Action alerts

The following is a summary of recent calls for political action by Irish Northern Aid.

McALLISTER HEARING

Support the McAllister family in fighting unjust deportation by attending the hearing on Wednesday, June 29th at 10:30 a.m. Courtroom 32, 3rd Floor, Frank Lautenberg Courthouse, Newark, New Jersey.

Our support is crucial. Let’s pack the courtroom! The court is a short walk from Penn Station in Newark. Cabs are available at the station which will save time.

Thank you for for being there to support the McAllister family.

FREE SEAN KELLY

Sean Kelly, prominent North Belfast Republican, has had his “license” revoked by N. I Secretary of State Peter Hain. The result, unless Hain’s decision is reversed, is that Mr Kelly will be sent back to prison. He was released several years ago under the Good Friday Agreement.

Unionists/Loyalists have long been targeting Sean because of his role in promoting the peace process and helping to calm the situation at various North Belfast flash points. His involvement has been effective and nothing but positive.

While the PSNI and other British government agencies have done virtually nothing to stop illegal marches and other violations by Loyalists, they are now targeting Irish republicans known to be acting for the best interests of public safety and the peace process.

Bertie Ahern has become positively involved today in asking questions of the British government regarding Sean Kelly’s arrest and license revocation.

We need to put pressure on the British government through our members of congress, the US administration and State Department, as well as by encouraging action by the Dublin government.

Demand that the British government reverse Hain’s decision:

Prime Minister Tony Blair can be reached through the British Embassy in Washington, DC.

The British Embassy, 3100 Mass. Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008 Phone: 202-588-7800; Fax: 202-745-0359 Email: ppa@washington.mail.fco.gov.uk

The Northern Irealnd Office in DC: press.nio@nics.gov.uk

Tony Blair can be faxed from the US at: 011-44-2079250918

Ask your Members of Congress to express their concerns over this serious provocation or to at least ask the British government to explain its actions. Contact the US Administartion with the same message, particularly the Special Envoy Mitchell Reiss at the Department of State :

President George W. Bush, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20502 Phone: comments, 202-456-1111; swithchboard, 202-456-1414. Email: president@whitehouse.gov Fax: 202-456-2461

Dr Mitchell Reiss [Special Envoy] Director Policy Planning Main Switchboard Policy Planning: 202-647-5225 Email direct to Dr Reiss: policyplanning@state.gov

All US Senators and Representatives can all be reached through the Capital Switchboard: 202-225-3121

Contact Bertie Ahern through the Irish Embassy and local US Consulates to insist on good answers from the British government for this outrage.

The Irish Ambassador to the US is Noel Fahey. Contact him at The Embassy of Ireland, 2234 Mass Ave NW, Wahington DC 20008 Phone: 202-462-3939; Fax: 202-232-5993 Email: www.irelandemb.org/feedback.html

SENATE RESOLUTION 173

Irish Northern Aid welcomes the introduction of Senate Resolution 173 by Senators Kennedy, Collins, Dodd, McCain, Biden and Leahy, which expresses support for the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Irish Northern Aid, along with other Irish American organizations, has been campaigning since 1998 for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

While we agree with the basic sentiment of the proposed Senate Resolution, we believe it wrongly implies that Irish Republicans are to blame for the lack of implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. All parties bear some responsibility. However, the failure of the British Government to complete the Patten recommendations on police reform; to reform the judicial system; to introduce and implement equality and human rights legislation have all led to disillusionment and a lack of confidence in the British government’s ability and interest in implementing those parts of the Good Friday Agreement that fall completely under their command.

The Irish Government, as guardians of nationalists’ rights and co-equal partner to the British Government, are lacking in their responsibilities for challenging the British on their lack of implementation. Most observers of Irish politics recognize that the Irish Government has been acting out of fear of Sinn Féin’s electoral successes in the Irish Republic rather than fulfilling their role in guaranteeing the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

Since the mid-1990’s, whenever the peace process has stalled it has been Irish Republicans who have come forward with the initiative and momentum to get the process back on track. Sinn Féin clearly has the full faith and confidence of majority of nationalists living in the six counties. Their democratic mandate speaks for itself and the US Government should ensure that it is not ignored by the governments or other parties.

We too seek justice for the family of Robert McCartney as we do for the nearly 300 families of victims of State force collusion including the Finucanes, the Hammils and the Nelsons.

Finally, we ask Senator Kennedy and the co-sponsoring Senators to make two amendments to Resolution 173: first, to include support for full public inquiries and justice for the victims of state collusion; and second, to call upon the British Government to fulfill their obligations under the Good Friday Agreement.”

109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 173

Expressing support for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 as the blueprint for lasting peace in Northern Ireland.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 16, 2005
Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. DODD, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. BIDEN, and Mr. LEAHY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing support for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 as the blueprint for lasting peace in Northern Ireland.

Whereas in 1998, the Good Friday Agreement, signed on April 10, 1998, in Belfast, was endorsed in a referendum by the overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland;

Whereas the parties to the Good Friday Agreement made a clear commitment to `partnership, equality, and mutual respect’ as the basis for moving forward in pursuit of lasting peace in Northern Ireland;

Whereas the parties to the Good Friday Agreement also affirmed ‘their total and absolute commitment to exclusively democratic and peaceful means’ in pursuit of lasting peace in Northern Ireland;

Whereas inclusive power-sharing based on these defining qualities is essential to the viability and advancement of the democratic process in Northern Ireland;

Whereas paramilitary and criminal activity in a democratic society undermines the trust and confidence that are essential in a political system based on inclusive power-sharing in Northern Ireland;

Whereas the United States Government continues to strongly support the peace process in Northern Ireland; and

Whereas the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of Ireland continue to strongly support the Good Friday Agreement as the way forward in the peace process, and have committed themselves to its implementation: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That--

(1) the Senate reiterates its support for the Good Friday Agreement, signed on April 10, 1998, in Belfast, as the blueprint for a lasting peace in Northern Ireland; and

(2) it is the sense of the Senate that--

(A) the Irish Republican Army must immediately--

(i) complete the process of decommissioning;

(ii) cease to exist as a paramilitary organization; and

(iii) end its involvement in any way in paramilitary and criminal activity;

(B) the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland must--

(i) share power with all parties according to the democratic mandate of the Good Friday Agreement; and

(ii) commit to work in good faith with all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, which established an inclusive Executive and the North-South Ministerial Council, for the benefit of all the people of Northern Ireland;

(C) Sinn Féin must work in good faith with the Police Service of Northern Ireland;

(D) the leadership of Sinn Féin must insist that those responsible for the murder of Robert McCartney and those who were witnesses to the murder--

(i) cooperate directly with the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and

(ii) be protected fully from any retaliation by the Irish Republican Army; and

(E) the Government of the United Kingdom must--

(i) permanently restore the democratic institutions of Northern Ireland;

(ii) complete the process of demilitarization in Northern Ireland; and

(iii) advance equality and human rights agendas in Northern Ireland.

Contact by email or phone each member for the Foreign Relations Committee if you have the time, but surely the resolution sponsors. Another option is to call the Majority and Minority committee secretaries with your concerns. [See bellow]. BE SURE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE RESOLUTION ARE UNACCEPTABLE

Talking Points:

A] The positives:

1] Calling for the full implementation of the GFA [including demilitarization, equality, etc.];

2] Criticism of DUP rejectionism and the unimpeded institution of the power-sharing assembly and executive.

B] The primary problems with the Resolution are:

1] Placing undue blame and onus on Irish Republicans when every one of the four British suspensions of the GFA institutions were caused by false allegations against Republicans and/or blatant Unionist sabotage. We see no wording in the resolution such as “The UVF or UDA or UFF must disband, give up criminal activity, etc ...” Only the IRA “must ...”

2] No mention of Loyalist paramilitary criminality, violence, and violations of nationalist’s rights -- already all too evident during this “marching season.”

3] Perpetuating the illusion that the only problem with policing in the north is Sinn Féin’s refusal to sit on the Policing Board; and

4] Singling out of the killing of Robert McCartney without mention of the terrible toll of human life in this conflict, including the 100-plus murders perpetrated by Loyalists SINCE the GFA signing and the many hundreds of unsolved murders committed under suspicious circumstances pointing toward collusion by British military and government agencies.

Contact: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Chair: Richard Lugar [R - Indiana]
Ranking Member: Joseph Biden [D- Del]

Republicans:
Chuck Hegel, Nebraska
Lincoln Chafee, Rhode Island
George Allen, Virginia
Norm Coleman. Minnesota
George Voinovich, Ohio
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee
John Sununu, New Hampshire
Lisa Murkowski. Alaska
Mel Martinez, Florida

Democrats:
Paul Sarbanes, Maryland
Chris Dodd, Connecticut
John Kerry, Massachusetts
Russell Féingold, Wisconsin
Barbara Boxer, California
Bill Nelson, Florida
Barack Obama, Illinois

All Senators [all members of congress] can be reached through the Capital Switchboard: 202-225-3121

The Majority Senators [Republicans] on the committee can be reached at: 202-224-4651; Minority Senators [Democrats] can be reached at: 202-224-3953

To send emails to individual committee members, contact: https://foreign.senate.gov/about.html When you reach the web site, hit “Membership and More” to communicate to individual Senators.

Urgent Appeal