Kennedy won't meet with Sinn Fein leader (No St. Patrick's Day meeting)

[truthpusher]

http://newsobserver.com/24hour/nation/story/2225246p-10366242c.html

Kennedy won't meet with Sinn Fein leader
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By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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BOSTON (AP) - For the first time since Northern Ireland's 1998 peace accord, Sen. Edward Kennedy is refusing to meet with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams on St. Patrick's Day.

Adams, head of the political party affiliated with the Irish Republican Army, came to the United States this weekend to seek support from Irish-American activists amid outrage over recent IRA activities.


AP Photo/DAVID KOHL
Sinn Fein party leader Gerry Adams

But although Kennedy has met with Adams every St. Patrick's Day since the Good Friday peace pact seven years ago, the Irish-American senator informed Adams there won't be a meeting this year, according to Kennedy spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner.

In a statement, Wagoner cited "the IRA's ongoing criminal activity and contempt for the rule of law" as the reason for Kennedy's decision.

complete story: http://newsobserver.com/24hour/nation/story/2225246p-10366242c.html

[agitpropagent9]

1. Kennedy refuses to meet with Adams

BOSTON (AP) For the first time since Northern Ireland's 1998 peace accord, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy is refusing to meet with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams on St. Patrick's Day.

Adams, head of the political party affiliated with the Irish Republican Army, traveled to the United States this weekend to seek support from Irish-American activists. The visit came amid outrage over IRA involvement in the killing of a Catholic man outside a pub in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

<snip>

In a statement, Wagoner cited ''the IRA's ongoing criminal activity and contempt for the rule of law'' as the reason for Kennedy's decision.

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/072/region/Kennedy_refuses_to_meet_with_A:.shtml

[T_i_B]

2. Senator Kennedy snubs Adams as US recoils at IRA crime

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/ulster/story.jsp?story=619689

Mr Kennedy's move follows President George Bush's decision to refuse to meet Mr Adams at the White House on Thursday. Nor will Mr Adams be attending the St Patrick's Day lunch hosted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert. Sinn Fein had already decided against fundraising during the trip after concerns that it might jeopardise visa applications.

Alleged IRA links to the murder of Robert McCartney in Belfast and the £26m Northern Bank raid have displeased the American Republican party and Mr Adams is expected to face a barrage of tough questions in the US.

Mr Kennedy's spokeswoman, Melissa Wagoner, said: "Senator Kennedy has decided to decline to meet with Gerry Adams, given the IRA's ongoing criminal activity and contempt for the rule of law. The IRA murder of Robert McCartney and subsequent calls for vigilante justice underscore the need for IRA violence and criminality to stop and for Sinn Fein to co-operate with the Police Service of Northern Ireland."

Meanwhile, the party's most high-profile supporter in Congress, the New York Republican Senator Peter King, called on the IRA to disband.

[emad]

3. Senator Kennedy snubs Adams as US recoils at IRA crime

Independent
By Garry Kelly
14 March 2005


Senator Edward Kennedy has called off talks with the leader of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, which will further isolate the party in America.

Mr Kennedy's move follows President George Bush's decision to refuse to meet Mr Adams at the White House on Thursday. Nor will Mr Adams be attending the St Patrick's Day lunch hosted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert. Sinn Fein had already decided against fundraising during the trip after concerns that it might jeopardise visa applications.

Alleged IRA links to the murder of Robert McCartney in Belfast and the £26m Northern Bank raid have displeased the American Republican party and Mr Adams is expected to face a barrage of tough questions in the US.

Mr Kennedy's spokeswoman, Melissa Wagoner, said: "Senator Kennedy has decided to decline to meet with Gerry Adams, given the IRA's ongoing criminal activity and contempt for the rule of law.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/ulster/story.jsp?story=619689

[chicagojoe]

4. Why don't we see the US rounding up IRA terrorists

and sending them to Guantanimo?

[liberal N proud]

6. There is no OIL in Ireland

I wish there were, but there is not.
Not even a pot o gold.

[emad]

7. Because they pay Poodle's wages and smoothed the way to

him supporting the Iraq war...

[Syncronaut Seven]

5. Go Ahead, Marginalize the IRA

What could happen? Idiots.

This quote makes me want to puke.

"Senator Kennedy has decided to decline to meet with Gerry Adams, given the IRA's ongoing criminal activity and contempt for the rule of law."

Mind boggling.

[Mizmoon]

8. I never approved of helping the IRA

Possibly the only thing I never liked about Ted's politics.

It's an internal UK matter. Imagine how nuts the US would go if the British PM met with A.I.M. leaders ...

Yes, I was shocked when Clinton dealt with them too ...

[brentspeak]

9. The Irish Republic doesn't want N.Ireland

The IRA has spent the past several decades working hand-in-hand with the Protestant militias to turn N.Ireland into one big, burned-out slab of urban warfare. The result? Nobody -- not the citizens of the Irish Republic nor the people of England -- want anything to do with N.Ireland.

Might as well just declare a brand-new country, independent of both Britain and Ireland.

[chicagojoe]

10. You're absolutely right. That fight has become useless

for both sides.

[cap]

11. no one is talking about solving the political problems

that led to the IRA... ie discrimination against Catholics.

[chicagojoe]

12. More evidence of religion being the root of all evil.

Catholics, Protestants--- what's the difference? Stupid is as stupid does. In reality, it's probably got more to do with money, somehow.