Joe Biden had hardly reclaimed the White House before he was smeared for alleged IRA connections by the Unionist Belfast Telegraph.

In an unrelated article claiming that Biden may visit Ireland on his first official visit as President, the paper reported that ...” in the past, Mr. Biden has faced criticism for rubbing shoulders with an ex-republican terrorist who is still wanted by the UK.

“He was previously pictured with then Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and alleged IRA killer Rita O’Hare.

“She was arrested in 1972 for the attempted murder of an army officer in Belfast but fled to the Republic while on bail.”

In fact, Rita O’Hare is one of the most respected figures in the Republican movement and served for many years as US liaison meeting President Obama, President Bush and many leading figures including Joe Biden during that time.She played a hugely influential role in resolving  potential conflicts and was always a welcome visitor at The White House 

To suggest that meeting her was somehow verboten is a smear typical of the British at their worst.at the Northern Irish justice system was unfair.

Biden as far back as 1987 in an interview with Irish America Magazine made clear he saw a role for the US in helping solve The Troubles. He is on record as saying: “I see myself as an Irish Catholic. If we have a moral obligation to other parts of the world why don’t we have a moral obligation to Ireland? It’s part of our blood.”