Hillary Clinton and 'terrorists'...

[max_tranmere]

Hillary Clinton, inevitably and rightly, hugely condemns 9/11 and mourns the 3,000 deaths on the day. What I've just said is so obvious it barely needed stating but I've said it because the acts of people who attack and kill innocents are not always condemned by her - in fact she has cosied up to some in the past for her own political advantage.

Hillary was trying to win the Senate seat in New York some years ago, at the same time as her husband Bill was President. People familiar with New York will know that an estimated 40% of the city has an Irish background, they are mainly descendants of the Irish who emigrated there in the 1800's when Ireland was very poor and the people were starving. Boston and Chicago also have huge numbers of people with an Irish background.

These people are very big on their background, calling themselves Irish Americans rather than just Americans, and you see Irish flags and Shamrocks all over New York. They Police and Fire Brigade display Shamrocks as part of their regallia and St Patrick's day is a huge event there each year. The IRA got most of their money from 'Irish America' and the IRA always relied on them for political backing and support. It was Senator Ted Kennedy turning against the IRA demanding they decommissioned their weapons in 2005 that made them do so.

When Bill Clinton was President, and Hillary was trying to become Senator for New York, they both went on a trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland. This was supposedly a 'Presidential trip', with her tagging along as First Lady. From the amount of photos taken at the time of her with senior Sinn Fein figures, while Bill stood in the wings 10-15 feet away, it was clear that a large part of this trip was in order for her to hope these photos would filter back to New York, appear in New York newspapers, and was clearly hoped by her that a large proportion of the voting public of New York would see the photos, realise she is very interested in matters concerning Irish America, and therefore vote for her. This happened, and I'm sure it played a part in her winning the seat. It was billed as a Presidential visit, and involved her husband, rather than her going alone - I assume so more media coverage would centre on the visit, and also so the American taxpayer would pay for it rather than her having to pay for it herself.

So Hillary condemns terrorism, but is very pally with terrorists when it helps her out politically. Sinn Fein is of course the political wing of the IRA and it was always strongly rumoured that certain senior Sinn Fein figures were members of the IRA's ruling Army Council right up to them decommissioning their weapons in 2005. Someone I know in London, who is of an Irish background, said to me that the biggest reason Irish America demanded the IRA was disbanded was because of 9/11. As he put it: "now that it has happened to them, they now know what it feels like and are less likely now to be in favour of it". He was right, after 9/11 Irish America's views changed, and they eventually got to the end of their tether and insisted the IRA was disbanded.

What do people think about what I've said here? For those who've forgotten just how big some of the IRA's attacks on Britain were, I will post some reminders in a minute.

[max_tranmere]

And for those who aren't very familar with some of the things the IRA did to Britain, have a look at these photos and video......

The Baltic Exchange in the City of London, after the IRA detonated a huge truck bomb in the street in 1992. The Gherkin now stands on this site:



Bishopsgate in the City of London one year later, following another huge truck bomb in 1993. This bomb wrecked most the area, destroyed Liverpool Street station and wrecked all 42 floors of the NatWest Tower (which was, I think, Europe's tallest building for nearly 10 years until Canary Wharf was built). I couldn't find a picture of the wrecked Natwest Tower. The building is still there though, it was rebuilt and is now known as Tower 42):



Here is the IRA blowing up Manchester in 1996. This truck bomb is the same size as the two that went off in London in 1992 and 1993:




But hey, if it helps you politically, go to Belfast and get photographed having bear-hugs with the people who did it!

[David Johnson]

Agree wholeheartedly, Max. THe language of terrorism/freedom fighting is very much driven by political objectives.

Cheers
D

[frankthring]

Hilary is a politician Max. A very adroit one well trained by that charming
but slippery husband of hers. And she is a lawyer too and we all know
how cunning lawyers can be....so though it offends you, Max, old Hilary
did and will continue, to cosy up to anyone - from IRA to world dictators -
if it suits her political agenda ! Thats what being a media savvy world-
class politician is all about.
Honour, integrity, real human decency - these are principles that these
days hardly exist in the world of global politics. Sadly !

[Jonone]

Politicians are very 'available' which, as Frank points out, means that their principles are far from hard and fast. Rather they're very negotiable.