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Boston College IRA tapes saga: Senator Schumer steps in

BRIAN FITZPATRICK,

IrishCentral Boston Editor

Published Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 8:09 AM

Updated Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 8:09 AM

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Senator Charles E. Schumer

Photo by Google Images

Last Thursday Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) waded into the Boston College Belfast Project controversy, when he urged US federal officials to block a subpoena that would divulge the secrets of the college’s confidential oral history project which featured many former IRA operatives.

Senator Schumer said in a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the request from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for tapings raised “significant issues of journalistic confidentiality and academic freedom”. On top of that, he said, the Northern Ireland peace process itself could be put in peril.

The increasingly acrimonious saga has run since last May, when US authorities acting for the PSNI demanded access to 26 interviews given to BC by former IRA members for the project on Northern Ireland’s Troubles, undertaken by former IRA man-turned journalist Anthony McIntyre and Bronx-based journalist Ed Moloney.

In total the project included interviews with around 50 republican and loyalist paramilitaries gathered between 2001 and 2006, under the condition that they would not be released until the interviewees had passed away.

The PSNI investigation is focusing on interviews given by Dolours Price and the late Brendan Hughes, both former IRA members. Both have in the past accused Sinn Fein president Adams – who denies ever being in the IRA - of running a secret death squad which conducted the kidnappings and disappearances of at least nine people during the early 1970s, including mother of 10 Jean McConville.

A Boston court previously ordered that all information from the interviews of Dolours Price be handed over to US authorities, with a final decision on whether or not these are given to the PSNI set to be made next month. Boston College has lodged an appeal against a ruling that it hand over testimony from seven other paramilitaries, which is set to be heard in June.

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Aughavey | May 23, 2012, 05:54 AM EDT

US Senators and Congressmen were outraged at the rlease of the Lockerbie bomber and the 9/11 attacks yet are campaigning here for the police to drop the murder investigation of Jean Mcconville, mother of 10, abducted by the IRA, tortured, shot in the back of the head and buried on a remote beach for 30 years. Are these brave US politicians going to tell the McConville family in Belfast to their faces that they are not entitled to justice?

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seamus60 | Mar 31, 2012, 10:36 AM EDT

Pilib04. Why has peter King the great irish republican not thrown his weight into the circle. Because he knows the true agenda behind it. Only last week he and Adams were in company and the subject never arose for some strange reason.Surely Peter would be up in arms at the very thought of Gerry being victimised in any way shape or form for his aledged involvement in past Irish Republicanism. After all unlike Gerry, Peter does`nt and never has shyed away from his support for the provos. Even though he has remained very quiet on the issue of Marian who after all remains in a brit prison as a direct result of her Republican past.

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seamus60 | Mar 31, 2012, 10:11 AM EDT

Searlit. The whole point of the exercise is to further suppress future whistle blowers and premature story tellers. Premature in aspects of agenda`s at play, the ones the key players don`t want known, at least till they`re well out of it or even better for history to be unchallenged as they prefer it. The brits had all this info contained in Boston and were`nt interested in the least. Better waiting till it got to the States before making their move that brings much better rewards. Rewards to both the British and American gov`s, not forgetting their hidden allies in all of this. Just how many potential ex combatants from the USA forces will think twice on subscribing to such projects in view of fears now in the public domain regarding this one. Another extension of the Patriot act. This exercise is NO THREAT to the peace process but rather an aid to its founders by suppressing the truth as to who actually done what in the run up to the GFA. The process has gone too far to flaunder, yet people still make out that this whole exercise is to get ADAMS. Total bullshit, they had him so many times and did`nt want him. The PRM can never go back to war, who would join them to fight after their last surrender. The brits could dispell the SF leadership when ever they like by exclosure of answers to questions republicans have put to the leadership. The leadership that don`t do answers because every time they do they get caught out. Another good reason to have it appear they are going after Adams for being such a great republican, its all about credability and keeping it up at any cost.

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IrelandNorth | Mar 30, 2012, 08:07 AM EDT

It's a truism that you don't get the "Royal" accolade for picking daiseys. The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and its heir apparent, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), were paramiliatary policeforces to enforce English-British justice (sic) in colonised Ireland. That the new Police Service of Northern[ised] Ireland (PSNI) are the RUC in sheeps clothing is disturbingly plausible.

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maryanna | Mar 29, 2012, 06:47 PM EDT

Lets put the families first! Families of lost loved ones-murder is murder- crime is a crime and those who incite heinous crimes must do the time- why is there no political will to arrest the godfathers- those who deny the past are doomed to repeat it. It was a very dirty war-and those who know anything must help the families understand why they murdered blown persons to bits for what it was all wrong they are all guilty on allsides deal with it- for the rights of hunanity!It was all about power greed egos!

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patriot | Mar 29, 2012, 05:22 PM EDT

Bunkerhill: That makes perfect sense. I have always wondered about why the loyalists are so clearly stupid, stubborn and racist. Now it appears that that is what they truly are to the core. This strengthens my argument that they all have to go back to scotland. Transportation in reverse. We suffered enough of these backward KKK idiots. Its time the scotish people took responsibility for these drooling idiots!

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patriot | Mar 29, 2012, 05:18 PM EDT

The PSNI/RUC is still the exact same nazi organization it has been for 200 years. Rad a book for Christ's sake. The RUC is more like a spy agency than a police force. They are also armed like an army not like a police force. So if it is an army then it will be treated as a hostile army on Irish soil until it is disbanded or destroyed. it is also a proscribed group meaning no Irish man or woman may join it. PERIOD.

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bunkerhill | Mar 29, 2012, 01:29 PM EDT

For Murphy46, The Netherlands a few years ago, received a huge grant to study the Chromosome changes in their WWII food deprived population. Their great painter Van Gogh is believed to have had such a disorder. Such Chromosome disorders are found all across Europe and indeed all around the world and they wreak havoc with the families afflicted. Read the history of SW Scotland or see if TDC has a tape of the original program. Incidentally, my wife's name was Murphy but she says you are definitely from another group of "Sea Warriors." Welcome to the future.

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maireadinmelb | Mar 29, 2012, 03:45 AM EDT

Ps Niall and all at Irish central, why is there so little coverage of the Marion Price case??

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maireadinmelb | Mar 29, 2012, 03:44 AM EDT

Notice they are only inquiring about comments by republicans not loyalists, I will believe they are trying to find the truth when they do so both ways. Again it continues that loyalists and british troops are not charged or scrutinised! Maybe the brits motives would be believable if they supported democracy. As long as Marion Price is held without charge it is the same old British way of stomping on everyone else to protect their rights!

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pilib04 | Mar 28, 2012, 08:25 PM EDT

I wondered how long it would be until an American politician/friend of Ireland would step in and work to straighten out this mess. Chuck Schumer has long been a friend to the Irish peace process.

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seanomelb | Mar 28, 2012, 07:21 PM EDT

Fair point Searlit

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Searlit | Mar 28, 2012, 07:14 PM EDT

seanomelb, that's still the man from down under, right? Of course I am against BC releasing any of the tapes. I think they should be thrown in the Charles before they give them to anyone! I'm concerned for the people of NI. This must be terrorizing many of them. Why, you have to ask yourself, do the British want to stir things up, especially by dragging the Americans into it? I despise it!

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Murph46 | Mar 28, 2012, 06:17 PM EDT

Jaysus ,now Bunkerhead is telling us the "troubles" were caused by malnutrition? And a space alien killed JFK,and the Bermuda Triangle is a hole for giant worms ,and....... Niall was right in describing his million subscribers as "unique"

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seanomelb | Mar 28, 2012, 05:50 PM EDT

Searlit you appear to be writing "off message" are you for Or against BC releasing the papers ???

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