA, for which he has never been called on.
Being of Irish-Catholic heritage (and being an American agnostic) I pretty much have contempt for pretty much everone on all sides of the issue over there. I never wear my Irish heritage on my sleeve. And I don't need a special occassion to dislike Billyboy. :D
I agree 100% Call Fat Teddy and the Faux Irishman John Kerry both.
But I have comsidered the issue thoroughly throughout my life, and can safely say I'm a lost cause. ;)
God bless these women, and God let there be peace and justice in Northern Ireland. The role they're playing is a courageous one, and those who care about Ireland should want an end to any and all sectarian violence, gangsterism, and religious-inspired and nationalist hatred.
I doubt if they wrote the article. :-)
Yep, Bubba should win the Nobel Peace Prize w all the Piece, oops, I mean Peace he spread througout the world: Ireland, Israel, North Korea, the list goes on...
I suggest reading a little history before trying that. Also suggest avoiding the pubs if you're wearing orange on that day.
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