The Facts About Orde

IN a weak attempt to give some cover to Mitchell Reiss, the Irish American Republicans falsely claimed in last week’s Irish Voice that the much discussed Sinn Fein ad in The New York Times “personally attacked the new Northern Ireland Police Chief Hugh Orde,” and “labeled him a coddler of killers and ‘human rights abusers.’”

The ad did no such thing. The ad stated, “The chief of police is opposed to inquiries which would expose human rights abusers in his ranks.”

The fact is that Mr. Orde is opposed to the inquiries, and they would expose human rights abusers in the ranks of Mr. Orde’s police department. Indeed, to my knowledge, Mr. Orde does not dispute either point.

The ad also stated, “The chief of police is refusing to cooperate with inquests into killings by state forces.”

Again, the fact is Mr. Orde is refusing to cooperate with such inquests. And again, to my knowledge, Mr. Orde does not dispute this. 

The ad does not otherwise refer to Mr. Orde.

Lawrence Downes
President, Friends Of Sinn Fein
New York, New York

McManus Deserves Respect

AS a life-long supporter of the Republican Party (GOP), I was truly distressed to see the disrespectful and dishonest attack on Fr. Sean McManus by the National Assembly of Irish American Republicans (NAIAR).

I have never heard of the NAIAR, whereas everyone involved with the Irish issue has heard of Fr. McManus, who has done Trojan work for justice and peace in Ireland for, it seems like, ever. With friends like the NAIAR, President Bush needs no enemies.

Fr. McManus had expressed concern that the special envoy to Northern Ireland, Dr. Mitchell Reiss, had harmed both the Irish peace process and President Bush by his remarkably undiplomatic attack on Sinn Fein, branding them liars. 

Fr. McManus and other leaders had told Dr. Reiss, “We fear your undiplomatic outburst may wrongly give Americans the impression that President Bush harbors anti-Catholic sentiment, something he fought so hard to deny during the last presidential election after his unfortunate visit to Bob Jones University (which gave Rev. Ian Paisley his doctorate and is his main American sponsor).”

As if to confirm this fear, the NAIAR blasts “Sean McManus” as a Bush-hater, refusing to give him the title “father.” Catholics will be well aware that Orange bigots in Northern Ireland and anti-Catholic bigots in the U.S., like Bob Jones, refuse to call Catholic priests “father.”

Is this what the NAIAR stands for, and does President Bush need their stupidity in the middle of a tough election?

This Republican rejects completely NAIAR’s attack on Fr. McManus and puts the blame squarely where it belongs – on Dr. Reiss for his unacceptable and false diatribe on Sinn Fein.

And I suggest, for the good of the GOP and in the name of decency, that NAIAR issues an apology to Catholics for their Bob Jones-type disrespect of a Catholic priest who has done such great work for Ireland.

Barbara Joyce Flaherty
Riverdale Park, Maryland 

No ‘Infighting’ Here

I HAVE a long-standing policy of not responding to personal attacks. But I do have a fiduciary responsibility to protect the Irish National Caucus and defend its record on Irish affairs.

Therefore, I must respond to the unfair and untruthful attack by the Irish American Republicans in last week’s Irish Voice.

They branded me a “Bush-hater.” Ironically, since 1972 President Bush is the only president I have not criticized regarding Ireland. And I have letters from both Ambassador Richard Haass, former special envoy to Northern Ireland, and Dr. Mitchell Reiss thanking me for my support of President Bush’s record on the Irish peace process.

They said, unbelievably, “This Irish infighting should be stopped before real damage is done to the peace process,” as if I were fighting with other Irish groups!

The truth is I am not fighting with any Irish group. And the reality is that it is they who have attacked a perfectly legitimate statement signed by the Irish National Caucus, the Irish American Unity Conference and Lawyers Alliance for Justice in Northern Ireland. They are the ones doing the infighting.

Since its inception in February 1974, the Irish National Caucus has the motto “Neither Democrat nor Republican...But Dedicated to Getting Both Parties to Stand Up for Ireland.”

We have been steadfast in our motto and have never deviated, as any objective study of the record proves.

When a public official, of whatever party, does wrong to Ireland we name and shame. When he/she does right by Ireland we name and praise.

When Dr. Reiss has done good things for Ireland we have praised him, as the record shows.

When he made his most uncharacteristic and unbalanced attack on Sinn Fein and, therefore, on the majority of Catholics in Northern Ireland (without whom there would be no peace process in Ireland) we think he crossed the line, and we told him so.

Back in February I issued a statement saying, “I was very impressed by Dr. Reiss. He seemed very well informed and very open, with no ax to grind. He is an ideal replacement for his distinguished predecessor Richard Haass.”

I now call on Dr. Reiss to return to his position of balance and evenhandedness. Otherwise he is hurting both the peace process and President Bush in the eyes of Irish Americans.

Surely the National Assembly of Irish American Republicans should be joining me in this call, not shooting the messenger?

God Bless America, God save Ireland.

Father Sean McManus
President
Irish National Caucus
Washington, D.C.

Peaceful Dialogue, Please

WHEN I read the Sinn Fein ad in The New York Times, I thought it was a logical presentation of their reasons for not joining the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Even for those who do not agree with their views, it was worthy of a political party involved in a contentious peace process.

A decade ago, before Gerry Adams was granted a visa, the Times would have rejected the ad out of respect for the British broadcast ban on the words of Sinn Fein. Censorship is out of date now, and reasoned debate is in. Only democratic methods will affect positive change in the North of Ireland. 

Therefore, I find it exceedingly unhelpful that Dr. Mitchell Reiss would dismiss Sinn Fein’s point-by-point statement of their position by saying the ad contains “massive untruths.”

He did not give an accepted political party the courtesy of specifying which of their points he disputed. That would have opened the way for a dialogue. 

Fr. Sean McManus was right to take him to task for his “undiplomatic outburst.” Like Sean, I can’t imagine Dr. Reiss launching such a similar attack on “the British government, the UUP or the DUP.”

The Bush administration’s special relationship with its chief military ally in Iraq must not corrupt the U.S.’s role as honest broker in the North.

The National Assembly of Irish American Republicans’ (NAIAR) rhetoric in defense of Reiss was way overblown. He wasn’t “savaged” in Fr. Sean’s letter, there was no “Irish infighting,” no damage to the peace process, and Fr. Sean is not a “traditional U.S.-based Bush-hater.”

And lastly, there is no danger of any “holy or unholy alliance” between Fr. Sean and Ian Paisley. Good grief!

James Mullin 
Moorestown, New Jersey