Sinn Féin News, January 28, 2005
High Intensity Politics
By Martin McGuinness MP
A few weeks ago I warned that Republicans would come under a full frontal
attack from a combination of our political opponents and those within the
British and Irish establishments who fear the growth of Sinn Féin. They fear
us because republicans threaten their control of political institutions on
this island. They fear the growth of Sinn Féin because they know that it
threatens the status quo that allows discrimination and second-class
citizenship to flourish in the North. And because we threaten the cosy
political cartels in the South - the fourth richest economy in the world -
that builds security nets into its system that allows multi-millionaires and
fat cat politicians to avoid paying taxes while forcing old age pensioners
to sell their homes to pay for health care.
This is not about a bank robbery; this is about electoralism and the
preservation of the status quo both North and South. This is a new
manifestation of the SMASH SINN FÉIN campaign. It's high intensity politics.
You see, the present debacle in the Process precedes the bank robbery to
when the DUP realised that it was going to have to accept the Good Friday
Agreement with all that it entails including sharing power on an equal basis
with republicans. That's when it was decided to insert a demand that
everyone knew would be unacceptable to republicans. Photographs and
humiliation. The two governments were well aware that was not achievable but
it is obvious now that they seen it as a way to blame republicans if a
comprehensive deal was not achieved and in the process hopefully stunt our
electoral progress.
And so the scene was set, the Northern Bank was just a welcome insurance
policy to allow them to avoid liability. Since then the attacks on Sinn Féin
has intensified with an unquestioning partitionist media (with a few
exceptions) continuing to report every attack on republicans in minute
detail however unsubstantiated. Make no mistake, Sinn Féin will fight back,
we will defend the integrity of our Party and its mandate, we will not allow
the people who vote for us to be demonised and misrepresented.
The Sinn Féin Leadership met with an Taoiseach on Tuesday of last week and
we had a very straight talking encounter. Contrary to what the Minister for
Justice said following the meeting and the spin put on it by certain media
pundits, in particular RTE, it was not a one-way encounter. Gerry Adams and
myself challenged an Taoiseach ˆ as we did the British Prime Minister on
Friday - to substantiate allegations against republicans and neither was
able to do so other than to say that they believed the "Intelligence"
information received from their "Security Services". But then Tony Blair
believed his "Security Services" when they told him that Saddam had Weapons
of Mass Destruction. He believed them when they told him that Iraq had a
forty-five minute strike capability. And Bertie believed the same "Security
Services" when they told him that he should help the war effort in Iraq
through the use of Shannon Airport as it was all about bringing Democracy to
that troubled land. So who could blame them for believing their "Security
Services" when they tell them that "it wuz the big bad Provos" that done it.
We also made it clear that however uncertain the present situation is and
for whatever reason - in the absence of any evidence - the two governments
are blaming republicans, one thing is for sure, when the air clears they are
going to have to deal with a stronger and more determined Sinn Féin.
It saddens me that an Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, with whom Gerry Adams and
myself have worked so closely, is allowing Michael McDowell and the PD's - a
Party that has made no positive contribution to the Process - to set the
agenda for the Irish government. And of course here in the North the SDLP
seems to think that by sounding like the soloist in the DUP Gospel Choir
that they will reinvent themselves as a serious player in the process.
We will not be bullied or cajoled into accepting second-class status by
either political opponents or a hostile media nor will we be made a
"scapegoat" by British or Irish so-called "Intelligence Services". Sinn
Féin's resolve has not been diminished, if anything we have become even more
resolute in our determination to see the Agreement fully implemented and to
forge ahead with our own agenda of equality, justice and peace in an Ireland
sovereign and free.
