Hearings Endanger Columbia 3

Posted By: March 29, 2013

Lives and Due- Process At Stake

Washington D.C. April 2, 2002 — The way Congressional Hearings are being pushed can not only hurt the Irish peace-process ( while doing no good to the U.S.) but also endanger due- process for the Columbia 3 — not to mention endangering their very lives.

Fr. Sean Mc Manus –President of the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus, which is leading the campaign against Hearings– said :” We all know what happened when a British leader publicly charged that some lawyers in Northern Ireland were associated with the IRA –Pat Finucane was assassinated by right-wing paramilitaries. Well in his invitation to Gerry Adams, Chairman Henry Hyde titled his proposed Hearings ‘ IRA in Columbia–Global Links To Terrorism’. There is danger that such provocative language could be seen as an encouragement to right-wing paramilitaries in Columbia to assassinate the three defenseless jailed Irishmen, who are presumably innocent until proven guilty by due-process”.

To date, Fr. Mc Manus has campaigned against the Hearings on the grounds they will do no good to the U.S. and a lot of harm to the Irish peace-process. “But”, he said, ” because of the irresponsible and dangerous way the Hearings have been pushed we can no longer ignore the danger posed to the Columbia 3. All Irish people–and all people concerned with human rights — ought to be concerned. It is an appalling way for the House International Relations Committee (HIRC) to conduct the legislative business of the American people, who certainly do not want anyone set up for assassination by the reckless statements of Congressional leaders.”