Sinn Fein elite and their remaining party faithful are convening today in Navan, Co. Meath for a meeting of 'nouveau' Irish Republican politico minds to discuss a solution to their two party political agenda. Coincidentally this day marks the 30th anniversary of Northern Ireland being plunged into what we now regard as ‘The Troubles’.
Sinn Fein President,Gerry Adams, as reported in today's 'Irish Times' outlined that the meeting was to;
“review the current situation, assess our strategic, political and organisational progress and then set out a programme of work for the coming months”.
To get proceedings rolling, Mr Adams publicly sought to dispel the minor irritations of ‘dissident’ Irish Republican groups by accusing them of resorting to “old-fashioned physical forcism” and describing their motivation in killing two British soldiers and a PSNI officer as “almost because it could be done”.
‘Vanity’ was his descriptive terminology for the Real and Continuity IRA’s rational for killing two British soldiers and a PSNI officer several months ago. Mr Adams scathingly explained;
“You get these two soldiers killed, but for what reason? You get the police officer killed, for what reason? Almost because it could be done. Did anybody come forward? Did anyone stand up and make themselves available to rationalise or argue about what they did? I think that’s wrong,”
He went on to differentiate between these dissident Irish Republican actions and those carried out by Sinn Fein’s military wing, The IRA, during The Troubles.
“Say what you want about Sinn Féin but we stood toe to toe with anyone when we thought it was the right thing to do, for those who wanted to, to engage in armed actions. When we thought there was another way of doing it we also went in and argued and debated it out,”
He contests that their actions have no political mandate ( I presume because military action against British occupation is no longer endorsed by main stream Irish Republicanism i.e. Them Selves). Mr Adams has also welcomed political representation from disillusioned Irish Republicans to express their grievances. To complete his lambasting of dissident Irish Republican’s he said;
“But I have no time at all for those who are just going to put young guys in prison for no good reason, or put people in graves for no good reason.”
However, could this latter statement in time become as infamous as his; ‘they haven’t gone away you know!’ outburst several years ago? This may indeed be a costly choice of words given the growing momentum involving Mr Adam’s et al strategic decision making during the 1981 Hunger Strike. Sinn Fein are well aware that the ‘five demands’ were the fulcrum of their parties meteoric rise to political stardom (SDLP replacement). Also their subsequent political success was built upon the allegation of ’ Maggie Thatcher Wanted for Murder ’.. Will the 1981 watershed in Sinn Fein's political fortunes be re-written for future generations as yet another example of Northern Ireland political stalemate?
The full 'Irish Times' article can be read HERE
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