Reports obtained from:
(1) Irish World (USA), (2) Daily Ireland (Belfast), (3) Irish Republican News
Monday, 28 March, 2005
Wednesday-Saturday, 23-26 March, 2005
Kennedy Upset At Article
An article in Daily Ireland, (see article below - Let he who is without blame cast the first stone) the new Nationalist publication in Belfast, has raised the hackles of close associates of Senator Edward Kennedy.
The article, written by former senior Sinn Fein official Danny Morrison, castigated Kennedy for his refusal to meet Gerry Adams during the recent tour of the U.S. by the Sinn Fein leader.
The piece went much further than that, however, stating that Kennedy had some cheek in doing so, given his own behavior around the issue of Chappaquiddick.
Morrison details in exhaustive fashion the timeline of what happened in Chappaquiddick, and concludes by stating that Adams has no case to answer for in comparison to Kennedy’s behavior on that ill starred night in the senator’s life.
The article certainly seems to have annoyed some Kennedy associates who have pointed out that Kennedy essentially has the power over Adams ever coming back to America. No doubt if Kennedy lifted the phone to advise President Bush not to allow the Sinn Fein leader into the U.S. again, his word would carry major weight.
The Sunday Independent in Ireland, notoriously anti-Adams, also carried reports of dissatisfaction in the Kennedy camp over the article. It will be interesting to see if there is any more fallout.
Accusations Leveled at McCartneys
The McCartney sisters had hardly reached Belfast soil after their stellar trip to Washington and the White House when some local publications began to take issue with some of the sisters’ more biased remarks.
The Andersonstown News, which circulates heavily in Belfast, said the women were “on the road to nowhere,” and added that their trip to Washington was “unionism on tour.” The newspaper claimed the women were being manipulated by “anti-Republican politicians and hacks.”
The News also stated that Martin McGuinness’s warning to the family that they were being used by politicians for their own ends was a “very sound piece of advice.”
Meanwhile, Phoenix magazine, the top selling satirical Irish biweekly, also has issues with the sisters. In a biting article the magazine compared the McCartneys to the Spice Girls and stated that the “extended tour” by them was just a media circus.
Being Ireland, of course, it was only a matter of time before such criticism surfaced. The sisters are now said to be ready to take their campaign to the European Parliament which no doubt will create a new round of headlines.
Strange Bedfellows
Catherine McCartney picked a surprising outlet to voice further criticism of Sinn Fein at the weekend when she was a guest on Radio Free Eireann, the Saturday afternoon show in New York which is sympathetic to the Continuity IRA and the Real IRA.
Presenter John McDonagh has been known far and wide as a bitter critic of the IRA for daring to have a ceasefire without consulting him. McDonagh is the classic “summer soldier.” As long as the fighting was 3,000 miles away he was quite happy to cheer it on from the sidelines. His bravery in his supporting role was never in doubt.
The peace process makes strange bedfellows, however, and Ms. McCartney and McDonagh appeared to make common cause with their anti-Republican statements on Saturday.
Catherine should really be more careful of how she is being exploited in this situation. Going on Radio Free Eireann creates a major credibility gap for the sisters. Surely they can’t be that desperate for coverage that they stoop to such a level?
Copyright © 2005 Irish World
Wednesday-Saturday, 23-26 March, 2005
Let he who is without blame cast the first stone
By Danny Morrison www.dannymorrison.com
Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy refused to meet Gerry Adams on St Patrick's Day in Washington last week.
He gave Irish republicans' 'contempt for the rule of law' and the failure to cooperate with the police in the murder of Robert McCartney as his reason.
Now, that set me thinking about an incident where there was a celebration, where drink was taken and, at the end of the night a young person died, and where one of those involved asked people to lie about what happened. I know it was a long time ago - 18 July 1969 - and that since then Kennedy has done much good, political work, but it was certainly rich of him to boycott meeting Gerry Adams on the grounds of Adams' alleged contempt for the rule of law.
In July 1969 Ted Kennedy organised a party for himself and his pals to coincide with the Edgartown Regatta - a weekend of festivities around yacht races. His cousin Joseph Gargan rented Lawrence Cottage on the nearby island of Chappaquiddick near the beach.
There were six married men and six single women at the party, crowded into a small living room. Ted Kennedy's wife Joan, who was pregnant, was at home.
Besides having drank during the day, the supply of drink for the party was three half gallons of vodka, four bottles of scotch, two bottles of rum and two cases of beer.
Kennedy left the party with 29-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, a former campaign worker for his assassinated brother, Robert. He later claimed he was driving her back to catch the last ferry. He also claimed that he took a wrong turn - despite having been on the road twice that day. This road led to Dyke Bridge.
Kennedy, who had a record of serious traffic violations, had no current driving licence. He took the narrow bridge too quickly and the car crashed through the bridge and plunged into Poucha Pond, landing upside down under the water.
Kennedy escaped and says that he repeatedly dived under to rescue Kopechne. He said he was confused and in a state of shock. He walked past four occupied houses yet asked no one for help. He walked back to the party, climbed into the back seat of a car and asked one of the men to get him Joseph Gargan, who was also a lawyer. He didn't tell the girls what had happened.
Kennedy, Gargan and Paul Markham, another lawyer, left the party and drove to the bridge. His two friends stripped and dived repeatedly. They fought a strong current but could not locate Kopechne. They came out, got changed and then drove to the ferry landing at Edgartown. Kennedy told them:
"Why couldn't Mary Jo have been driving the car? Why couldn't she have let me off, and driven to the ferry herself and made a wrong turn?"
His lawyer told him that he had to report the accident. Kennedy asked to be brought back to the cottage to establish the story that he had lent Kopechne the car. After a while he would leave, then when he got back to his hotel Gargan could 'discover' the accident and report to police that Mary Jo had been alone in the car.
His two friends insisted he inform the police. Kennedy said that he would and that they should go back and take care of the women at the party. Kennedy suddenly jumped into the water and swam across to the other side. It was 2.30am. Instead of informing the police he went to his hotel. His two friends didn't tell the women what had happened - in case they went to the police before Kennedy. It wasn't until the next morning that Gargan broke the news. He ordered that the place be tidied up to disguise evidence of a party. He then got them off the island and back to the mainland before Edgartown police even knew they were there.
At eight o'clock the following morning two fishermen noticed the submerged car and alerted the authorities. A diver gave the registration number to the police. They radioed through the details and were informed that it belonged to Edward Kennedy. On closer inspection the diver saw Mary Jo Kopechne and later testified that she was in a position that suggested she had survived the crash, and that she could have been saved if rescue personnel had been promptly called to the scene.
It wasn't until 10am, nine hours after the accident, that Kennedy linked in with the police. During the night he had made numerous phone calls including one to Mary Jo Kopechne's parents. The Senator, however, neglected to mention that he was the driver of the accident car when he called to report their daughter's death. Instead, they learned that information later from a wire service story.
Kennedy gave the police a short written statement in which he made no mention of the party, the women and the drinking, nor that he and his two lawyers had gone back to the scene of the accident in the early hours of the morning, nor that they had urged him to report the accident immediately. Furthermore, they sat with him in the station when the written statement was taken.
An inspector read over the statement and thought there was something wrong with it. He said:
"I would like to know about something."
"I have nothing more to say!" Kennedy answered brusquely. "I have no comment." Markham said, "The Senator will make a further statement after he has contacted his [New York] lawyer," but he never did.
Kennedy was charged with leaving the scene of an accident after causing personal injury. The hearing, eight days after Kopechne's drowning, lasted seven minutes and smacked of a deal worked out in advance. His guilty plea precluded cross-examination and the taking of evidence. He was given a two-month suspended sentence. The police didn't hear about the party until after the trial. Nor was there an autopsy carried out to find the exact cause of death.
So, with that example of a cover-up, the destruction of evidence, contempt for the law and failure to fully cooperate with police, I think it ill-behoves Senator Ted Kennedy to be lecturing anyone.
Copyright © 2005 Daily Ireland
Wednesday-Saturday, 23-26 March, 2005
McCartney visit was organised by SDLP
By Irish Republican News
Senior members of Mark Durkan's SDLP helped arrange the McCartney family's trip to Washington last week, it has been revealed.
The nationalist party is facing an uphill battle to contain advances by Sinn Fein in the British general election in six weeks time.
The party helped book the flight through a travel agency that is part-owned by Alasdair McDonnell, the SDLP deputy leader, using credit he personally extended to the family.
Until now, the SDLP had denied helping with the family's trip. The family have also insisted their campaign for justice in the death of their brother would not be used for political purposes.
Dr McDonnell, a partner in Arrow Travel, admitted he had given the McCartneys credit approval for the trip, but denied knowing an SDLP adviser had helped arrange it.
"I was contacted by the manager and asked if I would give the credit approval and I made a decision to do that.
"But I did not tell the McCartney family what to do. I didn't know that Tim Attwood had anything to do with it," he said.
The SDLP also used a former member of its youth wing to act as a press officer for the family during their St Patrick's Day trip, it has emerged.
It is also understood that the Labour party in the 26 Counties has offered to channel funds to the McCartneys on behalf of an unnamed benefactor.
Catherine McCartney, a sister of Robert McCartney, said the family had been desperate for any help they could get.
"Sinn Fein and the SDLP are both fighting for the same nationalist votes but we aren't interested in that. For us, it is about the campaign for Robert's killers to be brought to justice."
Ms McCartney has denied weekend media reports that the family had no money.
"We are not skint. I didn't say that,' said Ms McCartney. "The money we have been given will be used to pay for the trip. No one else but us is paying for it."
Meanwhile, the family has decided to contest the local or general elections in May.
Paula McCartney said the family had decided that their energy would be best spent on the campaign for justice.
"If we went into the elections, our attention would be distracted by other issues," she said.