Famed historian Tim Pat Coogan confirms he was turned down twice for U.S. visa

Just go to Mexico and walk across the border like with the thousands everyday. It is interesting that there may have been a motivation to not have him stir up the pot with his famine book. I would imagine the UK would not fair well under such scrutiny.

Of course pro Israeli Americans decide who cannot get a visa into the USA. I am surprised that anyone is ignorant of this most basic fact of life in the USA in the year 2012

The idea that no one really knows why the visa is being refused is nonsense. The American embassy isn't giving him a straight answer and someone there has to know. Unless the Irish media pursue the "why" of this story really hard the US government will never reveal what exactly the reasons are for this refusal.

The late Ted Kennedy was on the "no fly list." The paranoia in the US is out of control!

All right, Republicans can't have it both ways! First you claim Obama is anti-Israel and then in the next breath claim that the Israeli Government controls who is allowed a U.S. Visa. A bit paranoid I'd say. By the by, I am in full support of a Palestinian Homeland with complete sovereignty and condemn the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Israeli carpet-bombing of Gaza.

There are thousands of Tim Coogans in the USA and around the world. Most likely has to do with the "no entry" or "no fly" lists.

Mr. Boston do you noy find that a tad petty. Afterall Israel is a terrorist state.

Mr. Boston99. I agree wholeheartedly. I’m surprised that President Higgins wasn’t roundly refused entry to the U.S. after the publication of his book, “Causes for Concern” and his vocal disagreements (particularly with Michael Graham) regarding Gaza(p. 264) and the passive stance of the free world against the obliteration of the Palestinians.

There is only one reason why this ever occurs. So I looked up Mr. Coogan's comments on Israel and sure enuff find the reason he is being denied entryIn June of 2010 he wrote an open letter to the Israeli ambassador to Ireland, published in the Independent, he could no longer support the state of Israel (following the killing of several people on the flotilla for Gaza)

I have read his book the "Troubles" found it to be very informative ,and don't have a clue why he should be denied.

Silling. Half the world panders to them, not through love but rather because of wall street. They sneeze the rest of the world gets the flu.

Might UKs Foreign & Commonwealth Office be exerting undue influence over its former colonists in Georgetown, apropos a scholarly citizen of an insular neighbour they insist on imperiorising? Did Icelandic ash cloud really cut short BOs planned 24 hr overnighter in Hibernia last year? Or was Brittania a tad disconcerted at being upstaged by an insular neighbour she considers her political subordinate? On being re-elected, does BO no longer need Irish-America anymore than GB needs to be reminded of her dark imperial shadow? Airbrushing the inconvenient truth of the Irish Shoa out of global folk memory will neither heal diplomatic wounds or promote the commonweal!

Well there's your first mistake Silling. Americans are NOT a race. We're made up of MANY different races.

I am an author and I was refused a visa to go to America. My book had a poem in it called " Scars and Gripes ". The Americans are totally stuffed as a race and why the Irish pander to them is a bloody mystery.

Its a mess, we get that but surely they should be making sure he has the visa BEFORE he goes setting up all these book signings and meetings in the USA. We all know how complicated visas for the USA are, anyone smart makes sure they have their visa in order BEFORE booking flights, fixing meetings and attending events - its logical. No matter how important you are (and he is important), its still a matter of using your head so seems to be stupidity on both sides of this one!!