The U.S. Reaction to 9/11 was bullshit.

[MKSheppard]

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Sinn Fein’s president hits Hub
Adams to address Clover Club, march

By Kevin Cullen, Globe Staff | March 13, 2010

Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein’s president, is scheduled to arrive in Boston today to take part in several St. Patrick’s Day events, including marching for the first time in South Boston’s annual parade tomorrow.

Adams will also do something that Governor Deval Patrick declined to do: speak to the all-male Clover Club, a fraternal organization of predominantly Irish-Americans. Patrick canceled a scheduled appearance before the group in December, citing its refusal to allow female members. Club members say that Adams has proved a bigger draw than the governor.

Rita O’Hare, Sinn Fein’s representative in the United States and an aide to Adams, said Adams accepted Clover Club president Joe Leary’s invitation to speak because of Leary’s charitable work in Ireland, north and south. Leary heads the Irish American Partnership, a Boston-based charity that has been active on both sides of the sectarian and political divide in Northern Ireland.

Clover Club secretary Jack Quinlan declined comment, but one club member said that about 650 men will attend tonight’s dinner at the Park Plaza Hotel, about 100 more than were scheduled to attend the dinner at which Patrick canceled his appearance. The private club’s men-only policy has angered some who see it as exclusionary and discriminatory, but O’Hare said Adams wanted to recognize many club members, including politicians and philanthropists who have given much to Ireland, north and south.

O’Hare said Adams will also attend state Senator Jack Hart’s breakfast and political roast before marching in tomorrow’s parade.

“Gerry always had a lot of supporters in South Boston and other parts of Boston,’’ O’Hare said, “so this is a way of saying thanks to Senator Hart and his predecessors,’’ including Stephen Lynch, now a congressman, and William Bulger, the former president of the state Senate.

Adams has visited Boston many times since 1994, when President Clinton overturned a longtime ban against Sinn Fein members because of their support of the Irish Republican Army.

“There are many people in Boston, including a lot of politicians, who were very supportive of Gerry, Sinn Fein, and the peace process, so he’s looking forward to saying thanks,’’ O’Hare said.

Several years ago, Adams marched in Holyoke’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, to thank US Representative Richard Neal, a Springfield Democrat, for supporting the Irish peace process.

This year, Adams and other politicians from Northern Ireland will be feted by President Obama in Washington on St. Patrick’s Day.

Adams is credited with helping to persuade the IRA to end its violent campaign and seek an end to the partition of Ireland through peaceful, democratic methods.

But the last few months have been difficult for Adams. Last year, he disclosed that his father, an Irish republican icon, had sexually abused some members of his family. His niece, meanwhile, has accused her father, Gerry Adams’s brother, of sexually abusing her as a child. And most recently, it was disclosed that his wife was being treated for cancer.

But the last week saw Adams and his party take part in the transfer of policing powers from the British Parliament in London to the power-sharing local government in Belfast.

Policing is seen by some as the last major political obstacle in Northern Ireland, where the conflict spun out of control in the late 1960s. .

Kevin Cullen can be reached at cullen@globe.com.

[Darth Wong]

Well, that's certainly true. The terrorism double-standard for Irish vs Muslim terrorists has always stuck out like a sore thumb.

[Vaporous]

Well, that's certainly true. The terrorism double-standard for Irish vs Muslim terrorists has always stuck out like a sore thumb.

It does, but the average American doesn't see the parallel because the average american has no idea what Sinn Fein is.

Although the support we gave Irish Catholics abroad while oppressing them at home for a hundred years or so makes for yet another amusing contradiction.

[Lord Pounder]

America does seem to be a bit of a cunt when it comes to treatment of the IRA and their supporters. Let there be no doubt Gerry Adams was the Commander of the West Belfast Brigade of the Provisional IRA, just as Deputy First Minister of the country, Martin McGuinness, was in charge of the South Derry Brigade.

The difficulty for many Americans seems to be that the IRA where fighting to remove the British from Ireland, something that many Americans can sympathise with, especially in areas heavily influenced by Irish immigrants.

The problem I have with Gerry being welcomed to America every St Patrick's day is that the UK has been a staunch supporter of America and it's so called "War on Terrorism". Imagine American reactions if Gordon Brown invited bin Laden to London for Ramadan.

I resent Sinn Fein in power because democracy was denied for years in favour of the bullet and bomb until such times as Sinn Fein had a majority over the SDLP, the other catholic/Nationalist party in Northern Ireland. Because of unashamed terrorists like Gerry Adams violence is considered an viable tool and normal politics is impossible in Northern Ireland because politics has been reduced to a sectarian head count. I personally don't think any party from the North should be invited to Washington, just the Irish Taoiseach and Irish Ambasador.

[Elfdart]

Well, that's certainly true. The terrorism double-standard for Irish vs Muslim terrorists has always stuck out like a sore thumb.

It's simple: Adams is white and therefore not a "terrorist".

[K. A. Pital]

Everyone knows it's bullshit. Remember the "uh... freedom fighters militants capturing school in Beslan"?

It's only terrorism if it's US citizens who are killed. White U.S. citizens.

[Guardsman Bass]

Well, that's certainly true. The terrorism double-standard for Irish vs Muslim terrorists has always stuck out like a sore thumb.

It's simple: Adams is white and therefore not a "terrorist".

White and Catholic, which earns him additional fans. It's particularly revolting that you had US representatives to Congress like Peter King openly promoting the IRA cause (and possibly financing them via NORAID).

[Illuminatus Primus]

Well, that's certainly true. The terrorism double-standard for Irish vs Muslim terrorists has always stuck out like a sore thumb.

Not to mention the anti-Castro Cuban terrorists openly given aid and shelter by the U.S. whose legitimate military operations include blowing up civilian airliners and where even the State Department requested they be expelled and not aided since it would completely de-legitimize our "counterterrorism" policy. Where's Shep's article on that?

[General Brock]

Wars over, except for the so-called 'real' IRA. Adams has always claimed not to be a member of the IRA (well, of course he would) and the link was never conclusively proven in court.

It would undermine the peace process to be vindictive. Of course, if he's covertly supporting the 'real' IRA that would be different.

[Plekhanov]

Wars over, except for the so-called 'real' IRA. Adams has always claimed not to be a member of the IRA (well, of course he would) and the link was never conclusively proven in court.

It would undermine the peace process to be vindictive. Of course, if he's covertly supporting the 'real' IRA that would be different.

Failing to welcome and honour a terrorist scum bag who for many years openly supported the PIRA is hardly being 'vindictive'.

[Lord Pounder]

Wars over, except for the so-called 'real' IRA. Adams has always claimed not to be a member of the IRA (well, of course he would) and the link was never conclusively proven in court.

It would undermine the peace process to be vindictive. Of course, if he's covertly supporting the 'real' IRA that would be different.

It's not vindictive, Gerry Adams has no position of real power in either Stormont nor in the Dáil Éireann, neither are half the free loaders invited, that's why I said the invite should only be extended to the Taoiseach and the Irish Ambassador. This whole St Patrick's day thing is an excuse for a load of freeloaders to get a trip to America.