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Irish Colombian Exchange Students Back Home
The Republic of Ireland's tradition of harbouring wanted terrorists looks set to continue as the three men convicted of training Marxist terrorists in Colombia have resurfaced in the Irish Republic. I'm sure you haven't escaped the news over the weekend so I won't go into detail on it.
The Republic's Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has denied that any deal was done with Sinn Fein/the IRA to allow the men to come back to the Republic in return for the IRA statement. Since the Republic does not have an extradition treaty with Colombia, he said that it will be left to the courts to determine what happens to the men. Presumably they'll be given a slap on the wrists and told to be on their way.
There is one good piece of news to come out of it all though, the Northern Ireland Office has said that while the presence of the men in the Republic of Ireland is "a matter for the Irish authorities" should the men re-enter the Northern Ireland, or anywhere else in the UK "an extradition request will be dealt with without delay."
Follow up:
I've said elsewhere, there'd be more chance of me believing the men were innocent if it wasn't for the fact that Sinn Fein have been championing their cause. If the men weren't IRA men training FARC rebels, Sinn Fein wouldn't give a damn - but they look out for their own. Gerry Adams is quoted as saying he is "delighted". What general wouldn't be "delighted" at the return of captured troops?
He's a funny guy Gerry. He said the three men's resurfacing wouldn't hold up the peace process. He basically said unionsts were using it as an excuse to stall power-sharing. You see, when you think about it, it wasn't angry madmen with guns who killed 3,000 people in Northern Ireland over the troubles. It was all really Unionists not giving the angry madmen with guns posts in the government.