Very interesting

[rebeccajo 14]

Delay scuppers Adams' US speech

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams missed a St Patrick's Day event in the US after being delayed at a Washington airport for "secondary screening".

He had been invited by Congressman Brian Higgins to speak in Buffalo.

Mr Higgins told the audience Mr Adams was absent because his name was on a "terror watch list", but Homeland Security officials would not comment.

They said he had a routine security check and "secondary screening" but was not arrested or detained.

Mr Adams, who had earlier attended a St Patrick's Day event at the White House, was due to speak at the Buffalo Irish Center in New York state.

His name, and that of a travelling companion, appeared on a terror watch list at Washington's Reagan National Airport, claimed Congressman Higgins.

AP news agency said he told the crowd awaiting Mr Adams' speech: "When I spoke with his assistant a little while ago, their luggage was still being, let's just say, inspected.

"Gerry Adams should not have been on a terror watch list," he said.

"That his name would appear in this untoward manner and that appearance ruined his ability to celebrate St Patrick's Day in Buffalo is sad and unfortunate when one considers Gerry Adams' leadership in the decommissioning of the IRA's weapons and his commitment to the Good Friday agreements," Reuters quoted him as saying.

A Homeland Security official refused to comment on whether Mr Adams' name had appeared on a terror watch list, saying privacy restrictions precluded them from discussing individuals on no-fly lists, said AP.

The official also declined to explain why Mr Adams underwent the secondary screening, which was described as "thorough".

From BBC news

[Kez/JWolf 6]

haha good to see that the rules apply to all.... they should have sent him on the next plane home......

Kezzie

[ChristinaM 0]

I agree with Kezzie - nice to see that the rules go all the way to the top... Wonder if they could do the same to Bush.....

On a serious note, Sinn Fein are the political arm of the IRA. I wouldn't have thought there was anybody MORE likely to have their name on a terror watch list than the leader of such an organisation.

[Irisheyes 0]

Couldn't have happened a nicer guy! Why wouldn't his name be on a terror watch list. He fronts a band of terrorists! He has no place representing Ireland in any case, much less on St Patricks day. A$$!

[sparkofcreation 0]

Agreed. I'd expect Comandante Marcos of FARC (Colombia) or the head of ETA's political party (Spain) to appear on the terrorist watch list, why wouldn't Gerry Adams?

[arwensun1965 1]

He is the head of the political wing of the IRA geezee why would anyone think that he should be exempt the man is a murderer and that is the bottom line, I hope they did an ####### internal on him and his assistant.

Janice

[rebeccajo 14]

And here's another one also from the BBC:

Adams criticises Bush's NI envoy

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has strongly criticised US President George Bush's special envoy to NI.

Speaking in Washington, Mr Adams said: "I don't have high regards for Mitchell Reiss's input into this process."

"If it is he who is advising the president, it's very very bad advice," he added.

However, Mr Reiss has dismissed the criticism from the Sinn Fein president. "I reject that accusation, that allegation," he said.

Mr Adams is angry that the US government has refused him permission to fundraise, and said it was wrong to treat Sinn Fein differently.

He was speaking as he arrived at a Friends of Sinn Fein gala breakfast on Thursday.

The party has been forced to refund donations that were to be made at the event at Washington's Capitol Hilton hotel.

Mr Reiss said: "We try very hard to be an honest broker. I think if you look at the record, it demonstrates quite clearly that we don't play favourites - that we call it as we see it.

"We try to keep our eye on the main objective here - which is moving the peace process forward and keeping the focus on the people of Northern Ireland."

'Work together'

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain, who is also in Washington, said the "clock is ticking" for the suspended assembly.

"There are some hard choices going to be faced by all the politicians this year because there needs to be a moment of decision made," he said.

"We can't continue with this state of political paralysis and impasse that we've had for far too long, with an assembly that hasn't met for nearly four years and with the whole cost from the taxpayer pouring in to fund that institution and its members."

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said: "The issue now is are people prepared to work together in an assembly, and work together as the Good Friday Agreement set out.

"I think we're going to find that out in the months immediately ahead."

Meanwhile, SDLP leader Mark Durkan rejected earlier Sinn Fein claims that the US government has become biased in its handling of the peace process.

Speaking in Washington, Mr Durkan said Mr Adams was wrong to criticise the Bush administration as partisan.

He said the US had been critical of unionist politicians for their stance on the violence that erupted last year over the Whiterock parade

Speaking in New York before travelling to Washington for Saint Patrick's Day this Friday, Mr Adams said he was bewildered and surprised that the US government would not allow Sinn Fein to fundraise when the IRA had put all of its weapons beyond use.

Mr Durkan said he felt Mr Reiss had "done a good job in calling things straight on the need for a lawful society".

Mr Adams' comments also took some US politicians by surprise.

[Peggy 1]

Roger always tells me that Bush is my president.........

I tell him hell no he aint

I cant stand that mans voice or to even watch him on TV

[munchkins 0]

Couldn't have happened a nicer guy! Why wouldn't his name be on a terror watch list. He fronts a band of terrorists! He has no place representing Ireland in any case, much less on St Patricks day. A$$!

Never a truer word spoken