The Tables Turned

Picture the following:

1. The Greater London Authority passes a resolution supporting the Al Queda attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.  Spokesman for the British/Al Queda Unity Conference, Jack Robinson, who also sits as an independent member of the authority, congratulated the members for the 'courage and bravery' in the face of American imperlialism.  'They had it coming' said Robinson.

2. Marches took place across the United Kingdom in support of Zacarias Moussaoui. 5,000 gathered in London's East End to praise Moussaoui, calling him 'an icon against American aggression and illegailities.'

3. 22 County Councils passed resolutions.  North Yorkshire County Council, based in Northallerton, expressed sympathy with the aims of the Al Queda with the words 'Death to America'.  Mary Jo Kopechne, administrator in charge of Muslim welfare issues for Clackmannanshire District Council in Scotland, invited several prominent Al Queda spokesman - wanted in the United States - to speak at the Cat Stevens Centre on Thistle Road, Alloa.

4. A national union, the Seamans Alliance, blocked all American vessels attempting to enter British ports on September 11th, 2005.  They wanted to express their solidarity with Osama Bin Laden and make the day a national celebration of Islamic militancy.  Joe Bloggs, President of the UK Ports Authority, praised Bin Laden's 'courage and commitment.'

5. Co-writer of A Tangled Web, Andrew McCann, who went to the Al Queda plot at Whitechapel Cemetery in East London yesterday, also thought about the brave men on hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay.  He also told American magazine, Counter Punch, that he would be attending several Al Queda commemorations across the UK over the coming weeks and months.

To my American readers I must ask if the above scenario offends or disappoints you?  In the real world it certainly offends me, but no more so than this tripe I have just assaulted my eyeballs with.  It is high time Uncle Sam put an end to the selective terrorist appraisal from certain quarters whenever connections to dear old Oireland are in the frame. 

Comments

[Madradin Ruad]

A typical Brittle Andrew.

[Ross]

{As Gerry Adams, President of the pro-united Ireland political party Sinn Féin, wrote in the article "I have been in torture photos, too," }

Yes, I imagine he has.

[jaun]

the problem is he took a fair few as well.

[dantheman]

Would you die for your country Andrew?

[Alison]

I have to agree with you Andrew.

[Andrew McCann]

Dan

Yes I would if called upon to do so in a legitimate army with the imprimatur of the State.

I wouldn't commit suicide on behalf of a grubby little band of terrorists. Or cannot nationalists understand the difference?

[Madradin Ruad]

Andrew - Sean O'Casey summed these people up years ago :

Sean O'Casey,The Shadow of a Gunman,

Seamas Shield - "I believe in the freedom of Ireland and that England has no right to be here, but I draw the line when I hear the gunmen blowin' about dyin' for the people when it's the people that are dyin' for the gunmen! "

[The Troll]

The Article that you link to is a typicle mindset of a reporter. She has no concept of reality. Like so many of the Irish themselves she has been sold the belief that murderers and terrorists are heros instead of the scum that they are.

Those are not the views of the American public... All terrorists are scum whether they are Irish or Islamist. It would be nice for them all to do us a favor and starve themselves to death. Doubt they will do it, so line them up and shoot them instead.

No matter what the woman feels or believes at least over here we won't free them and then vote them into office like the Irish do.

[daytripper]

nice revisionism troll.

[Emily]

Andrew,
As one of your American readers, I found your post kind of condescending. The article you linked to is hardly representative of the American public, most of whom don't really care about Irish "freedom fighters" either way. The ones who've ignorantly romaticized the Troubles are morons that generally do not have a very good grasp on history and conveniently have nothing to lose.

Whenever you guys come across some American dope waxing MOPEishly about Ireland, you accuse the entire country of hypocrisy for selectively labelling terrorists. Please remember that there are 280 million of us and try not to blame the whole country every time Ugly Joe Arkansas farts in Scotland.

[Andrew McCann]

Emily

With respect it is reassurance from the likes of yourself and Troll that I seek. I believe the Irish republican lobby in America has a collective mouth far beyond its importance. It's time the 'mute' button was pressed on the likes of McCabe.

A lot of British people are annoyed at what they mistakenly perceive as a massive welter of support for the Provos in America.

[Madradin Ruad]

Promotion for that Reptile Senator Peter King did not help either....

[Emily]

A lot of that support was based on ignorance and misinformation. And blatant hypocrisy. Really. The children of immigrants to the United States have no business lecturing other countries about "occupation," unless they think it would be fair for me to blow up an Irish pub in Boston in the name of returning the land of my American Indian grandparents from their oppressors.

[Alison]

Emily - I do see your point.

I grew up seeing nothing but what seemed to be overwhelming support for terrorists by the US. It shaped the way I felt about the US as a kid MASSIVELY. Fortunately I grew up and out of it. But this is exactly the kind of poisonous rancid drivel that needs nipping in the bud before it grows.

Weve the BBC to challenge and the MSM here. And i like to think that US readers here get the opportunity via blogs to see were not all in allegiance with either in their fervent anti americanism. But equally id think reading some US blogs that we were. I felt the same way as you, some of the stuff I read is condescending, selective, nasty horseshit. (Mark Steyns a shit only imho).

Its THAT that were all trying to challenge. I would guess.

Its very reassuring to hear you say this. But i think it also needs saying to that little cow journo (whoever she is).

[Alison]

Sorry for the soliq. But its my bugbear. Umm, can you tell?!

[Emily]

Alison,
This is a very frustrating subject for me here in the US. A lot of the people I know who were knee-jerk Provo supporters literally did not understand the situation in Northern Ireland at all. Don't get me wrong - some people I've met were very aware, but in large, you'll find people who heard some mournful song about how the IRA are no different from George Washington (bullsh*t!) and that's pretty much the basis of their support. This becomes especially humorous, though frustrating when you encounter Sinn Fein supporters who are otherwise politically conservative (Bill O'Reilly, etc.). I want to scream "um, you do know Sinn Fein is a SOCIALIST party, right?" For goodness sake, their manifesto actually contains the words "redistribution of wealth." I never understood why people never grasped the idea that they could support the idea of a 32 county Ireland without believing it's okay for the IRA to blow people up in its name. You can object to the border without giving money to Sinn Fein. It's stupid.

[mahons]

As another American reader I can state that the majority of Americans, including Irish-Americans, (myself included) deplore the violence of the IRA. We have an ability to separate the tactics and the goal. However, there are some people who are unwilling or unable to seperate the two. For them it is an all or nothing proposition, and they cite a one-sided laundry list of outrages in support of their position (matched in their intolerance by certain members of the opposing camp). They are not the sharpest tools in the shed, but they can be the loudest.

[Madradin Ruad]

mahons - this isn't a dig - you say

the majority of Americans, including Irish-Americans, (myself included) deplore the violence of the IRA.

At what point did you decide the IRA violence became unacceptable or has it always been unacceptable to you including back in the days of the W.O.I ?

[The Phantom]

Counterpunch is a crackpot magazine ( even more than ATW ) with almost no readers. The few that they have are far left. You doubled their circulation with the link. I didn't even read the article concerned.

[mahons]

Madradin:
I don't approve of many things done by the IRA or the British or UDA. I don't pick my morality as if I am ordering off a menu. The time period in questions had to do with the Bobby Sands era, as you well know.
I've read enough of you comments to know you feel the need to link that era to the 1916 crowd (in that aspect you've aligned yourself with the present-day IRA: in their propoganda it is the same crowd). I disagree. Hey -whose side were you on in 1066? Normans?

[Madradin Ruad]

Mahons, sorry you choose to be like that, I had hoped for a civil discussion.

[mahons]

Then try being civil.

[David Vance]

Phantom,

"Counterpunch is a crackpot magazine ( even more than ATW )"

Counterpunch may be all you say, I have no knowledge of it. but are you sure about ATW? Gratuitous, Phantom.

I'm watching.

[alison]

Mad couldnt BE any more civil. An example to us all.

[Madradin Ruad]

what was uncivil about :

mahons - this isn't a dig - you say

the majority of Americans, including Irish-Americans, (myself included) deplore the violence of the IRA.

At what point did you decide the IRA violence became unacceptable or has it always been unacceptable to you including back in the days of the W.O.I ?