Sunday, December 18, 2005

Sunday Papers Roundup...

There is much in today's newspapers on the McDowell/Connolly/CPI affair although Stormontgate and the uncloaking (or dumping) of a British spy in Sinn Fein is the story of the weekend.

The Sunday Independent are as to be expected pro McDowell and continuing their oppostion to Connolly and the CPI. Maeve Sheehan writes on more allegations about Connolly's background in a group called Revolutionary Struggle in the early 1980's.

   THE former journalist accused by the Justice Minister of involvement in a plot to train Farc rebels for cash, was arrested in connection with the shooting of a British executive in Trinity College, Dublin, in 1981.


Gene Kerrigan does however question McDowell's motives and ascribes the minister with the title 'Sean Doherty with a Dublin 4 Accent'.

   It will be a long time before the Provos can be confidently dismissed as a threat to law and order. But threats come in various shapes, and State power is so awesome that the need for it to be exercised with restraint, not on speculation but against clear and present danger, is imperative.
   This doesn't look like a stalwart minister defending democracy. It looks like the sometimes boastful, sometimes furtive lurches of an excited man. A man flooded with the thrill of the hunt. The exhilarating thrill that comes with the unconfined exercise of power.

   Sean Doherty with a Dublin 4 accent.



Kevin Rafter writing in the Sunday Tribune reports on the refusal of McDowell to release the passport photograph which accompanied the alledged passport application.

   However, when asked for a copy of the photograph, a spokesperson for McDowell said, "its release now would not add anything. It would be gratuitous to do it now."
   


In a second piece Rafter examines the cold feet some Fianna Fail TD's are having over the incident. (Registration required.) Niamh Connolly writing in the Sunday Business Post sums up the weeks events and she takes the temperature of both Fianna Fail and opposition TD's on the matter.

Michael Clifford's piece on the situation questions McDowell's judgement, movtives and performance in the matter in the past week. (Read it here, registration required)

Vincent Browne writes in the Sunday Business Post on the McDowell and Progressive Democrat agenda to close the Centre for Public Inquiry. Tom McGuirk's piece in the same paper is a panto script featuring Michael the Amazing Minister.


Lots of column inches but everyone still waiting on Connolly's next move. Updates later when and if I make it through the rest of the papers/websites.

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