Posted on 03/05/2005 7:40:14 AM PST by r5boston
DUBLIN, Ireland - The start of the IRA-allied Sinn Fein's annual conference Friday was overshadowed by the party's efforts to contain a political firestorm surrounding the killing of a Catholic man by members of the outlawed militant group
The five sisters of Robert McCartney, who was stabbed to death by an IRA gang in Belfast, have spent five weeks demanding the Irish Republican Army lift an apparent death threat against dozens of witnesses to the Jan. 30 attack.
Sinn Fein, which initially criticized police efforts to find the killers, has suspended seven party members allegedly involved in the killing and handed their names to a police-complaints official — both acts unprecedented for the party.
The three-day conference opening Friday was supposed to be a rallying point for Sinn Fein, which was hoping to build its status as the largest Catholic-backed party in Northern Ireland and move into the mainstream in the Irish Republic, where it remains a small left-wing voice.
(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...
Considering the cordial relations with past Palestinian leadership, that's a rather compelling question.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.