A broad range of people in the USA are jumping on an anti-Scottish bandwagon as they disagree with the position taken by the Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, over his decision to release Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds.
While I can understand the decision is divisive, many people supporting fully the decision, others oppose vehemently, what I find particularly galling is the stream of bile which is emanating from Political figures in the USA.
Lieberman, an independent senator called for an investigation into the release, adding the release was a "real setback for the anti-terrorist cause".
Democratic Senator Cardin, said: "The terrorist shows no compassion and to give him a compassionate release was wrong. 'I think it's very serious and I think there should be consequences.'
Mueller, head of the FBI said the decision had made a mockery of justice and given comfort to terrorists around the world.
These may be views which hold a certain amount of resonance to many people. But I would just like to take a step away from the rhetoric and look at recent American terrorist support.
NORIAD- In May 1981, the U.S. Department of Justice won a court case forcing Noraid to register the Provisional Irish Republican Army as its "foreign principal", under the Foreign Agents Registration Act 1938.
Noraid hugely successful fund raisers in the USA, provided many believe, substantial funding for the IRA to purchase arms. Noraid openly expressed support for the IRA but said it gave money for humanitarian aid,denying donations were used for the purchase of arms.
The Irish Freedom Committee still posts on the front page of its website:
The Irish Freedom Committee® (IFC) is an American-based human rights activist organization. We oppose the 1998 Stormont Treaty with Britain-- disingenuously titled the "Good Friday Agreement" or "Peace Process"-- as it is a British-imposed document which has nothing to do with peace, but is designed only to shore up Partition and to strengthen British rule in Ireland.
John McDonagh while chairman of the IFC was able to distinguish between IRA bombs and the World trade centre attacks saying: 'There's no comparison. I don't think it's in the psyche of the Irish to become suicide bombers. The IRA gives warnings before its bombings. What happened here brings it to a whole new level.'
The Irish Freedom Committee is committed to the pursuit of TRUTH with JUSTICE in a Free, United, Sovereign All-Ireland Republic.
US-Ireland Alliance, which has a facebook group with over 1 000 members entitled:
Supporters of the IRA (Irish Republican Army)
The Mission of the IRA is to free Ireland from British rule and give Ireland back to the Irish. The IRA is devoted to freedom and justice for the Irish people. We must fight back against centuries of rape and pillage. IRA Forever!!!
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” -John F Kennedy
I suggest before the head of the FBI starts calling Scotland a country which supports terrorism, he may well be better advised to look at some of his own countries organisations.
Gove on – Education – EduKardasian – I8ucat
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I make few public friends for believing in the adage of ’Those who can do,
those who can’t – teach’, however despite the public protestations to the »»
10 years ago
The actions of the Scottish government were wrong (IMO), but it's just as wrong for these morons to sit across the Atlantic agitating for a return to hostilities in a war almost no one in Britain or Ireland wants. Of course, if they could find either country on a map, they might be able to visit and discover that for themselves.
Terrorism is evil and brutal, it doesn't matter who perpetrates it, but, I get the impression they genuinely do believe it's so much worse when it affects them.
Absolutely agree with your view Kate, that far too many americans only think terrorism matters if it affects them.