The Irish National Caucus is
opposed to a proposal for the House International
Relations Committee (HIRC) to conduct Hearings on the
three arrested-Irishmen in Columbia. Let me say right
away, however, if the Hearings were important for the
national security of the U.S. we would support them.
But it is
absurd for anyone to claim that Hearings are
necessary for national security. They will not produce
one item of information which is not already known to
the C.I.A. or other U.S. intelligence agencies. But
they will inevitably
produce one result : embarrass Sinn Fein, and
thus harm the Irish peace Process.
Irish-Americans who are committed
to the Irish Peace Process should not stand idly
by and allow this to happen.They should let
their Senators and Representatives know about their
concern.
I also fear that
this peculiar push for Hearings is being
encouraged by elements in Ireland, north and south,
who stand to benefit from Sinn Fein's " wings
being clipped" before the next elections. Sinn
Fein stands poised to significantly increase their
number of parliamentary seats, north and south. A big
embarrassment on Capitol Hill for Sinn Fein might do
the trick quite nicely.
I wouldn't really mind any of
this(as the Irish national Caucus has no interest in
partisan politics) except for one thing : to embarrass
Sinn Fein is in effect to damage the Peace Process.
That is what we cannot allow. The Peace Process is
already under enough strain without misguided
Congressional Hearings adding to it.
I must confess to feeling a
certain irony in all this.
You see, for years I had campaigned for
Congressional Hearings (which had been banned from
1972). I failed in my campaign until Congressman Ben
Gilman(R-NY) became Chairman of the HIRC in 1995. He,
God bless him, immediately scheduled numerous
Hearings. Congressman
Gilman is no longer Chairman, and now I am opposing
Hearings while those (like The Unionist Party) who had
historically opposed Hearings are now supporting
Hearings. Who was it that said be careful what you
wish for?
I do not know what those
three Irishmen were doing in Columbia. Like everyone
else I have read that the IRA denied that it sent
them. When
the IRA makes a public statement( a very rare event)
it usually carries a lot of weight. I have also read
Gerry Adams statement that " Sinn Fein has no
case to answer". And that is all I
essentially know about the whole sorry mess.
But I do know some elements –
on Capitol Hill and in Ireland, north and south -- are
doing their best to exploit it. And that is very sad.
Peace should come before partisan politics.
Fr. Sean Mc Manus
President
Irish National Caucus
PO Box 15128
Capitol Hill
