Taoiseach moves to ease Colombia Three row
Tuesday August 09 2005
Mr Ahern ordered a series of top-level meetings to ensure that the Government's position on the growing controversy was fully understood.
Mr Ahern broke off his Kerry holiday and spent the day at his desk in Government Buildings, where he met senior officials to review developments.
He then instructed his officials to meet US Ambassador James Kenny at Government Buildings to spell out the legal and political context of the position regarding the three men - James Monaghan, Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly.
Earlier, Social Affairs Minister Seamus Brennan admitted the affair had soured relations with the US.
"It doesn't do any good for our relationship with the United States. We have major investment programmes here with the US. We are not harbouring terrorists; we have a common law system, it is entirely different."
Following the officials' meeting with Mr Kenny, they also had talks with the British charge d'affaires Ted Hallett, while Mr Ahern also directed that the Irish ambassador to Colombia - Mexico-based Art Agnew - should travel to Bogota for discussions with the Colombian government within the next few days.
The Government is conscious of its close relationship with the British and US governments, particularly in relation to the Northern peace process, and is anxious to ensure there are no misunderstandings in relation to its position on the Colombia Three.
It was also being emphasised in government circles last night that while the Government's relationship with Colombia would be more distant, when representations were made at official level on the three men's behalf as they were being held in Bogota, these had received "a good ear" from the authorities there.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the Taoiseach had a responsibility to clarify the Government's attitude to the Colombia Three as a matter of urgency.
"It is very worrying, at a time when the threat of international terrorism is a very real one, that the Government appears to have an ambivalent attitude to the reappearance of three convicted terrorists in our country.
"This sends out the wrong signals to the international community at a critical time. We need to know the instructions given by the Government to the Irish ambassador travelling to Bogota."
He warned that if the Taoiseach did not pursue "all possible means" of ensuring that justice was done, Ireland's international reputation would be damaged and "the suspicions of those who fear that the return of these terrorists was part of a secret deal between the Government and Sinn Fein or the IRA will be heightened".
Meanwhile, the Colombian government had still not contacted the Irish authorities last night over an extradition request.
But Colombian vice president Francisco Santos yesterday reiterated his call to the Government to either extradite the men or imprison them here for the remainder of their 17-year sentences.
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey claimed the Government would leave itself open to the charge of being "soft" on terrorism if it did not deal with the Colombia Three.
He said Mr Ahern must have known they would turn up here at some stage and Ireland's reputation would be sullied if it failed to handle the situation.
And Seamus Brennan echoed Tanaiste Mary Harney's call for the men to "make themselves available" to the Gardai, adding they were "not above the law".
Mr Brennan said a complicated legal process lay ahead as no extradition treaty existed between Ireland and Colombia. He said it was "urgent" that the men should talk to the gardai.
"This week the Attorney General's office, the Department of Justice, the Taoiseach's office are all studying what legal options and obligations are available to us," Mr Brennan said.
"This Colombia Three thing - we didn't need this. It complicates the peace process and it has damaged it already. It has caused damage all round and we could all have done without it."
- Gene McKennaPolitical Editor
