Comments on: Gerry Adams’s Gambit (or “I’m Just Asking”)

By: Mark Amerman

Mark Amerman — Fri, 18 Feb 2005 09:27:22 +0000

from http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/10925752.htm?1c

Quote:

Irish police arrested seven people, including a member of the
IRA-linked Sinn Fein party, and seized millions of dollars
suspected of being stolen in the December robbery of $50 million
from a Belfast bank, the biggest cash theft in history, authorities
said Thursday.

[and]

Spokesmen for the police forces in both the Irish Republic and
Northern Ireland cautioned that, while the Northern Bank raid was
the focus for the raids, some or even all of the money seized
could ultimately be linked to other IRA rackets.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 18:43:50 +0000

What do all other parties on the island of Ireland, and the British government have in common? They all have a vested interest in halting the electoral growth of Sinn F?in. It is therefore not surprising that all the other parties have exploited the Bank raid situation, on the opinion of Hugh Orde and without any evidence being presented or arrests being made, to commonly attack Sinn F?in in this election year. May I predict also that as elctions loom ever closer high profile PSNI/Garda operations will be utilised to attempt to further damage Sinn F?in in this manner. Furthermore the collapse of the Peace Process has been laid squarely at the door of Sinn F?in. However with a deal on the table ready to be made it was the DUP that could not make the final leap of faith. The demand for humiliation is not the lanuage of compromise or of peace makers. The refusal to compromise with and accept as equals those who they subjugated to 2nd class citizenship for much of the 20th century is what makes unionism of whatever hue fundamentally flawed and sectarian.

By: Alan

Alan — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 18:19:34 +0000

“They seem curiously unable to arrest loyalists who continue to assassinate people and bomb buildings.”

You obviously havent looked to hard. More Loyalist were imprisoned during the troubles than Republicans by the then RUC. The PSNI has arrested numerous Republicans and Loyalists over the last few years.

There have been no assasinations of bombing for a long time. Low level INTERNAL feuding of rival Loyalist or Republican gangs are responsible for most deaths usually over criminal activities such as drug dealing or encroaching on someones “territory”.

What bombs are you talking about? There have been a alot of attempts by dissident Republicans. Loyalist “bombs” are usually limited to UDA pipebombs of which I hav not heard of any for a long time.

The Peace process has really taken root and the people of NI are enjoying renowed prosperity. Any resumption of “war” by either side in post 9/11 world would be suicide.

By: Alan

Alan — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 18:08:45 +0000

“I have to agree with David Deans. I have seen no evidence, just the opinion of the head of the PSNI. They haven?t arrested anyone, and there doesn?t even appear to be much effort towards putting together a criminal brief.”

Make that the head of the PSNI and the head of the Republic Garda acting on their own police and military intelligence. The independent IMC body has also come to the same conclusion as have ALL the other UK & Irish parties not just Unionists. Hugh Orde was in charge of Londons Metropolitan Police and also probed several controversial Northern Ireland murder cases leading to inquiries into state collusion with Loyalist paramilitaries. He is also accoun table to the local policing board and district policing partnerships made up of local residents and local politicians (unlike ANY other police force in the world) and the nationalist SDLP came away convinced that the IRA was behind the robberies.

By: c

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 07:36:37 +0000

The M.O. is IRA so it is like to be done by the IRA or someone who wants to let it look like the IRA.

By: Greg

Greg — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 06:47:01 +0000

I can’t help wondering what Hugh Orde was playing at to have publicly fingered the IRA in this way. I’m not sure, but that strikes me as the sort of thing that was bound to prejudice any inquiry.

By: Bob B

Bob B — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 05:28:08 +0000

If there is clear, hard evidence implicating the IRA that would be admissible in court then there would probably have been arrests.

The likelihood is that such evidence as there is implicating the IRA comes from covert sources, perhaps from a mole in the IRA, and this can’t be produced without exposing the source. However, it is significant that both the Irish and British governments have fingered the IRA.

By: Hektor Bim

Hektor Bim — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 20:52:36 +0000

I have to agree with David Deans. I have seen no evidence, just the opinion of the head of the PSNI. They haven’t arrested anyone, and there doesn’t even appear to be much effort towards putting together a criminal brief.

The main intent seems to be to force Sinn Fein to make political compromises to suit the Unionists and the British government.

I don’t think the PSNI is a credible police force, especially since Patton hasn’t been implemented in full. They seem curiously unable to arrest loyalists who continue to assassinate people and bomb buildings.

I don’t know who robbed the bank, but it would be nice to see some evidence from someone before the feeding frenzy begins.

By: David Deans

David Deans — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 08:24:16 +0000

what still bothers me about this whole thing is that there isn’t a shread of evidence to show that anyone from the IRA or Sinn F?in had anything to do with it - at least, that has been released publically. And they haven’t arrested anybody. In addition, most groups which have called the IRA on this have some political capital to make out of disenfranchising Sinn F?in.

Whilst not to ruling the IRA out yet, it would be good to see some hard evidence. As for resuming the war… they would be bloody stupid to do that, wouldn’t they?

By: c

Wed, 09 Feb 2005 04:44:15 +0000

The Maffia was started the same way IIRC