Irish-Americans
Reaction To O'Loan Report
Washington,
D.C. December 16
2001--Irish-Americans were more shocked by
the British Government reaction to the O'Loan
Report than by the Report itself.
" Nothing
about Sir Ronnie Flanagan would surprise
Irish-Americans", said Fr. Sean Mc Manus, President
of the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus." But
what has really shocked them is the way Northern Ireland
Secretary of State, John Reid, rubbished the Report--- even before it was published. The British government helped to sell the
new Police Service of Northern Ireland to the US Congress
,in part, by telling Members that the new role of Police
Ombunsman would gaurantee a " new beginning to
policing" because that position would have the power
and independence to hold the police accountable, for the
first time in the history of Northern Ireland".
"
But now it's back to the same old story", said Fr. Mc
Manus, " with the British Government closing ranks
and covering up for the police, as always. How does that
encourage the Catholic community to trust the new
dispensation. That is now the question that members of
Congress must face", he concluded
