On 04 Sep 2004 22:42:57 GMT, (BUFDRVR) wrote:

Its a hostile act and what the H Block 4 went through cannot be considered
harboring...not even close.

They were not extradited on request. They were able - like several
republican terrorist fugatives in the USA in several previous cases -
to evade extraditon on the basis of US legislation and legal
interpretations of what were "political" offences. I wonder how the
US government would currently tolerate such niceities over the
extradition of terrorists convicted for the murder of US citizens.
You might disagree with such opinions, but you need to be aware that
the history of the issue does arouse suspicions.

Amazing how a Brit demands the immediate
extradition of wanted UK terrorists, yet has an issue with the U.S. holding
onto a British subject wanted for terrorism by the U.S.

In this instance, British citizens have been denied the legal
protections and mechanisms exploited by refugee IRA terrorists in the
United States. So, yes, there certainly is an incongruity. You
should be aware, however, that certain critics of US legal behaviour
over terrorist extradition and the double-standards this seems to
expose fully support the right of the US to suspend normal legal
standards in certain circumstances when dealing with terrorists.

He allowed them residence and refused to extradite them, true: so he was
no worse than the US.

The U.S. allowed the H Block 4 residence *in prison* or at the least on
electronically monitored house arrest. Your comparison is ridiculous.

Actually, as somebody who supported and supports American policy over
Iraq (at the strategic level at least, with strong reservations at the
operational and tactical level), you should be aware that the
criticisms Paul has made are not confined to traditional reflexive
anti-American constituencies. If you actually do have any interest in
maintaining any kind of multi-lateral alliances in the "War Against
Terrorism", I suggest it might be profitable to make some effort to
understand these kinds of concerns, even if you don't share them
yourself.

Gavin Bailey

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