Links
- Irish Aires Home Page
- IA Houston Links
- IA Links Page
- IA News Links
- Irish Aires Archived
- IA Email Lists
- Irish Aires Blog
- IAUC
Archives
- October 2004
- November 2004
- December 2004
- January 2005
- February 2005
- March 2005
- April 2005
- May 2005
- June 2005
- July 2005
- August 2005
- September 2005
- October 2005
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- November 2008
- December 2008
- February 2009
- April 2009
- May 2009
- January 2010
- April 2011
- May 2011
- June 2011
- July 2011
- August 2011
- February 2012
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)
July 19, 2006
Accusations Fly As Treaty Gets DC Hearing
CALLOUT:
"Not only do Irish Americans feel threatened, but also
this law threatens both due process and judicial review
as it pertains to all United States citizens." LETTER
FROM AOH
Accusations Fly As Revised Treaty Gets D.C. Hearing
By Ray O'Hanlon
rohanlon@irishecho.com
More than just controversy over its precise provisions
is swirling around the revised U.S./U.K. Extradition
Treaty, set for another hearing in Washington this
week.
Irish-American activists were up in arms at the outset
of the week claiming betrayal of a promise made by top
members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last
November.
Leading the charge of accusers was Professor Francis
Boyle of the University of Illinois who, as of Monday,
was being allotted all of seven minutes to voice
collective Irish-American fears over the treaty at a
Capitol Hill hearing set for Wednesday.
The latest hearing is part of what has been a drawn-out
process of ratification for a document signed almost
three years and four months ago.
Boyle's was the sole voice from among a long line of
Irish American objectors being permitted to speak and
he reacted angrily to what he saw as a diminution of
Irish-American critical input.
By Tuesday, however, the Foreign Relations Committee
had apparently relented. The hearing was moved to
Friday with Boyle's testimony to be accompanied by
additional, supportive statements from the Ancient
Order of Hibernians and the Irish-American Unity
Conference.
The revised treaty was signed in March 2003 by then
U.S. attorney general, John Ashcroft, and the British
home secretary at the time, David Blunkett.
In his remarks at the signing ceremony, Ashcroft made
no specific reference to any conflict, group or
country. However, Irish-American activist groups
immediately saw Northern Ireland between the treaty's
lines.
Objections were immediately made, most notably in a
letter from the AOH to Foreign Relations chairman, Sen.
Richard Lugar, and the ranking Democrat on the
committee, Sen. Joe Biden.
The letter urged both to examine "and then oppose"
ratification of the treaty.
"Not only do Irish Americans feel threatened, but also
this law threatens both due process and judicial review
as it pertains to all United States citizens," the
letter to Lugar and Biden stated.
"This document recalls the extradition treaty signed in
London on June 8, 1972, which was subsequently amended
by the Supplementary Treaty signed in Washington on
June 25, 1985," the letter continued.
The letter argued that those treaties were sufficient
and there was no reason to feel they were inadequate
"with the exception that the present Department of
Justice wishes to curry favor with the United Kingdom."
The AOH letter said that the latest treaty would remove
the right Of U.S. citizens to protest against the
government of the United Kingdom without fear of
frivolous charges.
"There is no need for this treaty to be ratified," the
letter argued.
Objections by the AOH, Professor Boyle, the Irish
American Unity Conference, the American Civil Liberties
Union and others seemed to have an effect.
Against a backdrop of such mounting criticism the
Foreign Relations Committee declined to vote on the
revised treaty at the end of its November hearing, this
at a point where ratification had already been delayed
by more than two-and-a-half years.
Since that time it has become clear that the treaty's
scope, if ratified, would extend well beyond Irish
America as evidenced in recent days by the extradition
cases in Britain surrounding the so-called "NatWest
Three" and accused computer hacker Gary McKinnon.
Irish-American critics of the revised treaty have not
been particularly focused on these cases although Boyle
viewed the first visit to Washington last week of
current British foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, in
the context of British government efforts to finally
seal the treaty deal.
Beckett was asked about the treaty, and the Senate's
laggardness, during a joint press conference with U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Beckett replied that she could "understand and accept"
that it wasn't an American priority.
This, on the surface at least, seemed to play down the
importance once attached to the treaty by John
Ashcroft.
However, a reports in the Financial Times indicated
that Beckett, together with a second British government
visitor to Washington last week, Baroness Scotland, was
working to see the treaty advance to a full Senate
vote.
"Baroness Scotland and Margaret Beckett, the foreign
secretary, used meetings last week with senators and
administration officials to push for quick ratification
of the pact," the paper reported.
It is into this convoluted mix that Francis Boyle will
deliver his argument on Friday.
Boyle, together with the AOH and IAUC representatives,
will be arguing against a trio of treaty supporters.
One of the three is a Duke University Law professor,
Madeline Morris, who, according to Boyle, is currently
seconded to the State Department.
"According to her own CV posted on the Duke University
Law School's website ...Professor Morris currently
works for the United States Department of State, which
is already on record as supporting the extradition
treaty," Boyle wrote the Foreign Relations Committee in
advance of the hearing.
Before the Foreign Relations panel changed the hearing
date, and its composition, Boyle had complained to the
committee claiming that the presence of Morris on a
panel alongside him had violated the "solemn and public
promises" given to Irish Americans "by both Senator
Lugar and Senator [Chris] Dodd on Nov. 15, 2005 that we
Irish Americans would have a hearing all unto ourselves
in order to present the case against the treaty."
"She [Morris] is a ringer for the State Department. We
are not getting a hearing but are being set-up for a
railroading," Boyle told the Echo Monday. Boyle was
furious not just because he would share the panel alone
with Morris, but because the Hibernians, IAUC and ACLU
were to be excluded from the hearing.
In an email to the Foreign Relations Committee
confirming his attendance, Boyle highlighted the fact
that he was the sole voice representing Irish America.
He said he had never heard of Prof. Morris and that
Morris was not involved in any Irish-American
activities and causes that he was aware of.
"I can only conclude that since she is not involved in
Irish America's campaign against this treaty, that she
is appearing on the panel with me in order to support
the treaty and to disagree with me," Boyle stated.
"I have no problems with Professor Morris being on the
panel in order to disagree with me. But this panel does
not represent the public promises made by Senators
Lugar and Dodd that it would be devoted to, and
include, those Irish Americans who oppose the treaty."
He requested that opponents of the treaty have a second
panel at a later time.
"That way, there would be two panels against the treaty
and two panels in favor of the treaty. Fair is fair,"
Boyle concluded.
His plea apparently fell on receptive ears.
In addition to evidence from Boyle and Morris,
meanwhile, testimonies will also be taken at Friday's
hearing from legal representatives of the U.S. Justice
Department and again the State Department sitting on a
second, separate, panel.
Against the backdrop of the hearing, the AOH Political
Education Committee issued a "legislative alert" urging
Hibernians to contact senators to express opposition to
the treaty.
The British government, the alert charged, was putting
"a lot of pressure" on the U.S. Senate.
"The British want that treaty ratified now over the
objections of so many American citizens. Should we as
Americans bow to them or stand up to them?
"This is a non-partisan issue, this is an American
issue. It is neither conservative nor liberal. We need
you to stand up for our country and be counted," the
alert concluded.
----
To Subscribe to Irish Aires News List, click HERE.
No Message is necessary.
Or get full news from Irish Aires Yahoo Group, Click here
To Get RSS Feed for Irish Aires News click HERE (Paste http://irishaires.blogspot.com/atom.xml into a News Reader)
"Not only do Irish Americans feel threatened, but also
this law threatens both due process and judicial review
as it pertains to all United States citizens." LETTER
FROM AOH
Accusations Fly As Revised Treaty Gets D.C. Hearing
By Ray O'Hanlon
rohanlon@irishecho.com
More than just controversy over its precise provisions
is swirling around the revised U.S./U.K. Extradition
Treaty, set for another hearing in Washington this
week.
Irish-American activists were up in arms at the outset
of the week claiming betrayal of a promise made by top
members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last
November.
Leading the charge of accusers was Professor Francis
Boyle of the University of Illinois who, as of Monday,
was being allotted all of seven minutes to voice
collective Irish-American fears over the treaty at a
Capitol Hill hearing set for Wednesday.
The latest hearing is part of what has been a drawn-out
process of ratification for a document signed almost
three years and four months ago.
Boyle's was the sole voice from among a long line of
Irish American objectors being permitted to speak and
he reacted angrily to what he saw as a diminution of
Irish-American critical input.
By Tuesday, however, the Foreign Relations Committee
had apparently relented. The hearing was moved to
Friday with Boyle's testimony to be accompanied by
additional, supportive statements from the Ancient
Order of Hibernians and the Irish-American Unity
Conference.
The revised treaty was signed in March 2003 by then
U.S. attorney general, John Ashcroft, and the British
home secretary at the time, David Blunkett.
In his remarks at the signing ceremony, Ashcroft made
no specific reference to any conflict, group or
country. However, Irish-American activist groups
immediately saw Northern Ireland between the treaty's
lines.
Objections were immediately made, most notably in a
letter from the AOH to Foreign Relations chairman, Sen.
Richard Lugar, and the ranking Democrat on the
committee, Sen. Joe Biden.
The letter urged both to examine "and then oppose"
ratification of the treaty.
"Not only do Irish Americans feel threatened, but also
this law threatens both due process and judicial review
as it pertains to all United States citizens," the
letter to Lugar and Biden stated.
"This document recalls the extradition treaty signed in
London on June 8, 1972, which was subsequently amended
by the Supplementary Treaty signed in Washington on
June 25, 1985," the letter continued.
The letter argued that those treaties were sufficient
and there was no reason to feel they were inadequate
"with the exception that the present Department of
Justice wishes to curry favor with the United Kingdom."
The AOH letter said that the latest treaty would remove
the right Of U.S. citizens to protest against the
government of the United Kingdom without fear of
frivolous charges.
"There is no need for this treaty to be ratified," the
letter argued.
Objections by the AOH, Professor Boyle, the Irish
American Unity Conference, the American Civil Liberties
Union and others seemed to have an effect.
Against a backdrop of such mounting criticism the
Foreign Relations Committee declined to vote on the
revised treaty at the end of its November hearing, this
at a point where ratification had already been delayed
by more than two-and-a-half years.
Since that time it has become clear that the treaty's
scope, if ratified, would extend well beyond Irish
America as evidenced in recent days by the extradition
cases in Britain surrounding the so-called "NatWest
Three" and accused computer hacker Gary McKinnon.
Irish-American critics of the revised treaty have not
been particularly focused on these cases although Boyle
viewed the first visit to Washington last week of
current British foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, in
the context of British government efforts to finally
seal the treaty deal.
Beckett was asked about the treaty, and the Senate's
laggardness, during a joint press conference with U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Beckett replied that she could "understand and accept"
that it wasn't an American priority.
This, on the surface at least, seemed to play down the
importance once attached to the treaty by John
Ashcroft.
However, a reports in the Financial Times indicated
that Beckett, together with a second British government
visitor to Washington last week, Baroness Scotland, was
working to see the treaty advance to a full Senate
vote.
"Baroness Scotland and Margaret Beckett, the foreign
secretary, used meetings last week with senators and
administration officials to push for quick ratification
of the pact," the paper reported.
It is into this convoluted mix that Francis Boyle will
deliver his argument on Friday.
Boyle, together with the AOH and IAUC representatives,
will be arguing against a trio of treaty supporters.
One of the three is a Duke University Law professor,
Madeline Morris, who, according to Boyle, is currently
seconded to the State Department.
"According to her own CV posted on the Duke University
Law School's website ...Professor Morris currently
works for the United States Department of State, which
is already on record as supporting the extradition
treaty," Boyle wrote the Foreign Relations Committee in
advance of the hearing.
Before the Foreign Relations panel changed the hearing
date, and its composition, Boyle had complained to the
committee claiming that the presence of Morris on a
panel alongside him had violated the "solemn and public
promises" given to Irish Americans "by both Senator
Lugar and Senator [Chris] Dodd on Nov. 15, 2005 that we
Irish Americans would have a hearing all unto ourselves
in order to present the case against the treaty."
"She [Morris] is a ringer for the State Department. We
are not getting a hearing but are being set-up for a
railroading," Boyle told the Echo Monday. Boyle was
furious not just because he would share the panel alone
with Morris, but because the Hibernians, IAUC and ACLU
were to be excluded from the hearing.
In an email to the Foreign Relations Committee
confirming his attendance, Boyle highlighted the fact
that he was the sole voice representing Irish America.
He said he had never heard of Prof. Morris and that
Morris was not involved in any Irish-American
activities and causes that he was aware of.
"I can only conclude that since she is not involved in
Irish America's campaign against this treaty, that she
is appearing on the panel with me in order to support
the treaty and to disagree with me," Boyle stated.
"I have no problems with Professor Morris being on the
panel in order to disagree with me. But this panel does
not represent the public promises made by Senators
Lugar and Dodd that it would be devoted to, and
include, those Irish Americans who oppose the treaty."
He requested that opponents of the treaty have a second
panel at a later time.
"That way, there would be two panels against the treaty
and two panels in favor of the treaty. Fair is fair,"
Boyle concluded.
His plea apparently fell on receptive ears.
In addition to evidence from Boyle and Morris,
meanwhile, testimonies will also be taken at Friday's
hearing from legal representatives of the U.S. Justice
Department and again the State Department sitting on a
second, separate, panel.
Against the backdrop of the hearing, the AOH Political
Education Committee issued a "legislative alert" urging
Hibernians to contact senators to express opposition to
the treaty.
The British government, the alert charged, was putting
"a lot of pressure" on the U.S. Senate.
"The British want that treaty ratified now over the
objections of so many American citizens. Should we as
Americans bow to them or stand up to them?
"This is a non-partisan issue, this is an American
issue. It is neither conservative nor liberal. We need
you to stand up for our country and be counted," the
alert concluded.
----
To Subscribe to Irish Aires News List, click HERE.
No Message is necessary.
Or get full news from Irish Aires Yahoo Group, Click here
To Get RSS Feed for Irish Aires News click HERE (Paste http://irishaires.blogspot.com/atom.xml into a News Reader)
