I have been rather disgusted at the partisan portrayal of the NI situation in the English press for years. Given that the IRA have signed up to the Good Friday Agreement, and have kept the ceasefire despite numerous violent acts of aggression from loyalist paramilitaries, I really don't see how someone like the "Reverend" Ian Paisley has the gall to express his outrage.
What were the latest problems? Oh yes, a bankrobbery, and the stabbing of a Catholic man. Let's deal with these in turn, shall we?
As far as the bankrobbery is concerned, the only "evidence" that has been put forward is the fact that no one has yet told police who it was, and they reckon that the IRA are the only outfit organised enough to pull off the organisation of such a job without anyone turning informer.
This "evidence has been deemed sufficient for the Taoseach Bertie Ahern to publicly state that the leaders of Sinn Fein were aware of the plans, and involved in the planning stages. The English government has made similar noises, and the Unionists in NI have made much of the fact that they can't/ won't negotiate with a political party that is involved in criminal acivities. This despite the fact that both the IRA and Sinn Fein have denied having had anything to do with the heist (strange, considering that the IRA usually claims responsibility when striking at the Geovernment...). How reassuring it is that both the UK and Ireland are countries where the 'Rule of Law' prevails and as a rule people are deemed innocent until proven guilty. Unless of course they are political parties one doesn't like...
The murder of Mr McCartney was a tragedy, and by all accounts was carried out by members of the IRA. This killing was, according to the IRA, not an "IRA killing", but a bar fight with fatal consequences, involving people who happened to be members of the IRA. This was roundly condemned by the IRA and after IRA internal investigations, the names of those involved, or believed to have been involved, were given to the McCartney sisters, and Gerry Adams passed them on to the police ombudsman, who in turn passed them to the police. Admittedly the offer by the IRA to shoot those responsible is hard to match in stupidity or PR-disaster terms.
Given the progress that has been made over the last years, I would welcome it if similar calls to disarmament could be heard from the likes of Mr Paisley, and if a general decomissioning of arms could be agreed to (that's right, including those of the loyalists!)
Whatever the motives may have been, Mr Adams' statement is hugely important, as it effectively withdraws Sinn Fein support from violent means of achieving independence, at least for the time being.
His statement is good, but his timing stinks, then again it might be that it's the time he can get his views across.
Frankly the whole melting pot in NI is sickening, it seems to me that both sides are just as bad as one another and as someone else commented on the forum it may be that it may take a new generation of leaders (qv. Palestine) before people start talking to each other again instead of sticking their fingers in their ears and going 'lalalalalala'.
In the meantime I'm not entirely convinced that the IRA et al haven't just turned into the Irish mafia while they bide their time.
Myself? The best way forward I could think of would be to cut ties to NI and make it independant and from there it can find it's own way (much like should likely happen with scotland, rather than the plodding half-assed semi-independance it has now) because from what little I know of the Republic of Ireland a lot of them are not keen at all for NI to be part of their world.
Then again I know very little of the whole shabang anyway and am a cynic.
Well, if the IRA has just turned/ does turn into the Irish Mafia, that is one thing. A criminal organisation, which needs to be combated by the government. However, this will be made considerably easier, if they are no longer able to claim freedom fighter credentials, and lose their support basis
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no subject
Date: 2005-04-14 03:08 pm (UTC)What were the latest problems? Oh yes, a bankrobbery, and the stabbing of a Catholic man. Let's deal with these in turn, shall we?
As far as the bankrobbery is concerned, the only "evidence" that has been put forward is the fact that no one has yet told police who it was, and they reckon that the IRA are the only outfit organised enough to pull off the organisation of such a job without anyone turning informer.
This "evidence has been deemed sufficient for the Taoseach Bertie Ahern to publicly state that the leaders of Sinn Fein were aware of the plans, and involved in the planning stages. The English government has made similar noises, and the Unionists in NI have made much of the fact that they can't/ won't negotiate with a political party that is involved in criminal acivities. This despite the fact that both the IRA and Sinn Fein have denied having had anything to do with the heist (strange, considering that the IRA usually claims responsibility when striking at the Geovernment...). How reassuring it is that both the UK and Ireland are countries where the 'Rule of Law' prevails and as a rule people are deemed innocent until proven guilty. Unless of course they are political parties one doesn't like...
The murder of Mr McCartney was a tragedy, and by all accounts was carried out by members of the IRA. This killing was, according to the IRA, not an "IRA killing", but a bar fight with fatal consequences, involving people who happened to be members of the IRA. This was roundly condemned by the IRA and after IRA internal investigations, the names of those involved, or believed to have been involved, were given to the McCartney sisters, and Gerry Adams passed them on to the police ombudsman, who in turn passed them to the police. Admittedly the offer by the IRA to shoot those responsible is hard to match in stupidity or PR-disaster terms.
Given the progress that has been made over the last years, I would welcome it if similar calls to disarmament could be heard from the likes of Mr Paisley, and if a general decomissioning of arms could be agreed to (that's right, including those of the loyalists!)
Whatever the motives may have been, Mr Adams' statement is hugely important, as it effectively withdraws Sinn Fein support from violent means of achieving independence, at least for the time being.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-14 03:30 pm (UTC)Frankly the whole melting pot in NI is sickening, it seems to me that both sides are just as bad as one another and as someone else commented on the forum it may be that it may take a new generation of leaders (qv. Palestine) before people start talking to each other again instead of sticking their fingers in their ears and going 'lalalalalala'.
In the meantime I'm not entirely convinced that the IRA et al haven't just turned into the Irish mafia while they bide their time.
Myself? The best way forward I could think of would be to cut ties to NI and make it independant and from there it can find it's own way (much like should likely happen with scotland, rather than the plodding half-assed semi-independance it has now) because from what little I know of the Republic of Ireland a lot of them are not keen at all for NI to be part of their world.
Then again I know very little of the whole shabang anyway and am a cynic.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-14 03:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-04-14 11:29 pm (UTC)Why not? The have.
no subject
Date: 2005-04-15 07:44 am (UTC)