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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Why is President Obama trying to damage the Irish peace process? Feds working with British agents win access to Boston College IRA tapes

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Why is President Obama trying to damage the Irish peace process? Feds working with British agents win access to Boston College IRA tapes

Posted on Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 07:01 AM

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Joe Biden, Gerry Adams and Barack Obama

President Obama's administration is damaging the still fragile Irish peace process.

Federal prosecutors acting for the British won a major victory on Friday when Judge William Young ordered Boston College to turn over the transcripts.

Strange as it may seem the tapes have the potential to damage the peace process.

The British security forces MI5 etc., are looking for any dirt they can find on Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams among others on those tapes.

Amazingly, when he was here recently, Northern Secretary Owen Paterson was clearly deeply embarrassed by what his security forces, likely without reference to him, had succeeded in doing.
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They have a long vendetta against Adams and will use whatever means necessary, including endangering the peace process to get him.

The Obama administration is cooperating openly with this travesty which is damaging for them among Irish Americans to say the least.

IRA veterans, believing the tapes were being kept private until a lengthy time had elapsed spoke freely about past incidents. Now their words may be use against them and others.

The British securocrats are only seeking the IRA tapes, none from the Loyalists who spoke to the oral history project – that in itself is all you need to know.

The Boston College administrators were journalist Ed Moloney and academic Anthony McIntyre. Both men are long time critics of Adams and the IRA personnel chosen to be interviewed reflect that.

BC has stated that turning over the materials will endanger the safety of people involved in the project.

Judge Young, who also presided over the Richard Reid shoe bomber case, set aside BC’s objections saying that the recordings could be relevant to murder and kidnapping investigations and that the US had an obligation under a treaty with Britain to hand over the materials

“These are serious allegations, and they weigh strongly in favor of disclosing the confidential information,’’ Young wrote.

Assistant US Attorney John McNeil, praised the judge. He said the ruling indicates that “the US government’s obligation [under the treaty with Britain and] the public interest in this criminal inquiry are compelling.’’

Which is load of nonsense. People have buried the past and got on with the future in Northern Ireland and created a model of conflict resolution that is the envy of the world.

The Obama administration and the British security hawks are doing their damndest to bring that down.

That’s what is at stake at Boston College.

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82 Comments

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kubs | Sep 30, 2012, 12:14 PM EDT

Attawaytogo, Mr. President: Kowtow to the British treaty but show no care for the Irish peace treaty! Just why was it again that you said you visited Ireland for??

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wizardofoz | Jan 25, 2012, 06:06 AM EST

“The wizard is living in the land of oz quoting what cannot be verified,blindly accepting British bullsh-t and demonising anything of a nationalist nature” So, Sean-O-Melbourne, where do you hail from these days yourself? Every word in my post is gospel however, if you have evidence that proves otherwise, why not post it, and refute my assertions? Of course I know you won’t because I am 100% correct and you cannot rebut one word of it. I am Northern Irish man born and bred. I believe the Irish republican cause to be a legitimate political movement, always have. It’s the violence I so strongly object to, all those lives wasted and for what? So Gerry and Martian can strut around like roosters shacking hands with ar-e-h—s that despises them? I believe now, as I have always believed, Ireland, north and south will NEVER reach their full potential until all Irish people pull together as one. I believe the Irish people will be united as one, not by the sword, but by the will of the Irish people. On that day, those that don’t agree are free to leave.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 04, 2012, 05:24 PM EST

Seamus there is no doubt that the sacrifices made by Republicans are now swept under the carpet to give Adams and his crew(who hijacked the leadership of Sinn Fein in a Coup)a more acceptable face to appease the free staters and a hope to garner more votes.

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seamus60 | Jan 04, 2012, 01:50 PM EST

Low and behold today we have a statement in the Derry Journal with the heading "From prison to politics" from Raymond Mc Cartney, in which he yet again flips the truth on its head. He says because the brits reneged on the deal that ended the first Hungerstrike the second one was of a consequence. The leadership have all admitted there was no deal to be reneged on in relation to the first HS. That the storey was drawn up as one in order to save face. Does he think the people are stupid and will not see through his attempt at deflecting from what is quickly becoming clear to all Irish Republicans. At least all the ones who can`t be bought by the 30 pieces of silver.

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seamus60 | Jan 03, 2012, 03:13 PM EST

Seano. it appears my posts are no longer welcome here as my last reply to below has gone astray. Simular to videos that have just been pulled from u tube, videos that go a fair way in proving that O Rawe was in fact telling the truth about the fate of the last 6 hungerstrikers. Now we will see the journalists who are just that in the interest of providing the truth.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 02, 2012, 06:18 PM EST

In the normal course of events paedophilia is forbidden to be reported by the press to protect the identity of the children. It was the gutter press that first reported this affair not Adams.No doubt Adams was put on the back foot when the press made the affair public. Adams is not resposible for the sins of his father or his brother.Like most families in this situation wrong decisions can be made to protect other family members or to keep the situation under wraps to avoid the shame or public ridicule. In most cases the victim suffers a double dillema of wanting the perp to pay and then balancing this with the public shame the family suffers not an easy road to travel.I find your post a rush to judgement borne out of ignorance. Take it from one who was a family member in such a situation.The victims rights should be paramount but unfortunately it sometimes does not happen.So vilifying family members when you are not privvy to a situation is wrong. If you hate Adams and his crew pick the good fight and leave family matters alone.

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seamus60 | Jan 02, 2012, 12:05 PM EST

Seano please just ask a question if there is one. As for using Adams family issue as propaganda, i think you will find it was intended as his propaganda as he introduced the dirty old father peado into the subject as some sort of excuse for his confusion in dealing so miserably with his PEADO BROTHER and VICTIM NIECE issue. Why the brits kept this to themselves is another issue, the one i`m more interested in as opposed to any other sex crimes covered up by who ever. Adams aided and abeitted a peadophile ( by his own admission) and still expects that we allow him a position of good standing within republicanism when other ordinary people with ordinary names within our community were never afforded the luxury of (the same rules applying to them). Why other people from other orgs, church etc covered up simular crimes against the child is no less worthy of being questioned. But i will point out again that it was Gerry who introduced the big ( or not so big )family dilema involving the wider family. Something he was`nt forced into disclosing as in the case of his niece. Therefore we can only assume the new revelation of his own victimhood is intended as his propaganda. Didn`t it work. As for west brit, you are seriously but understandably confused. Most likely because for over 30 years us republicans were not allowed to in any way ,shape or form question our brave leadership with all their courage and wisdom.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 02, 2012, 12:04 AM EST

The wizard is living in the land of oz quoting what cannot be verified,blindly accepting British bullsh-t and demonising anything of a nationalist nature.

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seanomelbourne | Jan 02, 2012, 12:01 AM EST

I did not "deflect from responsibility" I simply stated that you use a family problem (Adams) as a propoganda tool {as I stated guilt by association).You do not apply the same rules to others specifically in the Cadden affair when Cadden was probably murdered by the authorities (Your west brit pollies in Leinster house)because she knew to much about the secret abortions performed for the those hypocrites and their dalliances with each others wives, Your double standard is in question by your penchant to gloss over what you do not wish to discuss.

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seamus60 | Jan 01, 2012, 09:38 AM EST

What would you like answered Seano

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seanomelbourne | Dec 31, 2011, 06:12 PM EST

I agree badyl written all I'm trying to say is you do not answer the thrust of the argument you ignore what is stated.

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seamus60 | Dec 31, 2011, 10:43 AM EST

Seano, again you are making no sense. Wizard 100% as Mallon called this peace process Sunningdale for SLOW LEARNERS.

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wizardofoz | Dec 30, 2011, 01:44 AM EST

William Whitelaw,(Britain’s Secretary of State) in July1972, during a brief Provo ceasefire, brought a six-man PIRA delegation to London, to negotiate a political settlement and a permanent end to violence, the six included Sean McStiofain, Daithi O’Connor, Seamus Twomey, Ivor Bell, Martian McGuinness and Gerry Adams. The meeting achieved nothing. Whitelaw records it was a waste of time the PIRA gave nothing but the same old rhetoric the Brits would have to announce they were leaving Ireland for good and that it would have to happen during the lifetime of one parliamentary term. (Five years) Whitelaw responded he could not take such a proposal to cabinet it wouldn’t be accepted. He then made an offered; the first time ever a British Cabinet Minister made such an offer of the ‘Principle of Consent’ when 50%, plus one, of the population of Northern Ireland voted for a united Ireland, Britain would immediately and expeditiously leave Northern Ireland. The bright bhoys in the PIRA refused it and replied they would use the ‘Utmost Ferocity’ to prosecute their so-called war. And they did 497 deaths in that year alone. So the question is if the ‘Principle of Consent’ which is the very foundation of the Belfast Agreement, was so wrong to the PIRA in 1972, why was it so right for the PIRA in 1998? Thousands of lives could have been saved but weren’t thanks to the unwillingness of the PIRA to see the political reality of the situation that faced them back in 1972. One thing we do know is almost three thousand died because of the PIRA procrastination.

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seanomelbourne | Dec 28, 2011, 09:23 PM EST

Typically you ignore the point what you do not wish to post about

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seamus60 | Dec 27, 2011, 11:15 AM EST

So deflection from responsability for your hero is your only defence. You could have just said " sure everyone else is doing the same". Again do you think some one who allowed 6 brave republicans to die for his personal political gain as well as his sheltering a peadophile and allowing him freedom of movement to further offend is of good enough character to lead a large political party with aspirations to govern the country. There can be no defence either of any others guilty of the same offences against children regardless of what flag of convienance the hide behind.

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