Kerry Accuses Blair Over Ulster Report

[BeyondGeography]

Press Association
THE GUARDIAN
Sunday March 21, 2004 9:48 PM


United States presidential candidate John Kerry has accused the Government of threatening police reforms in Northern Ireland over delays in publishing a dossier on four controversial murders.

The leading Democrat was one of seven powerful American senators who demanded Prime Minister Tony Blair immediately discloses the long-awaited Cory report into killings dogged by allegations of security force collusion.

In a letter to Downing Street they hit out at the continued secrecy over the findings in the cases which include the shooting of Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane.

Even though the Government has confirmed the report will be released by the end of the month, the senators, who also include Ted Kennedy, expressed dismay at the six month lapse since retired Canadian Judge Peter Cory handed his findings to the Government.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,1271,-3887846,00.html?=ticker

[mobuto]

1. So much more Presidential than the current occupant

of the White House, the contrast is simply stunning. Anyone remember the backdrop when Bush played a visit, that said "Belfast, Ireland?"

John Kerry in '04.

[JoFerret]

2. Interesting move on Kerry's part

With the traditional natural affinity between Labour and the Democrats riven by Blair's poodledom enthrallment with Bush this looks like an interesting pre-emptive strike on a new balance of power.

[madrchsod]

4. there are strains

within the labor party over blair`s sucking bush`s ass. they want no part of blair if bush falls. amazing how many countries bush has pissed off....

[BeyondGeography]

5. Call it a pre-emptive strike against excessive Poodledom

What with Blair sending ex-communications hack Alistair Campbell to Murdoch's media confab in Cancun this week to promote favorable coverage of the Poodle's Iraq policy, it looks like the top of Labour is pulling for the Chimp. The hope is that a Bush victory will keep its collective ass covered on Iraq. Kerry's criticisms here could well be aimed at encouraging better behavior from a potentially uncooperative Poodle.

[roguevalley]

8. The pro-Irish vote is HUGE. Nice move. And maybe there will be some

justice added too.

[twilight]

16. yep there are 50,000,000 of us

right here in the good ol' USA and no, we don't like duh poodle .... :evilgrin:

:nuke:

:dem: :kick:

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. The poodle will soon be a stray.

But his ability to beg for scraps is no doubt well honed.

[jeanmarc]

6. Secure that Irish vote

Didn't the President/Prime Minister of Ireland visit along with Ted Kennedy recently? I'm fairly sure this is a favor he's asked and it's a win for Kerry anyway. Secure that Irish vote!

[AP]

7. I wonder if Bush spent St Patty's day with Ian Paisley again?

[pfitz59]

9. You're joking aren't you?

Did Shrub spend last St Pat's with that scumbag Paisley?

[AP]

10. Nope. Can you fucking believe it? Paisley was Bush's guest at the white...

...house for Bush's first St Patrick's day as president.

Stunning, isn't it?

Most Americans would think it was appropriate that he spend St Patty's day with an Irishman.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. He did spend it with an Irishman

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A17523-2001Mar16¬Found=true

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern celebrated St. Patrick's Day at the White House yesterday, telling President Bush, "We are happy to welcome those who just want the privilege of being Irish for the day."
...
For the first time, White House St. Patrick's Day festivities included Ian Paisley, a Protestant leader whose anti-Catholic positions and reluctance to enter the Northern Ireland peace process have made him a controversial figure. Paisley spoke briefly with the president but didn't enter the room where Bush spoke -- and the television cameras filmed.

Other parties at the gathering were Gerry Adams, head of Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble and Britain's Northern Ireland secretary, John Reid. Ahern said the invitation extended to Paisley "shows the inclusivity of the process."

So are you criticising Bush for trying to be inclusive?

[Bridget Burke]

13. His particular friendship with Ian Paisley is, indeed, suspect.

Paisley was invited to Bush II's first St Patrick's day celebration. You'll notice that Paisley did not join in any meetings--just spoke to Bush in private.

The Paisley family has strong links to Bob Jones University, where Bush gave an important campaign speech in 2000. Two Paisley sons are on the faculty & the Reverend has spoken there many times. He was one of the first to receive an honorary degree from Bob Jones, back when Lester Maddox, Strom Thurmond & George Wallace were receiving similar awards. John Ashcroft is a more recent honoree at that fine institution.

Paisley & his ilk hate the Good Friday agreement. Just the fact that citizens of the Republic are involved in the talks is considered an insult.

[AP]

14. I think that inviting Ian Paisley to the White House on St. Patrick's day

...is just about the right note to strike if you're trying to tell the world that they can expect violence in NI again and that you'll be disengaging from the attempt to move foreward to a peaceful future.

Which is exactly what Bush did.]

[Bridget Burke]

17. Clinton worked hard for peace in the North....

And, for Bush II, that's reason enough to be against it.

[AP]

19. There's a lot of money to be made off of not having peace for Bush.

Generally speaking, Bush doesn't want a stable Europe. Belfast should be another Dublin -- it should be peaceful, growing, and stable. When it isn't, it costs the UK and Ireland a lot of time and money which deptrives the British Isles, and by extension, all of Europe a little bit more economc, cultural and political power. The US doesn't want Europe to have more power to compete with the US, and to hold back companies like GE and Microsoft from global hegemony. So, Bush backed out of the peace agreements, and sends signals to people like Paisley to keep fighting.

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. Which peace agreements are you talking about?

I don't remember Bush backing out of anything to do with Northern Ireland. He hasn't done much new, but what did he withdraw from?

[AP]

21. He has intentionally disengaged. NI is nowhere on his list of priorities.

And I wouldn't be surprised if that's what he talked to Paisley about two months into his presidency.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. Any comment on the actual subject of this thread?

ie Kerry and others criticizing Blair?

I can't see why he's delayed publishing the report. Unless he hpoes to sneak it out on a day with lots of other news, of course.

[Bridget Burke]

18. Yes. There are angry families who want the truth.

And the government is acting like it has something to hide. Sound familiar?

Here's a February story from the Globe & Mail:

"A retired Canadian judge has unleashed a major controversy in the United Kingdom by going over the head of the British government to release findings of his inquiry into possible state collusion in four killings in Ireland.

"Former Supreme Court of Canada justice Peter Cory telephoned the families of the four victims recently in frustration at Prime Minister Tony Blair's refusal to keep his commitment to release the findings of the 18-month inquiry.

"Judge Cory informed the families that he had found sufficient evidence of state collusion in the killings to warrant a full public inquiry in each case -- an extraordinary move that the British media are calling a humiliating, direct challenge to Mr. Blair."

www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040204/CORY04/TPFront/TopStories

[IndianaGreen]

11. The Poodle deserves every reamer he gets!

Without lubrication!