RSS
News


Home Page > News > Supreme Court blunder on terrorism

Supreme Court blunder on terrorism

By
DEBBIE MCGOLDRICK,
Published Friday, June 25, 2010, 8:05 AM
Updated Friday, June 25, 2010, 8:15 AM

print this article Print
email this articleE-mail
comment on article 12 Comments
 



The U.S. Supreme Court decision that upholds a ban on all material support to terrorist organizations would likely have meant no IRA ceasefire in Northern Ireland and no Irish peace process.

Chief Justice John Roberts found that any kind of help to a named terrorist organization, even its political wing, would "bolster the terrorist activities of that organization."

That is not necessarily so. Engaging terrorist groups and their supporters in dialogue can actually have the impact of helping end that violent campaign.

There is case history on this in Northern Ireland.  If Roberts and other justices had studied what happened to the Irish Republican movement when U.S. supporters and indeed, President Clinton reached out to try and end the violence in the North, they might have come to a very different conclusion.

The American involvement involved a deep dialogue with Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, to try and dissuade them from violence and move them towards a political accommodation.

It also involved the Clinton White House taking a considerable risk even when the IRA campaign was going on by giving a visa to Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams.

Such a move under this new legislation would be virtually impossible in this one size fits all kind of legislation. The Clinton White House role in the visa which led directly to the ceasefire and the Good Friday Agreement, wrought as much by President Clinton’s emissary Senator George Mitchell as any other figure, would simply never have happened.

Irish American supporters knew there was an ongoing discussion within the Irish Republican movement as to the correct way forward, whether to continue the armed campaign or create an entirely new political dimension, involving the non-violent nationalist parties in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.

A key persuader in that argument were Irish Americans who engaged with the Republican movement and pointed out to them the immense benefits to be gained if a political alternative was created.

The benefits included access to the U.S., involvement by the president of the United States in the negotiating process, and the ability to have their message heard throughout the world after decades of censorship.

1 2 Next page >
​
print this article Print
email this articleE-mail


12 Comments

See all comments

haikued2 | Oct 25, 2010, 01:13 PM EDT
The real problem is not defining who we are talking about. The US and Western civilization is at war with RADICAL Islamic fundamentalist terrorists. It makes perfect sense to cut off all funding to those who support them. As far as the broader application of the term "terrorist" it is used as a politically correct way to not name the enemy and people want to apply it even to the men who fought the English in the American Revolution. BUNK

Report abuse

Ulster1 | Aug 25, 2010, 01:44 AM EDT
Because of this writer's logic, I'm starting a fund to send money to the Taliban, to help them rid THEIR COUNTRY of American occupation.

Report abuse

seanomelbourne | Jul 01, 2010, 07:07 PM EDT
Unionist in the north refused to talk or give equal rights to all it's citizens. Peace finally came through the barrel of a gun or as it did in 1921.The Clinton's of the world only picked up the pieces when the hard work was done.

Report abuse

xiyangyang | Jun 29, 2010, 09:34 AM EDT
input this URL: ( w w w , b e t t e r w h o l e s a l e r ,u s ) FREE SHIPPING FREE SHIPPING FREE SHIPPING you can find many cheap and fashion stuff (P90X only 40$$$$,headphones only 20$$$$$) (NBA NFL NHL MLB jersey) only 20$$$$$$ Handbags(Coach,ed hardy,lv,d&g) $$$$$$$$35 Jean(True Religion,ed hardy,coogi) $$$$$$$$$$$30 Sunglasses(Oakey,coach,gucci,Armaini) $$$$$$$$$$$$$12 Nike shox(R4,NZ,OZ,TL1,TL2,TL3) $$$$$$$$$$$$$32 Bikini (Ed hardy,polo) $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$18 FREE SHIPPING FREE SHIPPING FREE SHIPPING WE ACCEPT PYAPAL or CREDIT CARD PAYMENT and FREE SHIPPING YOU MUST NOT MISS IT!!! ==w w w , b e t t e r w h o l e s a l e r , u s === yreyqery5y

Report abuse

Kilsally | Jun 29, 2010, 04:52 AM EDT
Not quite sure the article is accurate in crediting Irish Americans with the peace process rather it was a realisation that the problem was not with the `English` or `British` but rather any settlement had to involve Northern Irish Loyalists / Protestants and that the IRA bombing campaign would neither defeat the British Army, cause a British withdrawal or cause a sudden reversal of opinion amongst Northern Unionists - the only realistic settlement was an internal Northern Irish one between Unionist and Republicans.

Report abuse

seanomelbourne | Jun 26, 2010, 08:09 PM EDT
Southernpride is caught in a 1922 time warp the world has moved on. Back to the point. The U.S. administration allowed low level talks between Mahmud Zahar(Hamas)and state dept. officials Tom Pickering and Rob Malley, do we have a double standard here? the hypocricy is so close it's biting me on the b-um.

Report abuse

dan Breen | Jun 26, 2010, 10:27 AM EDT
Free Puetro Rico................

Report abuse

Buffalobrave | Jun 26, 2010, 07:53 AM EDT
There's always two main ways to reach your goal if you're labeled a terrorist, 1; through dialog, 2; violence. Take away dialog and all that's left is violence.

Report abuse

maireadinmelb | Jun 26, 2010, 03:47 AM EDT
Great isolate people and remove them from dialogue, great way to create more terrorists!!! That will not protect anyone's citizens!! Talk about re-writing history - America the great republic, founded by what in modern terms would be deemed TERRORISM!!

Report abuse

shuvonn | Jun 25, 2010, 08:16 PM EDT
Is that all you ever post southernpride? Same old drivel...

Report abuse

GeorgeDillon | Jun 25, 2010, 01:07 PM EDT
According to these definitions, Mandela was a terrorist. Anyone who helped the African National Congress would have been in breach of the law. It's utterly stupid.

Report abuse

Southernpride | Jun 25, 2010, 10:12 AM EDT
This is how the Irish goverment dealt with IRA terrorists who were killing innocent Irish Catholics in 1922: 27 September – The Free State's Provisional Government puts the "Public Safety Bill" before the Dáil, setting up military courts which allow for the execution of men captured bearing arms against the state and aiding and abetting attacks on state forces. It passes by 48 votes to 18. The Irish Labour Party oppose it. All goverments are responsible for the safety of it's citizens

Report abuse

 


IrishCentral logo
"Like" IrishCentral
IrishCentral Mobile QR code


Connect to IrishCentral with your Facebook account

or Sign-Up directly

Already Registered? Sign-In!

Welcome to IrishCentral!
Please provide the following information in order to create your account

Username:
E-Mail Address:
Password:
Confirm Password:
I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy


Already Registered? Sign-In!
Forgot my password

Welcome to IrishCentral!
All we need is the following information and you will be part of the #1 Irish community in the US

E-Mail Address:
First select a unique username:
Username:
Now choose a password:
Password:
Confirm Password:
I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Thank you!

Just one more step and you will be part of the largest Irish community in America! Tell us a little more about you to start enjoying all the features of IrishCentral.

Additional Information:

First Name:
Last Name:
Date of Birth:
Zip:
Gender: Male  Female 
Country:
Degree of Irishness:
Household Income:
Level of Education:

Subscribe to our newsletters:

The Best of IrishCentral - Daily Newsletter
Special Offers from our sponsors

or
Skip

You can edit your information at any time, just go to "my account" when you're logged in.

Log into IrishCentral with your Facebook account

or sign-in directly

E-Mail:
Password:
 Remember me Forgot my password
Not a member? Register Now!
submit to reddit
print this article Print
email this articleE-mail