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Home Page > News > Dramatic move as Senator John Kerry steps into Boston College dispute

Dramatic move as Senator John Kerry steps into Boston College dispute

Says he is concerned release of tapes will impact Irish peace process

BRIAN FITZPATRICK,

IrishCentral Boston Editor

Published Saturday, January 28, 2012, 7:02 AM

Updated Saturday, January 28, 2012, 7:05 AM

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John Kerry

Meanwhile at a separate hearing Tuesday - conducted coincidentally at Boston College Law School owing to an education program aimed at bringing the court system to legal students - Judge William G. Young dismissed a complaint brought by McIntyre and Moloney against the US Government.

At the hearing - which Boston College was not a part of - the pair argued through their lawyer James Cotter that Attorney General Holder did not properly consider the implications for those involved before issuing the subpoenas, and did not follow certain safeguards agreed between the two governments with regard to MLAT, which included provisions for crimes committed before the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.

The pair also claimed the release would be in violation of their First Amendment rights, and could endanger the fragile peace in Northern Ireland. The personal safety of all involved in the project was also raised, given heightened dissident activity in Northern Ireland of late.

McIntyre’s wife Carrie Twomey, herself an American citizen, had outlined in a previous court affidavit how she feels her family is in danger over the release of the tapes. The couple lives with their two children in Drogheda, Co. Louth, having moved from Belfast two years ago.

“My husband is being classified as an informer,” she told The Irish Emigrant. “There is definitely that distinct rustling in the undergrowth. When Voices from the Grave was released, our neighbor’s house was attacked.

“I wouldn’t be here in the US spending money I don’t have, if I didn’t feel my life was in danger. We’re trying to get the grown-ups to step forward and do the right thing. This case goes completely against US foreign policy and leaves a lot of US citizens open to potential pitfalls.”

As expected, however, Judge Young dismissed the complaints at the brief hearing, and all involved must now wait until March before a ruling on a handover of the tapes to the PSNI is made.

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15 - 31 | See all comments

SeamusMartin | Feb 03, 2012, 12:03 AM EST

I don't give a sh!te about all the stupid details the preceding commentor have stated. What's done is done. The blood bath is over. Both sides are to be blamed. So accept it. It takes a couragous men and women to stop the hate for the childrens sake. Now go in peace.

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KLennox | Feb 01, 2012, 12:21 AM EST

Thank goodness somebody is doing this. Thank you, Senator Kerry. I hope we protect the confidentiality of these files.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 30, 2012, 10:25 PM EST

Kilsally if the HET have prosecuted loyalists to the tune of 90% they must have committed 90% of the atrocities.Thank you for adding clarity to Slainte's argument and poving him correct.

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Kilsally | Jan 30, 2012, 10:22 AM EST

slainte9 - you are misinformed - this police inquiry is by the HET (Historical Enquiries Team) who look at cold cases related to `The Troubles` over 90% of resultant prosecutions have been of Loyalist paramilitary crimes.

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Kilsally | Jan 30, 2012, 10:19 AM EST

So Senator Kerry is urging the police to stop investigating a murder? BBC Northern Ireland News: Release Boston College IRA tapes says Jean McConville’s daughter …The daughter of Jean McConville who was kidnapped and murdered by the IRA, has called for controversial tapes about her killing to be released. Helen McKendry said interviews given to researchers at Boston College about her mother’s death should be handed to police in Northern Ireland. She was 15 years old in 1972 when her mother was taken from their Divis Street home. Jean McConville was tortured, shot in the back of the head and buried near a County Louth beach. Helen McKendry said not knowing what had happened was “torture” Ms McKendry has written to the US Attorney General asking him to see the family’s side of the story and hand over the interviews to the British authorities…….

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BillyFitz | Jan 30, 2012, 08:32 AM EST

Still don't understand why any Republican or Loyalist for that matter, would volunteer for this "project?" Did they not see this coming? Unfortunately, what's done is done. Not sure what B.C. was trying to accomplish. This entire mess is only going to reopen old wounds.

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IrelandNorth | Jan 30, 2012, 08:05 AM EST

Working class Vietnam Vets. had a right to vent their spleen at the warmongering capitalist apologists on Capitol Hill and Pennsylvania Ave. The PSNI are RUC in sheeps clothing, and questionably partisan in delivering justice. If I had been either of the researchers I'd be hopping mad it my work was passed onto third parties by BC.

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jflanagan | Jan 29, 2012, 08:51 PM EST

If he handles this like he "stood up for" his fellow vietnam veterans, Boston College is going to be sold down the drain for political points. Had he not betrayed his fellow veterans with hearsay and lies, he probably would have been elected 8 years ago and still be president.

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pilib04 | Jan 29, 2012, 07:35 PM EST

John Kerry can be counted on to take care of this mess created by BC.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 29, 2012, 05:52 PM EST

Nice article islenita!! it's as plain as day what is happening here unfortunaely realist and his cohorts cannot see the truth through their pro British rose tinted glasses.As I have stated before 50% of the civilian workers in the PSNI were members of the discredited RUC one wonders who's pushing this tilted barrow.

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durtymurphy | Jan 29, 2012, 04:17 PM EST

The Brits will never quit, or 'Move On' as we like to say nowadays. Too many atrocities by ALL sides, so if you wanna fix one, then fix 'em all. Impossible? Unless an impartial tribunal runs the show, it will never happen, even after the GFA was put in place, the Brits were caught continuing with their subversive tactics, any why not, N.I. is a good practice/training camp for them.

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FallsRNat | Jan 29, 2012, 11:35 AM EST

Kerr is after irish american votes, a small minority that appear to support SF, well, let's see if he holds up the values if documentary evidence stands in the way of a Al Qaeda member being convicted, the simple fact is that the US establishment plays the 'green' card at election time, but the irish are so split on the Ulster question that they cannot show a united front on anything, so we will wait to see what next week will hold, of course, if Kerry is simply saying that no terrorist should be held accountable for their actions or that an Irish terrorist should be allowed to 'get away' with violent actions, but no muslim terrorist organisation will be treated with the same leniency, then why doesn't he say so, oh, slainte9, u obviously arent from NI otherwise you would know that the HET have been dealing with almost exclusively loyalist crimes.

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islenita | Jan 28, 2012, 09:56 PM EST

It's about time this matter received attention as our Justices, US Attorneys and all others seemed to be brain dead. The Judge's first Memorandum allowing an "in camera review" is like reading his "circular thought process". Boy was that one hard read. This murder happened 40 years ago and the British government, under the terms of the Treaty, was to exhaust all remedies as this request is of last resort. They have done nothing. In fact they had the Brendan Hughes tapes for over 9 months and still haven't done anything. How foolish does the US look arguing that there is an urgency to this matter. It is clearly a politically motivated attempt to skew the governing body back to the ways of old-Orange. Hey and how about the matter of the FBI and it's 3k pages of information on Senator Ted Kennedy and Chappaquiddick. We all know he was drunk, drove off the bridge, killing Ms Kopechne. I would venture that rather hang around to render any help, he hightailed it out of there to get "legal help". So why does the Kennedy's get to review the documents prior to disclosure, and if any of them are still alive and implicated or complicit in Teddy's adventure, those portions will not be disclosed until they are deceased. Ahh the DOUBLE STANDARD when it comes to the Republicans in NI. We all know the paras also engaged in murdering as well. Case dismissed.

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slainte9 | Jan 28, 2012, 07:08 PM EST

The British only want to punish the Catholics. Since the British have been completely unwilling to punish either their military or the Protestant militias, their war crimes need to be brought before the war crimes tribunal at The Hague.

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Realist | Jan 28, 2012, 06:06 PM EST

seanmelbourne: I understand your posts just fine my friend and that's precisely what you meant. Thankfully, you will be disappointed as the 'Troubles' will not be making a come back. If you're embarrassed by this, then good, you ought to be - perhaps you've learned a lesson? As I stated earlier, if these tapes hold evidence that can bring killers to justice then let the PSNI have them.

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