Posted on 03/16/2005 2:12:20 AM PST by elhombrelibre
The family of a murdered Belfast man have taken their fight for justice to the US despite an extraordinary warning from one of the leaders of the republican party Sinn Fein.
Robert McCartney, a father of two, was brutally murdered in a local pub by members of the IRA on January 30.
Earlier, Sinn Fein's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness, caused astonishment when he warned the women not to meddle in politics.
He said: "The McCartneys need to be very careful. To step over that line, which is a very important line, into the world of party politics, can do a huge disservice to their campaign." He added: "You don't know what you're getting involved in".
The McCartneys vowed to dispel any romantic vision held by Americans of the Northern Ireland troubles as they arrived on US soil.
Mr McCartney's five sisters and his fiancee Bridgeen Hagans insisted they were motivated by nothing other than their brother's brutal killing as they prepared to meet President George Bush in Washington.
As they arrived at Baltimore Airport, Catherine McCartney said: "We want the people in America to know that any romantic vision they have of the struggle should now be dispelled.
"The struggle in terms of what it was ten years ago is now over, we are now dealing with criminal gangs who use the cloak of romanticism around the IRA to murder people on the streets and walk away from it."
The family, leading a campaign to force the father-of-two's killers into court, have been issued a warm welcome in the US which contrasts starkly with the isolation surrounding Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams.
Mr Adams, braced for a fierce backlash, has already been snubbed three times over St Patrick's Day events this week.
Catherine McCartney said their intention was to make influential congressmen and women aware that people could be murdered and as long as they did not belong to an organisation, no one was accountable.
"We are highlighting that this started off as intimidation and has now taken a sinister twist into an area of secrecy," she said.
"There is an implication that someone is pulling our strings but the only person pulling our strings is Robert."
Asked about the warning issued to the family by Sinn Fein chief negotiator Martin McGuinness to stay out of party politics, she said they would not be used as a political football.
The sisters said the only way their trip to the US would be made worthwhile would be if those responsible for the brutal murder of Mr McCartney outside a Belfast pub on January 30 were arrested during their trip.
Thanks!!!!!!
You're welcome.
Dammit! I thought something had happened to Paul MCCartney...Please tag with "IRA Alert" next time...Thank you!
I seem to recall one of the Kennedy clan being involved in some way and being so sympathetic to the IRA that when she was ambassador to Ireland, the CIA stopped giving her certain information because she passed it on the IRA.
My in-laws are all Irish and it took me 10 years to convince them to quit giving money to the IRA front organizations. Kinda funny how they keep those attachments to the old mother country even after 3 ro 4 generations over here.
Sounds like a death-threat to me.
Just maybe my fellow Americans will look upon the IRA in a new light...they are terrorist...nothing more.
They are brave ladies, of course they are being threatened.
They may not be in great danger now with the eyes of the world on them , but life is long and the IRA terrorists have long memories.
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