Reiss Cautioned About Double Standard

Reiss Cautioned About " Double-Standard"

Irish National Caucus Press Release

Dr. Mitchell Reiss
Special Envoy for Northern Ireland
Monday, September 12, 2005

Dear Mitchell,

Welcome back from Northern Ireland. I hope your visit has
advanced the peace-process. Unfortunately your visit
coincided with the anti-Catholic Orange Order riot.

BBC quotes you as giving credit to Unionist leader Mr.Fred
Cobain for helping to restrain the rioters: "The US Envoy said
problems needed to be tackled by sustained hard work in
communities. 'What you really need is leadership, and
unfortunately in the last few days, we haven't seen very much
of it," he said.

However, he singled out Ulster Unionist Belfast councillor
Fred Cobain for praise for the work he had done over the
weekend and in the past weeks.

"When people do stand up and take a courageous stand and
exert leadership, they deserve to be recognised,' he said. (
Unionist leaders 'shirked blame'. BBC.NI Last Updated:
Monday, 12 September 2005, 10:56 GMT 11:56 UK).

Like yourself, PSNI Chief Constable, Hugh Orde, also praised
Mr. Cobain for opposing the Orange violence. Yet the Belfast
Telegraph(and like the BBC hardly a Fenian -front) quotes
Mr. Cobain himself as follows : "Speaking after Mr Orde's
comments, Mr Cobain said that there is a "long way to go"
before normality can be returned to the streets of the city.

"I cannot refute what was said because I did not see it
happen," he said.

"I listened to Mr Orde's comments but as far as I see it,
Saturday was not all one-way traffic.

"He has concentrated on the professionalism of his officers.
Some of them that I saw were not acting very professionally.

"We are all to blame for what happened - I am to blame, the
police are to blame, the Orange Order, the paramilitaries,
even civil society.

"The violence was the result of the frustrations felt by a small
working class Protestant community who feel that the police
treat republican rioters a lot more leniently and see a
Secretary of State who lets a mass murderer out of prison for
political reasons.

"The PSNI does not seem to be in tune with this community
and that worries me.

"We have a long road to go down before this is sorted out."(
Order's Shock at Criticism. Monday, September 12, 2005).

I fear many Irish-Americans, and Members of Congress, may
be inclined to think that the Orange rioters will seek comfort,
if not justification, in Mr. Cobain's remarks... And this brings
me back to my old swan-song : THE DOUBLE STANDARD.
Unionist-- and often British -- leaders have historically had
one reaction to Unionist violence, and another entirely
different one to Republican violence.( That ,of course ,is how
the separate State of Northern Ireland came into existence in
the first place).

Is there really much difference between Mr. Cobain's "
explanation" of Orange violence and Dr. Paisley's? Dr.
Paisley said :"The Parades Commission are to blame for the
mess that has been created." (Loyalist violence 'is appalling'
BBC Sunday, 11 September 2005).

Thank you.

Sean
Father Sean Mc Manus
President
Irish National Caucus
P.O. Box 15128
Capitol Hill
Washington, D.C. 20003-0849
202-544-0568