Allister puts spotlight on McGuinness
05 September 2007
In a debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on terrorism, Jim Allister MEP rounded on Sinn Fein's opposition to extradition of a republican, McAliskey, to face terrorist charges in Germany as exemplifying non-commitment to the EU-wide battle against terrorism. Referring to today's arrests at Frankfurt, he said Europe would be outraged if any government minister opposed the extradition of someone wanted in that regard, yet this was precisely what McGuinness was doing in respect of republican terrorism. Referring to ETA's return to terrorism, he cautioned that often terrorist's supposed espousal of democracy was tactical and self-serving.
In the course of his remarks Jim Allister said:-
"There are two essential points which I want to make in this important debate.
First, all, or most, can come to this House and deplore and denounce terrorism, as well we might, because it is vile and indefensible in all its forms, but, within the EU, do we consistently practice what we preach? This morning at Frankfurt we had a reminder of the ever present threat of terrorism. If any government minister anywhere in the EU were to condemn those arrests, or resist later connected extraditions, we'll be outraged, because terrorism is terrorism and is not sanitised by the passage of time. Yet, in my small country, just weeks ago, we had the Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, who knows more than most about the hideous practice of terrorism, reverting to form and vehemently attacking the German Government's current application, under a European Arrest Warrant, for the extradition of an Irish republican terrorist suspect, McAliskey, for a bombing some years ago in Germany. Such is intolerable - just as was the harbouring by Ireland of 3 IRA terrorists convicted in Columbia. So, it behoves us all in Europe, does it not, to lead by example. We cannot pick and choose in attacking and resisting terrorism. If we are against it, we must be against it all and act accordingly. If you genuinely support the rule of law then you do not attack and protest against the means of securing international justice.
My second point is that the recourse of ETA to active terrorism is a timely reminder that seldom does the terrorist leopard change its spots. Those who stoop to terrorism have the amoral mindset capable of switching, for tactical reasons, to supposed commitment to political means, if for the time being it better serves their purposes. We should be ever wary of such and never make the mistake of judging terrorists by our own standards."
