Beggars' Bush

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday April 07, 2003 09:35 by Bearrah - Irish Republicans Against Iraq War

Hillsborough Talks

Not a good profile Sinn Fein.....

07-04-02

Now the beasts themselves are coming here to Ireland today. What the hell is going on? After all our protesting the Irish government is not only reiterating its support for the U.S. and U.K. unilateral invasion of Iraq - they’re welcoming Bush and Blair to talks in Hillsborough.

Sinn Fein will be present at the talks which will debate the Northern Peace Process - among other things including the Middle East and the Iraqi Crisis - and Sinn Fein have said that they will also use the opportunity to express their opposition to the ongoing invasion of Iraq.

I’ll continue but I’m hardly able to summon myself to write about this development. Putting myself in a Republican and Nationalist Leader’s shoes and trying to imagine what his or her motives are for attending such an awful reception:

With the Irish governments position of full support to the U.S. and U.K. unilateral military oppression of states and organisations on the ‘axis of evil’ list, I would be worried that these people would meet and side-line the Republican and Nationalist causes even more during these meetings in Hillsborough.

As a Republican and Nationalist leader, if I was not present at the meetings I would be considered as sending these people a clear message that WE are not prepared to even enter into talks about the possibility of future peace in the North of Ireland.

However, as I’ve written before, after listening to Ireland’s various leaders communicating during the current affairs, I don’t believe that domestic politics can be given priority. There is currently a very real call for Jihad among Arab States while the U.S. and U.K. lead an onslaught on Iraq and images are flooding in of innocent children lying butchered in ill-equipped Iraqi hospitals.

In reality I am not a leader but I am a Republican with a very strong international and domestic social outlook. To be true to myself I feel and think that our leaders should be sending out as strong a message as possible that WE do not associate with or condone the current U.S. and U.K. unilateral invasion and attack on Iraq. Therefore I do not consider Sinn Fein’s involvement in these Hillsborough talks to be appropriate.

WE as Republicans who have been out marching against this current war in Iraq, cannot enter into negotiations with or be seen to make U-turns in our mighty opposition to these inhumane warmongers. Humanity itself is at stake now, I believe that Sinn Fein’s involvement in these talks sends out a dramatically wrong message to our people and people of other nations with relation to current affairs.

With worldwide focus on the North over the next twenty-four hours and with Sinn Fein seen by foreign peoples to be the majority leadership of the Republican and Nationalist People of Ireland – all will see Sinn Fein’s involvement in talks with Ahern, Bush and Blair as close relations. With the real threat now of ‘terrorist’ attack on the Irish and American population in Ireland, we must take a better international stance.

Does Sinn Fein really believe in the strength of the Republican and Nationalist movement in Ireland and abroad today? If they do then what’s wrong with Sinn Fein sending out a strong and clear message that they will not enter into dialogue with these inhumane beasts; Bertie, Blair, Bush and their administrations. I wish Sinn Fein would show more belief in our movement and that they will show clear and open disrespect for these warmongers that we have been so actively opposing in recent times.

Bearrah, Republican, Connaught, Eire.