Issue 098, Saoirse: Irish Freedom (June, 1995)

              the voice of irish republicanism uimh 98 meitheamh — june 1995 50p usa 75c new address republican sinn fein ard-oifig has moved to new offices at 223 parnell street dublin 1 telephone and fax numbers have not changed tel dublin 872 9747 / fax dublin 872 9757 see page 10 clinton renews us visa ban on o bradaigh in answer to a communication from representative robert torricelli and ten other congressmen seeking a us visa for ruairi 6 bradaigh president of republican sinn fein president clinton stated in a letter dated may 2 that neither mr o bradaigh nor republican sinn fein would be included in the white house conference on trade and investment in ireland in his letter billclinton said sincerely bill clinton dear bob in a statentent on may 25t " i am replying to your republican sinnfein answered recent letter supporting the as follows we feel that with all due respect president clinton has been very badly advised and that the state department line of policy espoused by him is not in the best long-term interests of ireland or the united states the alternative peace strategy being promoted by republican sinn fein is not acknowledged or mentioned in the president's letter this seeks a constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution for all ireland based on a 32-county election to such a body republican sinn fein would bring its eire nua new ireland proposals for a new four-province federation including a nine-county ulster the british government would have to signal publicly its withdrawal from ireland before such a solution could be implemented the permanent peace guaranteed by the resolution of the conflict along these lines would make for unprecedented stability here and us support for such an outcome would benefit greatly both ireland and america mr clinton's letter unfairly accuses republican sinn fein of continuing to reject the ceasefire that is not our position it is the entire process we reject because it is based on the joint declaration of december 1993 at downing street we do so because it underwrites the unionist veto which gives 1 8 of the population of ireland the say over the other 82 republican sinn fein is a political organisation and we feel issuance of a us visa to republican sinn fein leader ruairi 6 bradaigh i agree with you that it is important that the us reach out to those in northern ireland who are committed to peace it is in that context that sinn fein leader gerry adams and others including several associated with loyalist paramilitary groups who have been instrumental in bringing about the current ceasefire have been granted visas to visit the us in recent months like mr adams and others who have obtained visas in the aftermath of the ceasefire mr 6 bradaigh is ineligible for a visa under us immigration laws because of his close association with terrorist organisations and he would need a waiver of ineligibility to enter the us unlike those who have been granted waivers however mr 6 bradaigh represents an organisation republican sinn fein which continues to reject the ceasefire republican sinn fein has not unequivocally renounced violence nor has it agreed to pursue its political objectives by peaceful means as long as republican sinn fein maintains its present political position towards the peace process there is no basis for waiving mr 6 bradaigh s ineligibility or for including him and his organisation in the white house conference on trade and investment in ireland i hope that republican sinn fein's stance will change and that it too will join the peaceful democratic process which is the only path to genuine justice and reconciliation in northern ireland wolfe tone commemoration bodenstown june 11 1995 sallins co kildare 2.30pm speaker sean mac oscair fear manach dublin bus leaves virgin megastore aston place 1.30pm 3 return the message they don't want heard that the last paragraph of the president's reply states the currentus position more clearly " as long as republican sinn fein maintains its present political position towards the peace process there is no basis for waiving mr 6 bradaigh's ineligibility or for including him and his organisation in the white house conference on trade and investment in ireland our position is firmly rooted in irish history it is based on the belief that the british government has no right in ireland and will have to leave and that only the irish people acting as a unit can decide the future oflreland there is a place for all communities in ireland with control over their own futures in eire nua we believe such a policy to be best for all out people and we have no intention of departing from it the conference was declared to be an inclusive one and that no element would be excluded from it ruairi 6 bradaigh is now the only irish political leader to be denied entry to the us and republican sinn fein the only irish organisation to be refused access to the conference we repeat that we believe president clinton to be badly advised in this matter and that we shall continue to pursue our alternative peace strategy based on justice for all that is the message that the administrations in london dublin or washington don't want heard • theobald wolfe tone father of irish republicanism classsiebawn castle mullaghmore co sligo scene of incendiary attack on may 30 incendiary bomb marks british royal visit what was described by rte as an elaborate incendiary device complete with timers which was designed to create a spectacular fireball and make an equally spectacular symbolic gesture against the british royal visit was defused at classiebawn castle co sligo on the eve of the visit on may 30 the castle was unoccupied at the time on the other hand a crude device was the description given to a small incendiary package which ignited in eason's bookshop o'connell street dublin later in the day staff were evacuated following a telephone warning the provos condemned these protests the vice-president of provisional sinn fein pat doherty condemned both of them sinn fein is totally opposed to this activity these devices serve only to distract from the many valid arguments against the visit of british prince charles why did the provos not come out and protest themselves instead of hiding behind front organisations • picket in dublin page 2 • 20th century record of protests page 2