Happy St.Patrick's day!

I sadly missed the Montreal St.Patrick's day parade this year, in which for several years I've participated as a marcher with the group, Coalition For Peace in Northern Ireland.


It hasn't been a good year for the peace accord- first the allegations of IRA involvement in the bank heist (I haven't seen these substantiated yet) which resulted in measures being taken against Sinn Fein representatives in parl't, now the suspicions cast upon Sinn Fein (again) following the barroom brawl and murder of a Catholic man, Robert McCartney. I find it suspicious that any Ulster groups are even voicing concern about the death of a Catholic (sorry, but it is suspicious). I was of the understanding that while Sinn Fein may well be the political wing of the IRA, it cannot be held directly accountable for the actions of renegades within the group, any more than the founder and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Ian Paisley, is directly responsible for the numerous atrocities and illegal activities committed by the UDA ( see below for text) against protestants and Catholics alike.
Now the sisters of the slain Catholic man, allegedly having decided after a mere week or so since the crime that justice cannot be had in their own country, have instead sought salvation across the pond. And hence landed in the lap of that supreme delineator of Good and Evil and infamous exporter of American style freedom, President Bush.
The BBC have asked another of their cute political questions on the issue. Again, as I do not expect to see my response in print, I'm posting it here. Their question was-
Sinn Fein warning: Your reaction

The family of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney has rejected Sinn Fein claims that they risk being politically manipulated.

Robert McCartney's sisters and partner are travelling to the US, where there will meet President Bush, in the next phase of their fight for his killers to be brought to justice.

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness warned them to "be careful" as taking an anti-Sinn Fein stance risked undermining the peace process.


Do you think the McCartney family are being politically manipulated? Do you think Sinn Fein is right to warn them? What do you think of the latest developments? Send us your views.

OK- here's mine.
The McCartney sisters feel compelled to seek retribution for a local murder from the same foreign administration who created the brand of "justice" exemplified by Guantanamo Bay, Abu Graib and the like? We might ask if the American government is also behind the push, as since when does Bush grant personal interviews to victims of bar fights in his own beleaguered state? It's obviously yet another political strike against the credibility of Sinn Fein. Of course they should be concerned that these women are being manipulated... grief has been known to blind common sense.

More on the UDA-
Comments in parl't by Viscount Bridgeman: addressed in part to Baroness Amos

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds04/text/41115-24.htm
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, I thank the Minister for repeating the Statement today and for her customary courtesy in giving us early knowledge of its contents. From these Benches, we want to be in a position to welcome yesterday's statement on behalf of the Ulster Defence Association. We hope that there will now be, in the words of yesterday's statement, an eradication of all paramilitary activity.

But it is not by mere words that we shall judge the UDA; it is by its actions on the ground, and, in that respect, there is clearly a long way to go. The Independent Monitoring Commission has highlighted in two reports the extent to which the UDA has been involved in murder, shootings, assaults, exiling, organised crime and drugs. It has painted a graphic picture of the way in which the UDA imposes a mafia-style terror on entire communities.

Representatives of the UDA often talk about the problems affecting loyalist communities, but does the Minister not agree that organisations such as the UDA are the main problem affecting loyalist communities? The most recent IMC report concluded that the UDA,


"remains heavily involved in many kinds of organised crime and remains an active organisation capable of more widespread violence, with the will to commit it if judged appropriate".




Yet all these paramilitary and criminal activities have taken place over a period when senior UDA figures have reiterated their commitment to the 1994 cessation of military activities. That alone should lead us to be cautious; so, too, should the deplorable incident last night when an SDLP councillor in Larne, who has previously been targeted by loyalists, had to fire shots to defend himself.

I have a number of questions which I should like to ask the Minister, but I understand that she has a very important engagement. If she is not able to answer them comprehensively, I am sure that we shall have the benefit of a letter being placed in the Library of the House. My questions are as follows. Does the Minister agree that an eradication of all paramilitary activity must include an end to all other forms of criminal activity? What assurances has she had from the UDA that the organised crime, the drug dealing, the racketeering and the intimidation will stop? And does she agree that it must include the complete decommissioning of the UDA's illegally held weapons?