Committee Asks For U.S. 'Cold Eye'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken

By Irish Echo Staff

The American Brexit Committee is asking U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “cast a cold eye” on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s document outlining a “Global Britain in A Competitive Age."


The Philadelphia-based but nationally comprised committee, in a letter to Blinken, describes the document content as "a puff-piece which ignores the historic Brexit blunder and its impact on the Irish peace process."

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In a release, committee member Ciaran Geraghty, who is based in New York, stated: “Everything Britain claims in that document about embracing democracy and the rule of law has been, and continues to be, contradicted by their actions in Northern Ireland.”


Jim McGetrick from Rhode Island stated: “Recently Secretary Blinken criticized past human rights reports produced by former Secretary of State Pompeo, and rightfully so.


"The UK part of those annual reports have been notable more for what is not disclosed about the collusion killing of attorneys Patrick Finucane and Rosemary Nelson, the arrest and detention of journalists Trevor McBirney and Barry McCaffrey, or the failure to give nearly 1000 killings of civilians even a rudimentary investigation.


"We understand collusion with loyalist killers prompts the British cover-up but it was and is wrong for the U.S. Department of State report to acquiesce in that cover-up,” McGetrick concluded.


John Conway from Ohio stated: “It is high time the State Department issued a form of warning against threats to human rights and injustices instead of simply accepting British submissions for the report. Parliament has at the ready a bill which would grant amnesty to all security services personnel involved in killings in Northern Ireland and another retroactively granting amnesty (legalizing) crimes like murder, rape and torture which involved British double agents (Covert Human Intelligence Services).


"The Kenova Inquiry identified as many as 100 murders involving such agents in Northern Ireland. The families of victims have been seeking justice for decades but Her Majesty’s Government shows them nothing but contempt.”


Committee member Michael Mellett, who is in Maryland, welcomed the circulation of Senate Resolution #117 by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Susan Collins(R-ME) and others including Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) which reinforces U.S. concern for the Good Friday Agreement.


“It makes clear that continued obstruction of provisions of the Stormont House Agreement may result in future trade restrictions,” Mellett said.


“Importantly,” concluded Margaret Dirkes of New Jersey, “the resolution acknowledges that Ireland, not just the UK, enjoys a ‘special relationship’ with America and in calling for action involving injustices emphasizes those victims of state-sponsored violence.”



 

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