Kerry condemns Bush's approach to Northern Ireland

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Senator John Kerry has castigated the US president, George Bush, for pushing the Northern Ireland peace process down the White House's foreign policy agenda, it emerged today. Mr Kerry - the frontrunner to win the Democratic nomination to fight Mr Bush in November's presidential elections - also criticised Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists for "refusing to form a government with Sinn Fein".

<snip>

He outlined his views in a comprehensive statement on the process that has been circulated to Irish-American groups over recent weeks. In the statement, Mr Kerry urged the IRA and loyalists to get rid of their weapons and bring an end to all paramilitary activity. A statement from the Massachusetts senator's campaign team said: "John Kerry will put the Northern Ireland peace process high on America's foreign policy agenda.

"On this issue, he will continue to follow the path set by Senator Edward Kennedy, President Clinton and Senator George Mitchell."

The team said that there had not been a US ambassador to Ireland for more than a year, adding that the Bush administration's "lack of urgency" in appointing one was "clear evidence that Ireland is not a high priority".
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/northernirelandassembly/story/0,9061,1150147,00.html

[Mattforclark]

1. Bush

has an approach to Northern Ireland?

Really???

Could have fooled me.

[Catholic Sensation]

2. will he kick those degenerate British out of Ireland as well?

I hope so. :)

[Malva Zebrina]

3. Excuse me but I am not ready to tackle Ireland's problems right now

our own problems in dealing with a serial warmonger president right now, are more important.

Can we please have Kerry address Bush's incompetancy and his immorallity in attacking and invading Iraq?

Oh wait--Kerry cannot do that, and Bush knows it.

That is why Bush keeps saying that the congress voted to give him the blank check to invade Iraq.

What a mess eh?

This is Kerry's predicament.

A Dean could have addressed this crime of Bush and scored.

As it is , Kerry cannot, because Kerry essentially gave him permission to do so.

So now Kerry is stuck with justifying his vote to permit Bush to commit this awful crime.

This is the main reason I am doubtful about Kerry.

I have no choice but to vote for him if he is nominated, and I think he will be. But it saddens me that I must vote for a person who condoned this slaughter, maiming and plunder on lies. I would think that a VN vet who was disgusted with that war would have known better and have joined the ranks of Kucinich and others who opposed Bush on it. Why did he not?

The man plays politics. I think this is the beginning of the downfall of America as we have known it.

Kerry might be a good man basically, but playing politics, as he is accostomed to doing, will be the downfall, because it gets lower and lower down the scale of righteousness and morality when pandering becomes the mode and the norm.

He will be the nominee. I will vote for him. I am not enthused about this vote but forced because of ABB.

And that, in a democracy, is really sad. We do not have a denocracy at all, when we are forced to vote for a person we do not honor and doubt .

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. America can't turn its back on peace.

Not in Palestine, not in Israel, and not in Northern Ireland.



As far as the idea that Iraq should be the only subject of discussion, Dean's candidacy is illustrative as to how successful single-issue candidacies are in American Presidential politics.

[Cuban_Liberal]

5. I hope this thread dies before Paddy sees it!

His blood pressure goes through the ROOF on this subject! :(

[JohnKleeb]

9. Its touchy for me too

I may be only part Irish but its important to me as well, one could say I am like Delavera, except he was more Irish than I am. I am glad Kerry has a view on this. Him and Kucinich's view points are the only two Ive read.

[Cuban_Liberal]

11. His parents were murdered in a bombing.

It's hard for him to be completely rational on this subject, even though he TRIES very hard to be.

[PretzelWarrior]

6. I like it. THis is an issue handled well by Clinton

that was completely dropped by the Bushies just like the Mideast crises. Apparently, COlin Powell and company can only keep one thing going at a time. WHile our troops are all over dodging RPGs from people who had no quarrel with them before, we have legitimate problems brewing in our own backyard like in Haiti.

This administration truly sucks in every capacity they've been charged with.

[Cuban_Liberal]

7. That day Clinton left office, progress stopped.

That statement could apply on many levels, too.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

8. "Mission Abandoned" n/t

[JohnKleeb]

10. Thank you Senator for having a set of views on this

I like what he says.

[MaineDem]

12. This is excellent news!

George Mitchell has been on Kerry's team for a long time (maybe not officially until recently) and I was hoping for a positive statement on the Irish issue from Kerry.

This will be good for the NY, IL, and MA primaries, as well.

The way Bush dropped this issue was another of the many things that pissed me off about his appointment.

Éire go Brách