Jerry Adams. What were they playing at?

[mistermack]

I hate the IRA, I always did, in spite of being brought up around the older republican sentiments, before the Northern Ireland troubles. As soon as they started these punishment killings, I realised what piles of shit the IRA of modern times actually were, and allegiance turned to disgust very quickly.

But having said all that, I still have to say that keeping Adams in custody for four days was an amazing piece of stupidity. Or much worse.
Who in their right mind would want to risk going back to those days? And there is no way that this wasn't political.

Adams went to the police voluntarily. They could have interviewed him under caution for more than one day, if they wanted. He's hardly going to do a runner.

And what the fuck can they have been asking, for four days? Without repetition?
That's just taking the piss, and there has to be an ulterior motive.

If I'd been Adams, I would have clammed up, as soon as they repeated a single question. He obviously didn't. Maybe they wanted to be able to say that he refused to answer, and he didn't want to give them that satisfaction.

Whatever his past, the future is far more important. One day of questions should have been plenty.
They were definitely up to something.
If it was to do with the election, I think it probably misfired. If I was a voter in Ireland, I'd be tempted to vote Sinn Fein now, just out of disgust.

[jaydot]

just lately there seems to be a lot of searching for scapegoats to mitigate the embarrassments felt by the authorities for taking their eye off the ball about various events. the ira, hillsborough, the sex scandals; it's all grist for the mill. adams appears to be just another pawn in that game

[MrJonno]

It's pretty obvious Gerry Adams was involved in murders (Martin McGuiness was actually convicted) but so what. The price of the Good Friday agreement was that murders got away with it. It's a pretty high price but the alternatives were far worse

[cronus]

Cameron needs some kind of Falklands factor to guarantee the election. Setting off NI and dealing with some smokey aftermath might be enough?

[MrJonno]

Cameron needs some kind of Falklands factor to guarantee the election. Setting off NI and dealing with some smokey aftermath might be enough?

I don't think anyone in the UK or Ireland wants a resumption of conflict. I suspect most people outside NI would rather pretend the place doesnt exist

[klr]

Jesus H. Could you not at least spell his name right?

[JimC]

Let the law take its course. I'm sure he will have a bevy of competent lawyers...

[mistermack]

Let the law take its course. I'm sure he will have a bevy of competent lawyers...

I'm not so sure about that.
Lawyers used to get killed for representing one side or the other. Even today, I doubt if they would be queuing up to handle the case.