TURN IN OMAGH BOMBERS NOW
MP throws down the gauntlet to Adams
By JOE CHURCHER
GERRY Adams was told yesterday to turn in the Omagh bombers to prove his new stance on terrorism.
Ulster-born Labour MP Kate Hoey slammed the Sinn Fein president's hypocrisy as she warned Prime Minister Tony Blair that he had conceded too much too quickly.
The ex-sports minister called for more efforts to be made to track down terrorists in the Province and warned the premier not to take his eye off the situation in Ulster despite his support for action against international terrorism following the attacks in the US.
Describing the current situation in Ulster as "very, very bad", she said: "If there wasn't all this happening over the tragedy in America it would be headline news every day.
"On the streets now, in parts of Northern Ireland, it is extremely bad, particularly in terms of sectarian violence from all sides - but also a fear around that the process is going down the pan.
"I was a great supporter of the peace process but I do genuinely feel that we gave too much too quickly and I'm afraid that sometimes when you appease people, instead of moving more, they ask for more.
"I think it's very important that the Prime Minister does not take his eye off the situation."
Ms Hoey also accused Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams of hypocrisy.
"I heard Gerry Adams going on about terrorism and I felt like saying 'well hand us over, find us, the Omagh bombers'.
"Here we had a huge tragedy in this country and we haven't got one single person and yet we're off looking in Afghanistan."
She also warned against a "knee-jerk" clampdown on civil liberties in the wake of the US terrorist attacks and called for a full debate on the introduction of compulsory ID cards.
She said: "Knee-jerk responses like we did after Dunblane - where we were supposed to be getting rid of illegal guns - it has done nothing except discriminate against legal, good decent citizens who went shooting."
By JOE CHURCHER
GERRY Adams was told yesterday to turn in the Omagh bombers to prove his new stance on terrorism.
Ulster-born Labour MP Kate Hoey slammed the Sinn Fein president's hypocrisy as she warned Prime Minister Tony Blair that he had conceded too much too quickly.
The ex-sports minister called for more efforts to be made to track down terrorists in the Province and warned the premier not to take his eye off the situation in Ulster despite his support for action against international terrorism following the attacks in the US.
Describing the current situation in Ulster as "very, very bad", she said: "If there wasn't all this happening over the tragedy in America it would be headline news every day.
"On the streets now, in parts of Northern Ireland, it is extremely bad, particularly in terms of sectarian violence from all sides - but also a fear around that the process is going down the pan.
"I was a great supporter of the peace process but I do genuinely feel that we gave too much too quickly and I'm afraid that sometimes when you appease people, instead of moving more, they ask for more.
"I think it's very important that the Prime Minister does not take his eye off the situation."
Ms Hoey also accused Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams of hypocrisy.
"I heard Gerry Adams going on about terrorism and I felt like saying 'well hand us over, find us, the Omagh bombers'.
"Here we had a huge tragedy in this country and we haven't got one single person and yet we're off looking in Afghanistan."
She also warned against a "knee-jerk" clampdown on civil liberties in the wake of the US terrorist attacks and called for a full debate on the introduction of compulsory ID cards.
She said: "Knee-jerk responses like we did after Dunblane - where we were supposed to be getting rid of illegal guns - it has done nothing except discriminate against legal, good decent citizens who went shooting."
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/395
Published Date: 01-Oct-01
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