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It was legal, academic and journalistic. Now it's political too.
Senator John Kerry has written to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressing his concern over the releasing of archival material from the library of Boston College dealing with the Northern Ireland Troubles.
The letter came as "Belfast Project" archivists Ed Moloney and Anthony McIntyre failed in their latest court bid to intervene in the case so as to block further release of documents (see report, Page 3).
In his letter to Clinton, Kerry, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was writing "with concern about the ongoing court efforts on behalf of the United Kingdom to obtain documents and recordings from Boston College's Oral History Archive on the Troubles in
Northern Ireland."
Stated Kerry: "I know you'll understand that this matter is of interest to me for a number of reasons. First, it has a profound impact on Boston College, a highly respected university in Massachusetts, as well as implications for the confidentiality of other research projects of this nature.
"More broadly, as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, l am obviously concerned about the impact that it may have on the continued success of the Northern Ireland peace process. It is possible that some former parties to the conflict may perceive the effort by the U.K. authorities to obtain this information as contravening the spirit of the Good Friday Accords. I am proud of the role our government - and the Clinton Administration specifically - played to bring about that fragile peace.
"I am equally impressed by the courage and tenacity of the people of Belfast to rebuild their lives and their city. It would be a tragedy if this process were to upset the delicate balance that has kept the peace and allowed for so much progress in the past fourteen years."
Kerry, a graduate of Boston College Law School, wrote that given his "deep concern," he had spoken with Attorney General Eric Holder about the case.
"I fully recognize that the United Kingdom has invoked the provisions of our Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and that this is clearly a factor which affects our flexibility dealing with such a request. Nonetheless, given the close relationship We have with the United Kingdom and the deep and enduring interest all of us share in seeing a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, I Would urge you to work with the British authorities to reconsider the path they have chosen and revoke their request," the Massachusetts senior senator concluded.
