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IRA lessons for Guantanamo prisoner trials

By
Niall O'Dowd

Published Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 8:15 AM
Updated Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 10:14 AM


Gerry Conlon being released in October 1989 after spending 15 years in jail after being wrongly convicted along with Paul Hill, Patrick (Paddy) Armstrong and Carole Richardson for the Guildford Bombin
Gerry Conlon being released in October 1989 after spending 15 years in jail after being wrongly convicted along with Paul Hill, Patrick (Paddy) Armstrong and Carole Richardson for the Guildford Bombings

Movie trailer / 'In the Name of the Father' / Click here

I worked in England for a year during my student days to pay college tuition.

It was the height of the Troubles, around 1974/75 at a time when IRA bombs appeared to be going off every few days or so.

Some of the bombings were horrific. The Guildford and Birmingham bombings took place within weeks of each other in 1974 and 25 people were killed in horrific circumstances that left Britons seething.

What happened next was almost as bad. British police rounded up the first Irish suspects they could find. All were totally innocent but they were badly beaten, evidence was manufactured, family members were rounded up and they were left to rot in prison for decades until their innocence became blindingly clear.

Years later an Oscar-nominated movie about the Guildford Four "In the Name of the Father" told their poignant story

I felt the backlash at work on the construction site. Fellow Irishmen began faking British accents in order not to be identified. Others lashed out at their own countrymen and tried to distance themselves from their own land. I just tried to keep my mouth shut.

Most British people I met were fine but there were exceptions. It was the era of the Irish joke,when comedians on television were glad to poke fun at the dumb micks as we were known, and portray them as idiotic leprechauns.

It had a nasty side on a day-to-day basis too.The feeling of being under suspicion very time I opened my mouth has stayed with me all my life. I since got to know many of the Birmingham Six and Guildford men and women who were utterly innocent and were jailed despite that. I have never forgotten their stories

It was one of the worst miscarriages in British history as police made up evidence and men and women were beaten and battered for confessions.

I think of those times when I see the attempts to paint American Muslims into the same corner as the Irish were once in England. The action of one madman in Fort Hood in Carolina has now started to taint Muslims living here. But we should think before we allow the demonization of a community that is overwhelmingly non-violent and who are entitled to the full protection of freedom of religion.

One of the most under-reported stories in the west is the significant loss of support that Al-Qaeda has experienced in Muslim countries since 9/11.

Just yesterday, The New York Times reported that entire areas of Pakistan, once under the sway of the Taliban and their Al-Qaeda allies, now hate them far more than the Pakistani government troops who have arrived to root them out.

Left to their own devices these extremists find it impossible to rule and win the support of the people because they are fundamentally undemocratic and never hold popular support.

Al-Qaida may already be a busted flush. The only way they can become popular is if we drive support to them by overreacting to their threat.

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IRA lessons for Guantanamo prisoner trials | Irish News | IrishCentral


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Posted by plasticpaddy on Nov 24, 2009, 06:28 PM EST
I am comparing humans, nothing else. Each has the right to be proven in a court of law. The US can then, more than in any other scenario, claim the moral high ground, did not just execute but tried the men fairly according to common law and found them guilty. Also yes Muslim groups in America consistently denounce all of the actions you have mentioned, Muslim soldiers in the US army have done it, it is just not widely reported but that information is widely available via a simple Google search. Remember the Guildford four also admitted the crimes they were charged with as did the Birmingham 6, under the duress of torture, the same as these men have, so the actual facts should be p[resented not forced accusations, hence your illustrating the exact need for a civilian trial.
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Posted by Sungold on Nov 20, 2009, 11:52 PM EST
I'm glad that you agree that the U.S. Constitution is a wonderful document. However, your admiration of the Obama administration's decision to try war criminals in a civilian court, flies in the face of that document...like so many other things he has done since taking office. I also can't believe that you are comparing the INNOCENT imprisoned Guildford bonbers and Birmingham Six, to the miscreants who have ADMITTED planning the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the U.S.S. Cole, and bombings in London, Spain, and who knows where else. Are you even including "Major" Hasan in that group? The average American does not blame the entire Muslim religion for the actions of these terrorist extremists, but it does not help when there are so few Muslims in America who denounce their actions. You mentioned that when working in Britain, many Irish made a point of denouncing the violent actions of the IRA. Muslims in America have not done this. Their silence makes them suspect in many American's eyes.
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Nov 19, 2009, 09:59 AM EST
ahhh now borefield, he doesn't think its awful here, take it as constructive criticism from people who want to make the country better - whether you like them or not.
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Posted by thesaintpi on Nov 19, 2009, 05:16 AM EST
My direct experience with the the Irish problems / bombings, against English targets, goes back to 1981 (Bobby Sands hunger strike era)Not being of Irish decent but marrying into a large Irish family, in the aforementioned year, in Ireland, it took sometime for me to understand what some of the sentiments where at that time. I would never past judgement on a problem that i fully did not understand one way or another, except for the fact that killing your follow man can never be the right answer to solve any discourse, then or now. As i never lived the Irish historical events of the past or present, i have lived the American events of 911 and now the recent Fort Hood shootings, along with the fact that our young men in combat are dying for what? All i can say about your article is that i fully agree with your last paragraph, but being born in Manhattan, NYC in the 40's and seeing those towers crumble, has left its mark in my mind, heart, and soul that i will never forget. So Mr. magazine writer, don't even begin to tell me how i should react to what i'm seeing in my country any more than me having pasted judgement on the Irish past and present problems. A Patriot
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Posted by borefield on Nov 18, 2009, 03:51 PM EST
I think Niall has a BIG axe to grind. America doesn't hate Muslims, (just the ones that are out to kill us). If he thinks we are so awful, why is he here, he is obviously making a good living in a capitalist country. I think he is the editor of The Irish Voice, (I no longer subscribe)and a founding publisher of a magazine he should take the time to proof read what he writes and perhaps learn a little American geography. His piece on Lou Dobbs was full of hatered, nasty and meanspirited diatribe. As I have said before we don't dislike immigrants, just the ILLEGAL ones. I love his magazine "Irish America", I am seriously thinking of not renewing my subscription. Maybe if he didn't make as many American dollars he would leave.
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Posted by Irishdove on Nov 18, 2009, 02:48 PM EST
Fort Hood is in Texas, not in North or South Carolina. But no matter where such a cowardly event happens, you are correct. We WILL learn and act based upon this event -- either positively or negatively. May we be wise and careful about what we choose to learn and about how we choose to act.






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