Strong solidarity against collusion in Northern Ireland

CAPITOL HILL.Thursday, February 13,  2020— There is deep concern, at the highest level in the U.S. Congress about the sad history of British government collusion in Northern Ireland/The North—including, indeed, State assassination.

That the British government has colluded in the killing of many Catholics in Northern Ireland is now commonly accepted. However, when it suited, the British government was also prepared to allow their agents to kill an individual Protestant. The best known and most brutal example of this is the case of the murder of the son of Raymond McCord, Sr.— Raymond Jr. who was murdered near Belfast in 1997. Because some of those involved in the murder were British agents and police informers, the British government has gone to extraordinary lengths to cover up the murder.That government has even  delayed and obstructed an Inquest, which is a right

guaranteed in British law and in Article Two of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Raymond McCord, Sr. has fought a fearless and relentless battle for justice for his son, coming to Washington for the third time at the invitation of Fr. Sean McManus, president of the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus. He has been escorted around Congress by Fr. McManus and Barbara Flaherty, Executive President of the Irish National Caucus.

The main focus of the visit was to meet to meet with two key Congressional offices: the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the U.S. Helsinki Commission.

Despite the hectic Congressional schedule, Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY), Chairman of the full Foreign Affairs Committee (not just a subcommittee), met with the group for almost an hour. True to his long, consistent and superb record on equality, justice, and peace in Ireland, Chairman Engel showed deep empathy and  full support for Mr. McCord’s quest for justice, stating he would do everything he could to help.

Raymond McCord,Sr. said:”I want to give my heart-felt thanks to Chairman Engel for his support and for the empathy he showed to me regarding the murder on my son, Raymond, Jr. Everything he said was said in a warm and compassionate manner.”

Fr. McManus concluded:”The support of Jewish-Americans in Congress,  is to me one of the most inspiring experience I’ve had in my almost 50 years of pushing the Irish issue in the U.S. Congress. Chairman Engel follows in the grand tradition of my dear friend, the late, great, Jewish-American Congressman Ben Gilman (R-NY),former Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Irish-Americans must be eternally grateful for Jewish-American support.”