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News about the Irish & Irish American culture, music, news, sports. This is hosted by the Irish Aires radio show on KPFT-FM 90.1 in Houston, Texas (a Pacifica community radio station)
March 02, 2005
03/02/05 - Date Set For Inquiry Into Nelson Murder
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Overall Table of Contents
Table of Contents – Mar 2005
SM 03/02/05 Date Set For Inquiry Into Nelson Murder
SF 03/02/05 Adams - Whoever Killed McCartney Should Come Forward
SF 03/02/05 All Avenues Of Info Should Be Kept Open - Ó Caoláin
SF 03/02/05 Sinn Féin Welcome For Ombudsman Move
BT 03/02/05 Mag Brands Belfast Most Racist City – Blames On Loyalists
IE 03/02/05 U.S. Group Tells Irish Officials Of North Concerns
RE 03/02/05 Sinn Fein's EU Cash Comes Under Scrutiny
SM 03/02/05 McDowell Denounces IRA/Sinn Fein 'Threat To Democracy'
IE 03/02/05 McGuinness Backs Out Of U.S. Tour
SM 03/02/05 'Don't Invite Sinn Fein To White House'
IE 03/02/05 Analysis: Sinn Fein Feels The Heat
SF 03/02/05 Reilly Challenges Cassells To Debate On Irish Unity
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http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4201080
Date Set For Inquiry Into Nelson Murder
By Ian Graham, PA
The public inquiry into the brutal murder of County Armagh solicitor Rosemary Nelson is to get under way in April, it was announced tonight, 6 years after a bomb blew up her car.
The inquiry is the first of four recommended by retired Canadian judge Peter Cory after he investigated allegations of security force collusion in the murders and said they needed further probing.
The Government has also given the green light to inquiries into the murder of LVF leader Billy Wright, shot dead by members of the INLA inside the Maze Prison in 1997, and Catholic Robert Hamill who died in hospital after being attacked by a loyalist mob in his home town of Portadown, Co Armagh, in 1997.
An inquiry into the most controversial of the murders, that of Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane, shot dead in front of his family in his north Belfast home by the UFF in 1989, has been blocked by the Government until all legal proceedings have been completed.
Ms Nelson, aged 40, died when a booby-trap bomb exploded under her car as she drove away from her home in Lurgan. No-one has been convicted or even charged with the murder.
The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry will hold its opening hearing at the Craigavon Civic Centre in County Armagh on April 19. A date for the start of the full hearing will be set as soon after the opening as possible.
It will be chaired by retired English High Court judge Sir Michael Moreland, sitting with Dame Valerie Strachan, former chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise, and Sir Anthony Burden, former Chief Constable of South Wales.
In a statement, they made clear their intention to carry out their task with “rigour, thoroughness and fairness” and to adopt “flexible, even-handed and open procedures” which would enable them to expeditiously and economically establish the facts and to make recommendations.
They said they hoped and expected to receive co-operation from all persons or organisations with relevant material or evidence.
However, the inquiry team said it had vested in it powers to compel people or organisations to provide it with information, documentation and evidence, and “would not hesitate to use the powers” should it decide it necessary.
The inquiry said it intended to issue a very limited number of persons or organisations with the status of Full Participants able to be represented throughout the inquiry.
They are:
Paul Nelson, Rosemary Nelson’s husband, also representing their children.
Sheila Magee, Mrs Nelson’s mother, also representing Mrs Nelson’s brothers and sisters.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland on its own behalf and as representing the former RUC and serving, former or retired officers of the RUC and PSNI.
The Northern Ireland Office.
The inquiry team said it had deferred a decision on whether any witnesses should be granted some form of immunity from any possible future prosecution based on their own evidence until after further investigation of documentary material had been undertaken.
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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/8702
Adams - Whoever Killed Robert McCartney Should Come Forward
Published: 2 March, 2005
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams commenting on the murder of Robert McCartney today said:
"Some days ago I reiterated my support for the McCartney family and I called on anyone and everyone with information that might help the family in their quest for truth and justice to come forward.
My clear intention in doing so was to encourage those who have information to make that information available so that whoever is responsible for the killing of Robert McCartney is brought to justice.
I note that this has not happened. And although many people have come forward - others have not, particularly some who may have been directly involved in Robert's murder. In my view these people must give a full account through whatever conduit they chose.
I want also to restate with absolute clarity that whoever killed Robert McCartney should come forward and take responsibility for this. That is what I meant when I said that if I was involved I would make myself accountable to the courts.
So far Robert McCartney's killer has not had the courage to do this. Self-preservation and selfishness will not prevail in this case.
I am not letting this issue go until those who have sullied the republican cause are made to account for their action." ENDS
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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/8707
All Avenues Of Information Should Be Kept Open - Ó Caoláin
Published: 2 March, 2005
Sinn Féin Dáil group leader, Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin TD in extending his sympathy to the McCartney family on the "brutal murder of Robert" said he saluted "their courage and determination to achieve truth and justice." Deputy Ó Caoláin reiterated the Party's call for "anyone with information to come forward with that information."
He went on to say, "Because we want to see truth and justice for the McCartney family we should not close off any avenue through which information or evidence can be brought to light. Sinn Féin has not sought to close off any avenue.
"Sinn Féin supports the thrust of the Fine Gael motion. We do not want to delete one word of it. However, in failing to recognise a reality that even the PSNI itself concedes, the final paragraph restricts the means by which information may be given in order to help bring the killers to justice. For this reason Sinn Féin asked Fine Gael to accept our amendment which does not detract one iota, but adds to the motion before us. Their refusal is very regrettable.
"I have to say with regret that the refusal of the Fine Gael party to accept a reasonable proposition, and their contributions and those of others in the House, shows what I can only call a cynical exploitation of this very serious issue and for the narrowest of political motives.
"If this essential amendment is defeated we must very regrettably withhold our endorsement of the motion before us and only because it is too narrow in its construction.
"Make no mistake, we are not interested in engaging in a party political battle on this issue. Some may be satisfied with a headline tomorrow "Sinn Féin isolated‚ as an outcome of tonight‚s debate. I believe what the vast majority of people are interested in are truth and justice for the bereaved and that is what we in Sinn Féin will continue to pursue."
Deputy Ó Caoláin was also highly critical of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, who he said was "blinded by his own deep-rooted antipathy towards Sinn Féin". The Cavan/Monaghan TD said, "The logic of that u-turn and of all the information now before this House is that every Deputy who truly wants to see justice served in this deplorable case should accept and support the amendment put forward by the Sinn Féin deputies.
Full text
All avenues of information should be kept open
On my own behalf and on behalf of my fellow Sinn Féin TDs I extend deepest sympathy to the McCartney family. The brutal murder of Robert devastated a family and shocked a local community deeply. I met with the McCartney family and Robert's partner here in Leinster House last week and I salute their courage and their determination to achieve truth and justice.
As the Sinn Féin leadership locally and nationally has done many times, I reiterate the call for anyone with information on this murder and the circumstances surrounding it to come forward with that information and to actively assist the family. I want to put on record some of what Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said today:
"My clear intention ∑ was to encourage those who have information to make that information available so that whoever is responsible for the killing of Robert McCartney is brought to justice. I note that this has not happened. And although many people have come forward - others have not, particularly some who may have been directly involved in Robert's murder. In my view these people must give a full account through whatever conduit they choose.
"I want also to restate with absolute clarity that whoever killed Robert McCartney should come forward and take responsibility for this. That is what I meant when I said that if I was involved I would make myself accountable to the courts. So far Robert McCartney's killer has not had the courage to do this. Self-preservation and selfishness will not prevail in this case. I am not letting this issue go until those who have sullied the republican cause are made to account for their action."
Because we want to see truth and justice for the McCartney family we should not close off any avenue through which information or evidence can be brought to light. Sinn Féin has not sought to close off any avenue. People have gone to the PSNI and I have no doubt others will do so. That is their right and no-one should stand in their way. There are others who do not trust or support the PSNI ˆ and not because of what Sinn Féin says but because of their own experiences and that of the communities they come from at the hands of the Northern state. For those people there are other
avenues which can and must be used if they have relevant information.
This fact has been pointed out by the McCartney family themselves who have said that those with valid reasons for not going to the PSNI should go to a solicitor, the Police Ombudsman or whoever they are comfortable with. Hugh Orde said today he would encourage people to go through a third party if they did not feel confident about going to the PSNI directly. He compared it to his experiences in London, where "some communities who didn't trust us" would go through third parties.
The PSNI also recognised this reality when they began the re-investigation of the loyalist killing of Sean Brown in Bellaghy, Co. Derry. They issued an appeal which encouraged people to use a named firm of solicitors or the Pat Finucane Centre to bring forward information as an alternative to dealing directly with the PSNI. Deputy Kenny‚s efforts to portray this otherwise merit only contempt.
And I note that this evening it has been announced that the Police Ombudsman will take statements on the murder of Robert McCartney.
Sinn Féin supports the thrust of the Fine Gael motion. We do not want to delete one word of it. However, in failing to recognise a reality that even the PSNI itself concedes, the final paragraph restricts the means by which information may be given in order to help bring the killers to justice. For this reason Sinn Féin asked Fine Gael to accept our amendment which does not detract one iota, but adds to the motion before us. Their refusal is very regrettable.
Time does not allow me to respond to the stream of party political invective against Sinn Féin that we heard here last night and again tonight. I have to say with regret that the refusal of the Fine Gael party to accept a reasonable proposition, and their contributions and those of others in the House, shows what I can only call a cynical exploitation of this very serious issue and for the narrowest of political motives.
Misinformation has been flung around this chamber, not least by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Last night he stated: "The only information that will help put the killers of Robert McCartney behind bars is information given directly to the PSNI which will lead to statements that can be used as evidence in a court of law." The Minister had to alter his emphatic position of last evening when the PSNI itself recognized that there were other ways to bring forward information. And so the Minister who, like so many others, was blinded by his own deep-rooted antipathy towards Sinn Féin, had to do a complete u-turn today and faced reality when he said people could use other avenues also. The logic of that u-turn and of all the information now before this House is that every Deputy who truly wants to see justice served in this deplorable case should accept and support the amendment put forward by the Sinn Féin deputies. If this essential amendment is defeated we must very regrettably withhold our endorsement of the motion before us and only because it is too narrow in its construction.
Make no mistake, we are not interested in engaging in a party political battle on this issue. Some may be satisfied with a headline tomorrow "Sinn Féin isolated" as an outcome of tonight's debate. I believe what the vast majority of people are interested in are truth and justice for the bereaved and that is what we in Sinn Féin will continue to pursue.
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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/8704
Sinn Féin Welcome For Ombudsman Move
Published: 2 March, 2005
Sinn Féin Councillor Joe O'Donnell has welcomed indications from the Police Ombudsman that she is willing to play a role in helping to achieve justice for the McCartney family.
Cllr. O'Donnell said:
" Sinn Féin have consistently argued that people should bring forward information relating to the killing of Robert McCartney through whatever channel they deemed appropriate. We recognised that some would deem the PSNI appropriate whereas others for very good reason do not trust that organisation.
" It is our belief that these people should not be prevented in bringing forward any information they might have. The suggestion that the Police Ombudsman could become involved is obviously one which Sinn Féin would support as a channel for bringing forward relevant information. In the past I have encouraged people to make statements to the Police Ombudsman relating to other matters in this area and would obviously do so again in this case." ENDS
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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=616179
Mag Brands Belfast Most Racist City
Der Spiegel lays blame on loyalists.
by Debra Douglas
02 March 2005
An influential international magazine has branded Belfast the most racist city in the world, it emerged today.
In an article in German magazine Der Spiegel about recent political developments in Northern Ireland, loyalist paramilitaries were referred to as "criminals and drug dealers" who "assault Chinese immigrants, paint swastikas on walls and have managed to turn Belfast into the world's most racist city".
Margaret Donaghy, chief officer at the Multi-Cultural Resource Centre (Northern Ireland) said describing Belfast as the most racist city was a "fair comment" .
"Statistics prove it. We have a high ratio of racist attacks here - particularly in south Belfast - and they can go from name calling to petrol bombing.
"Over the past four or five years, there has been an increase in the number of incidents although that could be in part to more people coming forward to report them.
"It doesn't make Belfast a 'no-go area' but there are areas we would not recommend to people," she said.
The comment, by reporter Matthias Matussek, comes as the PSNI is ordered to tackle hate crime.
The latest statistics show that between April and June 2004, there were 66 racist incidents reported in Belfast and a total of 147 across Northern Ireland.
Between August and September there were 68 incidents recorded in Belfast and 171 across Northern Ireland and between October and December, there were 44 in Belfast and 156 in Northern Ireland.
The problem of racist attacks hit the headlines last year when the UVF instigated a campaign to drive ethnic-minority groups out of south Belfast.
Leaflets were also distributed in the area, voicing opposition to the building of a Chinese community centre in the area.
In November, more than 100 people attended a rally in north Belfast to condemn racist attacks after graffiti was painted on houses at Queen Victoria Gardens and Fortwilliam Parade ordering members of the Chinese and Filipino communities to get out. Swastikas and other slogans were also sprayed.
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http://www.irishecho.com/newspaper/story.cfm?id=16092
U.S. Group Tells Irish Officials Of North Concerns
By Ray O'Hanlon
rohanlon@irishecho.com
The crisis in the peace process was the spur for a meeting at the Irish Consulate in New York last week between Irish American leaders and Irish diplomats.
The activists, working under the umbrella group Unity in Action Committee of National Irish American Organizations, expressed its deep concern over political and media pressure being brought to bear on Sinn Féin in recent weeks following the Northern Bank robbery and the murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney, allegedly by IRA members.
"There was a frank exchange of views, but overall it was a cordial meeting," Ned McGinley, national president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, said.
The AOH was joined at the meeting by representatives of a number of organizations, including the Brehon Law Society, the Irish American Unity Conference and Irish Northern Aid.
The Irish government was represented by its ambassador to the U.S., Noel Fahey, and the consul general in New York, Eugene Hutchinson.
McGinley said that during the meeting he had expressed "complete confidence" in the leadership of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. This, he indicated, was the overall view of the Unity in Action Committee.
McGinley said that the Irish diplomats had emphasized the need for an end to all criminality.
There was agreement, he said, that the peace process had to be maintained and moved forward. There had also been assurances given that the Irish government continued to view the process as inclusive and open to all the political parties.
The Unity in Action Committee was the group behind the recent letter to both Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in which it was claimed that Sinn Féin was being unfairly maligned by the police investigation of the Northern Bank robbery in particular.
The same group has since written in similar vein to President Bush, urging him to maintain U.S. involvement in the quest for a settlement, but also criticizing Dublin and London.
The letter to Bush said that the signatories were "convinced" that U.S. involvement was needed more than ever, "given the parochial interests" that appeared to be driving actions by the British and Irish governments, and the unionist political parties.
"We ask that the U.S. government demand that the parties to this conflict, as well as the two governments, stick to the realities of conflict resolution, not allegations and petty politics," the letter to Bush stated.
"We also hope that our own government avoids jumping on the anti-Sinn Féin bandwagon based upon politically motivated speculation," the letter added.
This story appeared in the issue of March 2-8, 2005
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http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-03-02T191903Z_01_SIN268678_RTRUKOC_0_EU-IRISH-CRIME.xml
Sinn Fein's EU Cash Comes Under Scrutiny
Wed Mar 2, 2005 7:19 PM GMT
By Aine Gallagher
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament is studying a request to strip Northern Ireland's largest Catholic party Sinn Fein of EU allowances as punishment for alleged links to crime, officials say.
The move piles more pressure on the party, which has two seats in the EU assembly and has been under fire from Britain, Ireland and its political opponents in Belfast over alleged crimes by its Irish Republican Army (IRA) guerrilla ally.
Dublin and London blame the IRA, which fought a bloody campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland before calling a ceasefire in 1997, for a 26.5 million pound bank robbery in Belfast. It denies the allegation.
The EU assembly's legal service is studying a request from about 10 British right-wing deputies to strip Sinn Fein of its expenses payments, said Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson.
"I've received requests ... to take the same action as the (British) Westminster parliament in withdrawing financial support from Sinn Fein through their expenses ... because of events ... like the Northern Bank (raid)," he told Reuters.
Nicholson, a Protestant unionist who supports British rule in the province, heads a cross-party body which looks after MEPs' financial and administrative needs in the assembly.
He said he has sent the request for financial penalties against Sinn Fein to the legal service to find out if there were grounds for action.
But a parliament official said it was unlikely the EU assembly would have the power to fine elected politicians.
"This is not Westminster," he said.
The British government has already begun moves to strip Sinn Fein members of their Westminster allowances. The party says it is the victim of a politically motivated smear.
Sinn Fein is the political ally of the IRA but denies it has any direct links to the outlawed group. Britain and Ireland say the two are inextricably linked with overlapping leaderships.
Adding to the pressure on Sinn Fein, the European Parliament will quiz the party over alleged links to IRA crime on Monday.
"We will have a number of speakers calling on all political parties to ensure that their members obey the normal rules of democracy where anybody ... engaging in criminal activity should be answerable to the police," said an official from a left-wing party.
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http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4201107
Minister Denounces IRA/Sinn Fein 'Threat To Democracy'
By Senan Hogan, PA
The murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney was cowardly and nakedly evil, Irish justice minister Michael McDowell said tonight.
Speaking during an Irish parliamentary motion urging witnesses to come forward, he said Irish people were beginning to realise the threat posed by Sinn Fein and the IRA to democracy on their island.
He said that murder, torture and mutilation were the stock-in trade of the Provisional movement.
But he warned that people shouldn’t be fooled that the IRA is responsible for the thuggery and criminality and that Sinn Fein “is some separate democratic chrysalis seeking to break out of a paramilitary cocoon and to become an exclusively peaceful and democratic butterfly”.
Mr McCartney was knifed and beaten to death in a pub brawl by a drunken IRA mob which later forensically cleaned the crime scene and intimidated more than 70 witnesses.
Mr McDowell added: “The public is beginning to see the shape of the threat to democracy posed by a movement which uses crime on a massive scale to engage in politics. What is on view is but the tip of the iceberg.”
He said the IRA never intended to go away but mutate into a “lightly-armed gendarmerie who would in future act as the enforcers for the criminal and control strategy underpinning Sinn Fein’s drive for political power”.
Praising the McCartney sisters – Paula, Gemma, Catherine, Donna and Claire – and Robert’s partner Bridgeen, Mr McDowell said he was lost in admiration for their unique combination of bravery, dignity, determination and hunger for justice.
“These brave women refused to be trampled down by thuggery. They refused to let the light of justice be snuffed out by fear.”
Sinn Fein’s Dail leader Caoimhghin O Caolain earlier insisted that every avenue must be kept open for witnesses to come forward.
But he said it was “very regrettable” that an amendment to the Fine Gael motion could not be accepted by the party.
“It shows what I can only call a cynical exploitation of this very serious issue for the narrowest of political motives,” he said.
Labour deputy leader Liz McManus said Mr McCartney was “cut open like a gutted fish, brutally kicked in the head and left to die”.
She said the McCartney sisters were ordinary women who had become extraordinary out of their tragedy.
“Tonight the democratic community in the Dail Eireann stand here with them.”
She claimed that the IRA had killed more than the UDA, UFF, UVF, RUC and British Army – and included 400 Catholics among its victims.
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http://www.irishecho.com/newspaper/story.cfm?id=16084
McGuinness Backs Out Of U.S. Tour
PHOTOCALL Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness will remain in Ireland to deal with his party's unfolding political crisis.
By Susan Falvella Garraty
sfgarraty@irishecho.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Martin McGuinness has backed out of an upcoming U.S. tour by Sinn Féin party leaders. A statement from the U.S.-based Friends of Sinn Féin said that due to the seriousness of the situation in Ireland, "McGuinness would not be traveling over the St. Patrick's Day period."
A statement from the party in Ireland said that the political situation was "much too grave" for both party president Gerry Adams and McGuinness to be out of Ireland at the same time.
Adams was still intending to travel, but there was a question mark at press time over MLA and former Belfast Mayor Alex Maskey.
Maskey was still listed for the party's tour, but his itinerary could be shortened or even canceled entirely, said FOSF president Larry Downes.
Sinn Féin, meanwhile, will not request visas with fundraising provisions for the Adams U.S. visit.
The party stands to lose thousands of dollars by not engaging in fundraising activities during the week long tour of several U.S. cities.
The party was first allowed fundraise in the U.S. by the Clinton administration 10 years ago.
According to the Sinn Féin statement, the party leadership "was concerned that there was a likelihood that fundraising would become a contentious issue for the U.S. government," and a distraction from the necessary work of rebuilding the peace process.
Gerry Adams will travel to New York, Washington, Philadelphia and events in Ohio, Downes confirmed. He will begin his visit March 12 with an event in Cincinnati.
But Adams will not be an invited guest at the White house on St. Patrick's Day. The decision to rescind what has been an annual invitation to Adams, or a deputy, comes amid the roiling controversy over the Northern Bank robbery and the murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney.
Sinn Féin was left off the White House guest list once before in 1996 following the Provisional IRA's Canary Wharf bombing in London.
However, Sinn Féin is not alone in being shut out of the upcoming executive mansion bash.
U.S. officials were upset by the recent rhetoric of DUP leader Rev. Ian Paisley when he demanded that republicans should experience "humiliation" in order to restart the North's stalled political process.
The White House accepted advice from the U.S. special envoy to the peace process, Ambassador Mitchell Reiss, not to completely isolate Sinn Féin by scrubbing just that party's leadership from the guest list.
Instead, it was decided to rescind invitations to all the North parties.
"None of them looked like exactly enticing guests," an official said.
Irish minister for foreign affairs, Dermot Ahern, endorsed this approach when he met Mitchell Reiss in Washington last month.
The White House decision also means that the SDLP will not be invited, an outcome that has angered that party's leadership.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is, meanwhile, expected in the White House on March 17 to present the traditional bowl of shamrock to President Bush.
(Ray O'Hanlon contributed to this report.)
This story appeared in the issue of March 2-8, 2005
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http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4200230
'Don't Invite Sinn Fein To White House'
By Anthony Looch, PA Lords Staff
The Government today rejected a call to press the American administration not to invite Sinn Fein MPs Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness to the White House St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
It was up to the US to decide this for itself, said Leader of the Lords and Cabinet Minister Baroness Amos.
She was replying to Tory spokesman, Lord Glentoran, who asked what representations the Government had made about the March 17 celebrations.
Lady Amos replied: “We have a regular dialogue with the US administration on a range of issues relating to Northern Ireland and have made it clear that the decision about who should attend the White House festivities in March is a matter for the US administration alone.”
Lord Glentoran said he was “somewhat less than happy” with the reply.
He added: “Given that both the British and Irish governments agree that Sinn Fein and the IRA are indivisible, and are organised crime machines, the British Government should make representations at the highest level regarding possible White House invitations on St Patrick’s Day to this organisation.”
Lady Amos replied: “We have said on a number of occasions that the IRA and Sinn Fein are inextricably linked, but with respect to possible White House invitations, it really is a matter for the US administration.”
There was laughter when Tory St John of Fawsley said: “St Patrick is historically credited with having driven most of the snakes from Ireland. Is it not possible that the attendance of these gentlemen at this sacred function will enable him to continue his work?”
Lady Amos replied: “That is a question best left unanswered.”
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http://www.irishecho.com/newspaper/story.cfm?id=16082
Analysis: Sinn Fein Feels The Heat
By Paul Colgan
The Irish government laid it on the line for Sinn Fein last weekend -- though few seemed to notice. While the media was consumed with the fallout from the Robert McCartney murder, Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern spelled out the Irish government's new line on Sinn Fein.
He told the Irish News Friday that Sinn Fein would not be readmitted to Government Buildings in Dublin until it came prepared with a plan to disband the IRA.
"Our door will be open obviously to further discussions, but it has to be on the basis that there has to be a clear and demonstrable move toward full decommissioning and an end to paramilitarism and criminality," Ahern said. "We can't help in any way. It is up to them."
This is not the first time that Ahern has engaged in straight talking about Sinn Fein. Last September, following the collapse of the Leeds Castle talks initiative, he said he looked forward to the day that republicans would be in government both North and South.
The comments provoked some frantic backtracking. Government sources briefed against the minister, suggesting he had spoken out of turn -- putting some much-needed distance between Ahern and the taoiseach.
However, it emerged days later that Sinn Fein had requested that the Irish government make just such a gesture during negotiations. It is thought the republican leadership had sought an overture from Fianna Fail in order to help sell IRA disbandment to its grassroots. The prospect of coalition government would help soothe any anger in republican heartlands.
Ahern had been given the job of flying the kite. He no doubt felt a little peeved at the subsequent denials.
Friday's remarks, however, came with the taoiseach's full backing.
Any remaining ambiguity about what was said between Gerry Adams and Bertie Ahern in their last meeting, in January, has been cleared up. When Justice Minister Michael McDowell said the government had told Sinn Fein to go away and "reflect," doubts remained about just what this meant.
Though the meeting was undoubtedly fraught -- coming only weeks after the Northern Bank heist -- it remained unclear how the two sides would proceed. Would the government persist with these high-profile pow-wows despite the fallout from the Northern Bank raid late last year?
The ball, as far as the Irish government is concerned, is now firmly in the republicans' court.
The continued fallout from the murder of Robert McCartney on Jan. 30 has strengthened Bertie Ahern's hand in recent weeks. At the time of the killing it was thought that Sinn Fein and the IRA would largely escape recrimination.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland moved quickly to rule out the possibility that the murder had been sanctioned by the IRA, though did not rule out the involvement of IRA members. However, as details about an IRA coverup emerged into the public domain, the incident took on a different momentum.
The McCartney family, who had previously supported Sinn Fein, accused the republican movement of looking to protect the perpetrators. They called on senior politicians to do all in their power to bring the culprits to book.
The expulsion at the weekend of three IRA men who were involved in the murder has done little to calm anger. Vigils have been held in the Short Strand enclave at which senior Sinn Fein politicians such as Alex Maskey have been barracked by angry family members and their supporters.
Sinn Fein has found itself outmaneuvered on a number of fronts.
Amid the recriminations surrounding the bank robbery, Sinn Fein could point to a lack of evidence or arrests. Republican supporters, as evidenced in a recent Irish Times opinion poll, largely believed the IRA's denial of involvement.
The McCartney murder, however, has much more resonance with ordinary nationalists. Joe Reilly, Sinn Fein's candidate in the Meath by-election, has conceded that while his constituents largely laugh off the bank job, many of them are angered by the murder. It is a much more emotive issue and has the potential to undermine republican support.
The governments have not sought to exploit the killing in the same way they have the bank robbery and the discovery of an IRA money-laundering operation in the Republic. There is no such need -- ordinary nationalists and republicans, both North and South, are already outraged by it.
An interesting barometer of nationalist opinion in the North in the last few days has been the new Andersonstown News Group-published Daily Ireland newspaper. The paper, even before its publication, had to endure claims that it would slavishly follow the republican line. Justice Minister Michael McDowell accused the paper of being a "Provo Front" two weeks ago -- a claim over which he is being sued.
In an editorial on Monday entitled "IRA just can't wash its hands," the paper said the controversy surrounding republican reaction to the murder was not created by those who sought to undermine Sinn Fein.
"Republicans are aggrieved and many are privately of the opinion that the McCartney affair is just the latest in [a] tirade of opprobrium that has been directed at them in recent months. Nothing could be further from the truth," said the paper leader.
"The McCartney family does not want to be on the television and in the newspapers asking republicans to do the right thing -- they have been forced into the limelight because of events that were not of their doing."
The editorial concluded: "This is an ongoing process in which the IRA is a significant factor. That process will not end until someone is in the dock."
Meanwhile, Gerry Adams's response, unprecedented though it may be, has not let republicans off the hook.
Adams has said that had he been involved in the events himself, he would have made himself available to the courts. In previous statements, Sinn Fein has said that anyone with information should go to whomever they feel appropriate. Significantly, the party has not ruled out that people go to the police.
However, amid reports that the chief suspect has fled the North and of a failure of witnesses to come forward in any significant number, questions still hang over the republican movement. The pressure on Sinn Fein shows no signs of letting up in the short term.
Republicans might just now come around to the notion that it is indeed time for the IRA to go away. If Dermot Ahern is to be believed, then either that happens or republicans will have to remain out in the cold.
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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/8698
Reilly Challenges Cassells To Debate On Irish Unity
Published: 2 March, 2005
Sinn Féin candidate for the Meath by-election, Councillor Joe Reilly has challenged Fianna Fáil candidate, Shane Cassells to a debate on Irish unity. Speaking in Meath today Councillor Reilly said that there was an "urgent need" for a debate on this issue and that "the voters of Meath needed to know each candidate's position on Irish unity."
He said, "Last Friday Sinn Féin launched a campaign for a green paper on Irish unity. We in Sinn Féin believe that a united Ireland is not just a pipedream but a political reality which we need to to be planning for now. Therefore it is the responsibility of the Government to prepare for that eventuality.
"A united Ireland is also a stated aim of Fianna Fáil so I am calling on their candidate, Shane Cassells, to come and debate this issue with me and discuss how we can drive forward this common goal of our two parties. There is an urgent need for this issue to be debated before the election, the voters of Meath need to know each candidate's position on Irish unity.
"Fianna Fáil claim to be the republican party, so surely they should engage positively with this campaign. After all what is an Irish republican if not someone who strives for Irish unity. The question is though, is Shane Cassells a republican? Will he support the call for a green paper on Irish unity?" ENDS
Overall Table of Contents
Table of Contents – Mar 2005
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Overall Table of Contents
Table of Contents – Mar 2005
SM 03/02/05 Date Set For Inquiry Into Nelson Murder
SF 03/02/05 Adams - Whoever Killed McCartney Should Come Forward
SF 03/02/05 All Avenues Of Info Should Be Kept Open - Ó Caoláin
SF 03/02/05 Sinn Féin Welcome For Ombudsman Move
BT 03/02/05 Mag Brands Belfast Most Racist City – Blames On Loyalists
IE 03/02/05 U.S. Group Tells Irish Officials Of North Concerns
RE 03/02/05 Sinn Fein's EU Cash Comes Under Scrutiny
SM 03/02/05 McDowell Denounces IRA/Sinn Fein 'Threat To Democracy'
IE 03/02/05 McGuinness Backs Out Of U.S. Tour
SM 03/02/05 'Don't Invite Sinn Fein To White House'
IE 03/02/05 Analysis: Sinn Fein Feels The Heat
SF 03/02/05 Reilly Challenges Cassells To Debate On Irish Unity
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http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4201080
Date Set For Inquiry Into Nelson Murder
By Ian Graham, PA
The public inquiry into the brutal murder of County Armagh solicitor Rosemary Nelson is to get under way in April, it was announced tonight, 6 years after a bomb blew up her car.
The inquiry is the first of four recommended by retired Canadian judge Peter Cory after he investigated allegations of security force collusion in the murders and said they needed further probing.
The Government has also given the green light to inquiries into the murder of LVF leader Billy Wright, shot dead by members of the INLA inside the Maze Prison in 1997, and Catholic Robert Hamill who died in hospital after being attacked by a loyalist mob in his home town of Portadown, Co Armagh, in 1997.
An inquiry into the most controversial of the murders, that of Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane, shot dead in front of his family in his north Belfast home by the UFF in 1989, has been blocked by the Government until all legal proceedings have been completed.
Ms Nelson, aged 40, died when a booby-trap bomb exploded under her car as she drove away from her home in Lurgan. No-one has been convicted or even charged with the murder.
The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry will hold its opening hearing at the Craigavon Civic Centre in County Armagh on April 19. A date for the start of the full hearing will be set as soon after the opening as possible.
It will be chaired by retired English High Court judge Sir Michael Moreland, sitting with Dame Valerie Strachan, former chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise, and Sir Anthony Burden, former Chief Constable of South Wales.
In a statement, they made clear their intention to carry out their task with “rigour, thoroughness and fairness” and to adopt “flexible, even-handed and open procedures” which would enable them to expeditiously and economically establish the facts and to make recommendations.
They said they hoped and expected to receive co-operation from all persons or organisations with relevant material or evidence.
However, the inquiry team said it had vested in it powers to compel people or organisations to provide it with information, documentation and evidence, and “would not hesitate to use the powers” should it decide it necessary.
The inquiry said it intended to issue a very limited number of persons or organisations with the status of Full Participants able to be represented throughout the inquiry.
They are:
Paul Nelson, Rosemary Nelson’s husband, also representing their children.
Sheila Magee, Mrs Nelson’s mother, also representing Mrs Nelson’s brothers and sisters.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland on its own behalf and as representing the former RUC and serving, former or retired officers of the RUC and PSNI.
The Northern Ireland Office.
The inquiry team said it had deferred a decision on whether any witnesses should be granted some form of immunity from any possible future prosecution based on their own evidence until after further investigation of documentary material had been undertaken.
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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/8702
Adams - Whoever Killed Robert McCartney Should Come Forward
Published: 2 March, 2005
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams commenting on the murder of Robert McCartney today said:
"Some days ago I reiterated my support for the McCartney family and I called on anyone and everyone with information that might help the family in their quest for truth and justice to come forward.
My clear intention in doing so was to encourage those who have information to make that information available so that whoever is responsible for the killing of Robert McCartney is brought to justice.
I note that this has not happened. And although many people have come forward - others have not, particularly some who may have been directly involved in Robert's murder. In my view these people must give a full account through whatever conduit they chose.
I want also to restate with absolute clarity that whoever killed Robert McCartney should come forward and take responsibility for this. That is what I meant when I said that if I was involved I would make myself accountable to the courts.
So far Robert McCartney's killer has not had the courage to do this. Self-preservation and selfishness will not prevail in this case.
I am not letting this issue go until those who have sullied the republican cause are made to account for their action." ENDS
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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/8707
All Avenues Of Information Should Be Kept Open - Ó Caoláin
Published: 2 March, 2005
Sinn Féin Dáil group leader, Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin TD in extending his sympathy to the McCartney family on the "brutal murder of Robert" said he saluted "their courage and determination to achieve truth and justice." Deputy Ó Caoláin reiterated the Party's call for "anyone with information to come forward with that information."
He went on to say, "Because we want to see truth and justice for the McCartney family we should not close off any avenue through which information or evidence can be brought to light. Sinn Féin has not sought to close off any avenue.
"Sinn Féin supports the thrust of the Fine Gael motion. We do not want to delete one word of it. However, in failing to recognise a reality that even the PSNI itself concedes, the final paragraph restricts the means by which information may be given in order to help bring the killers to justice. For this reason Sinn Féin asked Fine Gael to accept our amendment which does not detract one iota, but adds to the motion before us. Their refusal is very regrettable.
"I have to say with regret that the refusal of the Fine Gael party to accept a reasonable proposition, and their contributions and those of others in the House, shows what I can only call a cynical exploitation of this very serious issue and for the narrowest of political motives.
"If this essential amendment is defeated we must very regrettably withhold our endorsement of the motion before us and only because it is too narrow in its construction.
"Make no mistake, we are not interested in engaging in a party political battle on this issue. Some may be satisfied with a headline tomorrow "Sinn Féin isolated‚ as an outcome of tonight‚s debate. I believe what the vast majority of people are interested in are truth and justice for the bereaved and that is what we in Sinn Féin will continue to pursue."
Deputy Ó Caoláin was also highly critical of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, who he said was "blinded by his own deep-rooted antipathy towards Sinn Féin". The Cavan/Monaghan TD said, "The logic of that u-turn and of all the information now before this House is that every Deputy who truly wants to see justice served in this deplorable case should accept and support the amendment put forward by the Sinn Féin deputies.
Full text
All avenues of information should be kept open
On my own behalf and on behalf of my fellow Sinn Féin TDs I extend deepest sympathy to the McCartney family. The brutal murder of Robert devastated a family and shocked a local community deeply. I met with the McCartney family and Robert's partner here in Leinster House last week and I salute their courage and their determination to achieve truth and justice.
As the Sinn Féin leadership locally and nationally has done many times, I reiterate the call for anyone with information on this murder and the circumstances surrounding it to come forward with that information and to actively assist the family. I want to put on record some of what Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said today:
"My clear intention ∑ was to encourage those who have information to make that information available so that whoever is responsible for the killing of Robert McCartney is brought to justice. I note that this has not happened. And although many people have come forward - others have not, particularly some who may have been directly involved in Robert's murder. In my view these people must give a full account through whatever conduit they choose.
"I want also to restate with absolute clarity that whoever killed Robert McCartney should come forward and take responsibility for this. That is what I meant when I said that if I was involved I would make myself accountable to the courts. So far Robert McCartney's killer has not had the courage to do this. Self-preservation and selfishness will not prevail in this case. I am not letting this issue go until those who have sullied the republican cause are made to account for their action."
Because we want to see truth and justice for the McCartney family we should not close off any avenue through which information or evidence can be brought to light. Sinn Féin has not sought to close off any avenue. People have gone to the PSNI and I have no doubt others will do so. That is their right and no-one should stand in their way. There are others who do not trust or support the PSNI ˆ and not because of what Sinn Féin says but because of their own experiences and that of the communities they come from at the hands of the Northern state. For those people there are other
avenues which can and must be used if they have relevant information.
This fact has been pointed out by the McCartney family themselves who have said that those with valid reasons for not going to the PSNI should go to a solicitor, the Police Ombudsman or whoever they are comfortable with. Hugh Orde said today he would encourage people to go through a third party if they did not feel confident about going to the PSNI directly. He compared it to his experiences in London, where "some communities who didn't trust us" would go through third parties.
The PSNI also recognised this reality when they began the re-investigation of the loyalist killing of Sean Brown in Bellaghy, Co. Derry. They issued an appeal which encouraged people to use a named firm of solicitors or the Pat Finucane Centre to bring forward information as an alternative to dealing directly with the PSNI. Deputy Kenny‚s efforts to portray this otherwise merit only contempt.
And I note that this evening it has been announced that the Police Ombudsman will take statements on the murder of Robert McCartney.
Sinn Féin supports the thrust of the Fine Gael motion. We do not want to delete one word of it. However, in failing to recognise a reality that even the PSNI itself concedes, the final paragraph restricts the means by which information may be given in order to help bring the killers to justice. For this reason Sinn Féin asked Fine Gael to accept our amendment which does not detract one iota, but adds to the motion before us. Their refusal is very regrettable.
Time does not allow me to respond to the stream of party political invective against Sinn Féin that we heard here last night and again tonight. I have to say with regret that the refusal of the Fine Gael party to accept a reasonable proposition, and their contributions and those of others in the House, shows what I can only call a cynical exploitation of this very serious issue and for the narrowest of political motives.
Misinformation has been flung around this chamber, not least by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Last night he stated: "The only information that will help put the killers of Robert McCartney behind bars is information given directly to the PSNI which will lead to statements that can be used as evidence in a court of law." The Minister had to alter his emphatic position of last evening when the PSNI itself recognized that there were other ways to bring forward information. And so the Minister who, like so many others, was blinded by his own deep-rooted antipathy towards Sinn Féin, had to do a complete u-turn today and faced reality when he said people could use other avenues also. The logic of that u-turn and of all the information now before this House is that every Deputy who truly wants to see justice served in this deplorable case should accept and support the amendment put forward by the Sinn Féin deputies. If this essential amendment is defeated we must very regrettably withhold our endorsement of the motion before us and only because it is too narrow in its construction.
Make no mistake, we are not interested in engaging in a party political battle on this issue. Some may be satisfied with a headline tomorrow "Sinn Féin isolated" as an outcome of tonight's debate. I believe what the vast majority of people are interested in are truth and justice for the bereaved and that is what we in Sinn Féin will continue to pursue.
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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/8704
Sinn Féin Welcome For Ombudsman Move
Published: 2 March, 2005
Sinn Féin Councillor Joe O'Donnell has welcomed indications from the Police Ombudsman that she is willing to play a role in helping to achieve justice for the McCartney family.
Cllr. O'Donnell said:
" Sinn Féin have consistently argued that people should bring forward information relating to the killing of Robert McCartney through whatever channel they deemed appropriate. We recognised that some would deem the PSNI appropriate whereas others for very good reason do not trust that organisation.
" It is our belief that these people should not be prevented in bringing forward any information they might have. The suggestion that the Police Ombudsman could become involved is obviously one which Sinn Féin would support as a channel for bringing forward relevant information. In the past I have encouraged people to make statements to the Police Ombudsman relating to other matters in this area and would obviously do so again in this case." ENDS
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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=616179
Mag Brands Belfast Most Racist City
Der Spiegel lays blame on loyalists.
by Debra Douglas
02 March 2005
An influential international magazine has branded Belfast the most racist city in the world, it emerged today.
In an article in German magazine Der Spiegel about recent political developments in Northern Ireland, loyalist paramilitaries were referred to as "criminals and drug dealers" who "assault Chinese immigrants, paint swastikas on walls and have managed to turn Belfast into the world's most racist city".
Margaret Donaghy, chief officer at the Multi-Cultural Resource Centre (Northern Ireland) said describing Belfast as the most racist city was a "fair comment" .
"Statistics prove it. We have a high ratio of racist attacks here - particularly in south Belfast - and they can go from name calling to petrol bombing.
"Over the past four or five years, there has been an increase in the number of incidents although that could be in part to more people coming forward to report them.
"It doesn't make Belfast a 'no-go area' but there are areas we would not recommend to people," she said.
The comment, by reporter Matthias Matussek, comes as the PSNI is ordered to tackle hate crime.
The latest statistics show that between April and June 2004, there were 66 racist incidents reported in Belfast and a total of 147 across Northern Ireland.
Between August and September there were 68 incidents recorded in Belfast and 171 across Northern Ireland and between October and December, there were 44 in Belfast and 156 in Northern Ireland.
The problem of racist attacks hit the headlines last year when the UVF instigated a campaign to drive ethnic-minority groups out of south Belfast.
Leaflets were also distributed in the area, voicing opposition to the building of a Chinese community centre in the area.
In November, more than 100 people attended a rally in north Belfast to condemn racist attacks after graffiti was painted on houses at Queen Victoria Gardens and Fortwilliam Parade ordering members of the Chinese and Filipino communities to get out. Swastikas and other slogans were also sprayed.
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http://www.irishecho.com/newspaper/story.cfm?id=16092
U.S. Group Tells Irish Officials Of North Concerns
By Ray O'Hanlon
rohanlon@irishecho.com
The crisis in the peace process was the spur for a meeting at the Irish Consulate in New York last week between Irish American leaders and Irish diplomats.
The activists, working under the umbrella group Unity in Action Committee of National Irish American Organizations, expressed its deep concern over political and media pressure being brought to bear on Sinn Féin in recent weeks following the Northern Bank robbery and the murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney, allegedly by IRA members.
"There was a frank exchange of views, but overall it was a cordial meeting," Ned McGinley, national president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, said.
The AOH was joined at the meeting by representatives of a number of organizations, including the Brehon Law Society, the Irish American Unity Conference and Irish Northern Aid.
The Irish government was represented by its ambassador to the U.S., Noel Fahey, and the consul general in New York, Eugene Hutchinson.
McGinley said that during the meeting he had expressed "complete confidence" in the leadership of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. This, he indicated, was the overall view of the Unity in Action Committee.
McGinley said that the Irish diplomats had emphasized the need for an end to all criminality.
There was agreement, he said, that the peace process had to be maintained and moved forward. There had also been assurances given that the Irish government continued to view the process as inclusive and open to all the political parties.
The Unity in Action Committee was the group behind the recent letter to both Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in which it was claimed that Sinn Féin was being unfairly maligned by the police investigation of the Northern Bank robbery in particular.
The same group has since written in similar vein to President Bush, urging him to maintain U.S. involvement in the quest for a settlement, but also criticizing Dublin and London.
The letter to Bush said that the signatories were "convinced" that U.S. involvement was needed more than ever, "given the parochial interests" that appeared to be driving actions by the British and Irish governments, and the unionist political parties.
"We ask that the U.S. government demand that the parties to this conflict, as well as the two governments, stick to the realities of conflict resolution, not allegations and petty politics," the letter to Bush stated.
"We also hope that our own government avoids jumping on the anti-Sinn Féin bandwagon based upon politically motivated speculation," the letter added.
This story appeared in the issue of March 2-8, 2005
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http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-03-02T191903Z_01_SIN268678_RTRUKOC_0_EU-IRISH-CRIME.xml
Sinn Fein's EU Cash Comes Under Scrutiny
Wed Mar 2, 2005 7:19 PM GMT
By Aine Gallagher
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Parliament is studying a request to strip Northern Ireland's largest Catholic party Sinn Fein of EU allowances as punishment for alleged links to crime, officials say.
The move piles more pressure on the party, which has two seats in the EU assembly and has been under fire from Britain, Ireland and its political opponents in Belfast over alleged crimes by its Irish Republican Army (IRA) guerrilla ally.
Dublin and London blame the IRA, which fought a bloody campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland before calling a ceasefire in 1997, for a 26.5 million pound bank robbery in Belfast. It denies the allegation.
The EU assembly's legal service is studying a request from about 10 British right-wing deputies to strip Sinn Fein of its expenses payments, said Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson.
"I've received requests ... to take the same action as the (British) Westminster parliament in withdrawing financial support from Sinn Fein through their expenses ... because of events ... like the Northern Bank (raid)," he told Reuters.
Nicholson, a Protestant unionist who supports British rule in the province, heads a cross-party body which looks after MEPs' financial and administrative needs in the assembly.
He said he has sent the request for financial penalties against Sinn Fein to the legal service to find out if there were grounds for action.
But a parliament official said it was unlikely the EU assembly would have the power to fine elected politicians.
"This is not Westminster," he said.
The British government has already begun moves to strip Sinn Fein members of their Westminster allowances. The party says it is the victim of a politically motivated smear.
Sinn Fein is the political ally of the IRA but denies it has any direct links to the outlawed group. Britain and Ireland say the two are inextricably linked with overlapping leaderships.
Adding to the pressure on Sinn Fein, the European Parliament will quiz the party over alleged links to IRA crime on Monday.
"We will have a number of speakers calling on all political parties to ensure that their members obey the normal rules of democracy where anybody ... engaging in criminal activity should be answerable to the police," said an official from a left-wing party.
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http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4201107
Minister Denounces IRA/Sinn Fein 'Threat To Democracy'
By Senan Hogan, PA
The murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney was cowardly and nakedly evil, Irish justice minister Michael McDowell said tonight.
Speaking during an Irish parliamentary motion urging witnesses to come forward, he said Irish people were beginning to realise the threat posed by Sinn Fein and the IRA to democracy on their island.
He said that murder, torture and mutilation were the stock-in trade of the Provisional movement.
But he warned that people shouldn’t be fooled that the IRA is responsible for the thuggery and criminality and that Sinn Fein “is some separate democratic chrysalis seeking to break out of a paramilitary cocoon and to become an exclusively peaceful and democratic butterfly”.
Mr McCartney was knifed and beaten to death in a pub brawl by a drunken IRA mob which later forensically cleaned the crime scene and intimidated more than 70 witnesses.
Mr McDowell added: “The public is beginning to see the shape of the threat to democracy posed by a movement which uses crime on a massive scale to engage in politics. What is on view is but the tip of the iceberg.”
He said the IRA never intended to go away but mutate into a “lightly-armed gendarmerie who would in future act as the enforcers for the criminal and control strategy underpinning Sinn Fein’s drive for political power”.
Praising the McCartney sisters – Paula, Gemma, Catherine, Donna and Claire – and Robert’s partner Bridgeen, Mr McDowell said he was lost in admiration for their unique combination of bravery, dignity, determination and hunger for justice.
“These brave women refused to be trampled down by thuggery. They refused to let the light of justice be snuffed out by fear.”
Sinn Fein’s Dail leader Caoimhghin O Caolain earlier insisted that every avenue must be kept open for witnesses to come forward.
But he said it was “very regrettable” that an amendment to the Fine Gael motion could not be accepted by the party.
“It shows what I can only call a cynical exploitation of this very serious issue for the narrowest of political motives,” he said.
Labour deputy leader Liz McManus said Mr McCartney was “cut open like a gutted fish, brutally kicked in the head and left to die”.
She said the McCartney sisters were ordinary women who had become extraordinary out of their tragedy.
“Tonight the democratic community in the Dail Eireann stand here with them.”
She claimed that the IRA had killed more than the UDA, UFF, UVF, RUC and British Army – and included 400 Catholics among its victims.
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http://www.irishecho.com/newspaper/story.cfm?id=16084
McGuinness Backs Out Of U.S. Tour
PHOTOCALL Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness will remain in Ireland to deal with his party's unfolding political crisis.
By Susan Falvella Garraty
sfgarraty@irishecho.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Martin McGuinness has backed out of an upcoming U.S. tour by Sinn Féin party leaders. A statement from the U.S.-based Friends of Sinn Féin said that due to the seriousness of the situation in Ireland, "McGuinness would not be traveling over the St. Patrick's Day period."
A statement from the party in Ireland said that the political situation was "much too grave" for both party president Gerry Adams and McGuinness to be out of Ireland at the same time.
Adams was still intending to travel, but there was a question mark at press time over MLA and former Belfast Mayor Alex Maskey.
Maskey was still listed for the party's tour, but his itinerary could be shortened or even canceled entirely, said FOSF president Larry Downes.
Sinn Féin, meanwhile, will not request visas with fundraising provisions for the Adams U.S. visit.
The party stands to lose thousands of dollars by not engaging in fundraising activities during the week long tour of several U.S. cities.
The party was first allowed fundraise in the U.S. by the Clinton administration 10 years ago.
According to the Sinn Féin statement, the party leadership "was concerned that there was a likelihood that fundraising would become a contentious issue for the U.S. government," and a distraction from the necessary work of rebuilding the peace process.
Gerry Adams will travel to New York, Washington, Philadelphia and events in Ohio, Downes confirmed. He will begin his visit March 12 with an event in Cincinnati.
But Adams will not be an invited guest at the White house on St. Patrick's Day. The decision to rescind what has been an annual invitation to Adams, or a deputy, comes amid the roiling controversy over the Northern Bank robbery and the murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney.
Sinn Féin was left off the White House guest list once before in 1996 following the Provisional IRA's Canary Wharf bombing in London.
However, Sinn Féin is not alone in being shut out of the upcoming executive mansion bash.
U.S. officials were upset by the recent rhetoric of DUP leader Rev. Ian Paisley when he demanded that republicans should experience "humiliation" in order to restart the North's stalled political process.
The White House accepted advice from the U.S. special envoy to the peace process, Ambassador Mitchell Reiss, not to completely isolate Sinn Féin by scrubbing just that party's leadership from the guest list.
Instead, it was decided to rescind invitations to all the North parties.
"None of them looked like exactly enticing guests," an official said.
Irish minister for foreign affairs, Dermot Ahern, endorsed this approach when he met Mitchell Reiss in Washington last month.
The White House decision also means that the SDLP will not be invited, an outcome that has angered that party's leadership.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is, meanwhile, expected in the White House on March 17 to present the traditional bowl of shamrock to President Bush.
(Ray O'Hanlon contributed to this report.)
This story appeared in the issue of March 2-8, 2005
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http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4200230
'Don't Invite Sinn Fein To White House'
By Anthony Looch, PA Lords Staff
The Government today rejected a call to press the American administration not to invite Sinn Fein MPs Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness to the White House St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
It was up to the US to decide this for itself, said Leader of the Lords and Cabinet Minister Baroness Amos.
She was replying to Tory spokesman, Lord Glentoran, who asked what representations the Government had made about the March 17 celebrations.
Lady Amos replied: “We have a regular dialogue with the US administration on a range of issues relating to Northern Ireland and have made it clear that the decision about who should attend the White House festivities in March is a matter for the US administration alone.”
Lord Glentoran said he was “somewhat less than happy” with the reply.
He added: “Given that both the British and Irish governments agree that Sinn Fein and the IRA are indivisible, and are organised crime machines, the British Government should make representations at the highest level regarding possible White House invitations on St Patrick’s Day to this organisation.”
Lady Amos replied: “We have said on a number of occasions that the IRA and Sinn Fein are inextricably linked, but with respect to possible White House invitations, it really is a matter for the US administration.”
There was laughter when Tory St John of Fawsley said: “St Patrick is historically credited with having driven most of the snakes from Ireland. Is it not possible that the attendance of these gentlemen at this sacred function will enable him to continue his work?”
Lady Amos replied: “That is a question best left unanswered.”
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http://www.irishecho.com/newspaper/story.cfm?id=16082
Analysis: Sinn Fein Feels The Heat
By Paul Colgan
The Irish government laid it on the line for Sinn Fein last weekend -- though few seemed to notice. While the media was consumed with the fallout from the Robert McCartney murder, Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern spelled out the Irish government's new line on Sinn Fein.
He told the Irish News Friday that Sinn Fein would not be readmitted to Government Buildings in Dublin until it came prepared with a plan to disband the IRA.
"Our door will be open obviously to further discussions, but it has to be on the basis that there has to be a clear and demonstrable move toward full decommissioning and an end to paramilitarism and criminality," Ahern said. "We can't help in any way. It is up to them."
This is not the first time that Ahern has engaged in straight talking about Sinn Fein. Last September, following the collapse of the Leeds Castle talks initiative, he said he looked forward to the day that republicans would be in government both North and South.
The comments provoked some frantic backtracking. Government sources briefed against the minister, suggesting he had spoken out of turn -- putting some much-needed distance between Ahern and the taoiseach.
However, it emerged days later that Sinn Fein had requested that the Irish government make just such a gesture during negotiations. It is thought the republican leadership had sought an overture from Fianna Fail in order to help sell IRA disbandment to its grassroots. The prospect of coalition government would help soothe any anger in republican heartlands.
Ahern had been given the job of flying the kite. He no doubt felt a little peeved at the subsequent denials.
Friday's remarks, however, came with the taoiseach's full backing.
Any remaining ambiguity about what was said between Gerry Adams and Bertie Ahern in their last meeting, in January, has been cleared up. When Justice Minister Michael McDowell said the government had told Sinn Fein to go away and "reflect," doubts remained about just what this meant.
Though the meeting was undoubtedly fraught -- coming only weeks after the Northern Bank heist -- it remained unclear how the two sides would proceed. Would the government persist with these high-profile pow-wows despite the fallout from the Northern Bank raid late last year?
The ball, as far as the Irish government is concerned, is now firmly in the republicans' court.
The continued fallout from the murder of Robert McCartney on Jan. 30 has strengthened Bertie Ahern's hand in recent weeks. At the time of the killing it was thought that Sinn Fein and the IRA would largely escape recrimination.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland moved quickly to rule out the possibility that the murder had been sanctioned by the IRA, though did not rule out the involvement of IRA members. However, as details about an IRA coverup emerged into the public domain, the incident took on a different momentum.
The McCartney family, who had previously supported Sinn Fein, accused the republican movement of looking to protect the perpetrators. They called on senior politicians to do all in their power to bring the culprits to book.
The expulsion at the weekend of three IRA men who were involved in the murder has done little to calm anger. Vigils have been held in the Short Strand enclave at which senior Sinn Fein politicians such as Alex Maskey have been barracked by angry family members and their supporters.
Sinn Fein has found itself outmaneuvered on a number of fronts.
Amid the recriminations surrounding the bank robbery, Sinn Fein could point to a lack of evidence or arrests. Republican supporters, as evidenced in a recent Irish Times opinion poll, largely believed the IRA's denial of involvement.
The McCartney murder, however, has much more resonance with ordinary nationalists. Joe Reilly, Sinn Fein's candidate in the Meath by-election, has conceded that while his constituents largely laugh off the bank job, many of them are angered by the murder. It is a much more emotive issue and has the potential to undermine republican support.
The governments have not sought to exploit the killing in the same way they have the bank robbery and the discovery of an IRA money-laundering operation in the Republic. There is no such need -- ordinary nationalists and republicans, both North and South, are already outraged by it.
An interesting barometer of nationalist opinion in the North in the last few days has been the new Andersonstown News Group-published Daily Ireland newspaper. The paper, even before its publication, had to endure claims that it would slavishly follow the republican line. Justice Minister Michael McDowell accused the paper of being a "Provo Front" two weeks ago -- a claim over which he is being sued.
In an editorial on Monday entitled "IRA just can't wash its hands," the paper said the controversy surrounding republican reaction to the murder was not created by those who sought to undermine Sinn Fein.
"Republicans are aggrieved and many are privately of the opinion that the McCartney affair is just the latest in [a] tirade of opprobrium that has been directed at them in recent months. Nothing could be further from the truth," said the paper leader.
"The McCartney family does not want to be on the television and in the newspapers asking republicans to do the right thing -- they have been forced into the limelight because of events that were not of their doing."
The editorial concluded: "This is an ongoing process in which the IRA is a significant factor. That process will not end until someone is in the dock."
Meanwhile, Gerry Adams's response, unprecedented though it may be, has not let republicans off the hook.
Adams has said that had he been involved in the events himself, he would have made himself available to the courts. In previous statements, Sinn Fein has said that anyone with information should go to whomever they feel appropriate. Significantly, the party has not ruled out that people go to the police.
However, amid reports that the chief suspect has fled the North and of a failure of witnesses to come forward in any significant number, questions still hang over the republican movement. The pressure on Sinn Fein shows no signs of letting up in the short term.
Republicans might just now come around to the notion that it is indeed time for the IRA to go away. If Dermot Ahern is to be believed, then either that happens or republicans will have to remain out in the cold.
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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/8698
Reilly Challenges Cassells To Debate On Irish Unity
Published: 2 March, 2005
Sinn Féin candidate for the Meath by-election, Councillor Joe Reilly has challenged Fianna Fáil candidate, Shane Cassells to a debate on Irish unity. Speaking in Meath today Councillor Reilly said that there was an "urgent need" for a debate on this issue and that "the voters of Meath needed to know each candidate's position on Irish unity."
He said, "Last Friday Sinn Féin launched a campaign for a green paper on Irish unity. We in Sinn Féin believe that a united Ireland is not just a pipedream but a political reality which we need to to be planning for now. Therefore it is the responsibility of the Government to prepare for that eventuality.
"A united Ireland is also a stated aim of Fianna Fáil so I am calling on their candidate, Shane Cassells, to come and debate this issue with me and discuss how we can drive forward this common goal of our two parties. There is an urgent need for this issue to be debated before the election, the voters of Meath need to know each candidate's position on Irish unity.
"Fianna Fáil claim to be the republican party, so surely they should engage positively with this campaign. After all what is an Irish republican if not someone who strives for Irish unity. The question is though, is Shane Cassells a republican? Will he support the call for a green paper on Irish unity?" ENDS
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