McClafferty answers O’Dowd
Posted by Jim on May 2, 2014
Why Gerry Adams arrest is a farce and one-sided justice”. Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/niallodowd/Why-Gerry-Adams-arrest-is-a-complete-farce.html#ixzz30VZJQ6JP
While I totally agree with Mr. O’Dowd about the one-sided justice metered out by the British Government, I would like to comment on some of his statements in this article.
In your article you say:
[“The arrest of Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams for questioning about the murder in 1972 of Jean McConville is the latest example of the highly selective nature of the prosecution process in Northern Ireland”.]
[“It seems the only alleged crimes being heavily pursued are those on the nationalist side, with little or no attention to atrocities on the other side”.]
I would like to bring to your attention the following:
When Gerry McGeough, an Independent candidate running on an anti-PSNI/RUC platform in the 2007 elections in the north (the first republican arrested (post GFA) on 32 year old alleged troubles related offences dating back prior to the GFA) was arrested, you didn’t call it “selective prosecution”. Mr. McGeough was charged with membership in the IRA at the age of 18 and for allegedly wounding a UDR man Sammy Brush DUP. In fact, as the Chairwoman for the U.S. based Free Gerry McGeough Campaign, your paper refused to publish any letters submitted by me about his case. Your paper even demonized him because he spoke out against supporting the PSNI/RUC at the time Sinn Fein was calling for the nationalist community to support them. Gerry McGeough was one of the architects of the GFA and was on the Board of SF until he left them due to political and religious differences and you labeled him a “dissident” which you knew was far from the truth. His case was truly one of “selective prosecution”.
Ivor Bell, Adams 2nd in command back then, was arrested a few weeks ago on the same charges as Adams, but you didn’t condemn his arrest? Nor did you condemn the arrests of other republicans who have been arrested (post GFA) on decades old charges. This is the first time you are condemning “selective prosecution” since the GFA. Why? Because you practice the same double standards as the British Government. You and your paper are in bed with Sinn Fein and the Irish government, therefore you are biased in your reporting. You use your paper to try to demonize anyone who doesn’t agree with Sinn Fein. You use buzz words in your articles to try to “bully” and “criminalize” them into keeping silent and accepting the status quo or to alienate them.
[“Take a bow BC, Ed Moloney and Anthony McIntyre – you have done a wonderful job on behalf of British spookdom allowing them to whip up a whole new round of empty charges”.]
By trying to place the blame on the researchers of the Boston College tapes for the arrest of Adams, when clearly it was in
the hands of the British Government, even though they had passed the policing responsibilities on to Stormont (who could have stopped these subpoenas at any time before they got off the ground) you in essence are saying you don’t believe that there should ever be any research compiled regarding the troubles, or any revolutionary movement that has taken place around the world, for that matter, to eventually be used in an academic setting? Pointing the finger at McIntyre and Moloney also indicates that you don’t truly believe in freedom of speech, freedom of academic research, only selective academic research and selective freedom of speech like the kind your paper practices You write articles intended to bully and demonize those who you don’t agree with. If you were really being honest with your readers, you would place the blame for the subpoenas, (even being issued in the first place) where it really belongs; first at the feet of Stormont, the PSNI/RUC and finally the British and American government.
The time has come now, Mr. O’Dowd, to call for an end to ALL pursuit and prosecutions of republicans on prior GFA offences regardless of their political affiliations since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement!
Helen McClafferty