IRA and the Colombia connection

By Sean Federico-O'Murchu, MSNBC

March 15 — They flock to the United States every March, Irish politicians of all stripes eager to soak in the seasonal goodwill. But this year’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities for Sinn Fein, the political ally of the IRA, have been clouded by allegations of links between the IRA and leftist rebels in Colombia.

WHAT THREE IRISHMEN were doing in Colombia last year has been disputed, as have many of the allegations that have emerged since they were arrested at Bogata’s airport last August.

But what is beyond doubt is that the three Irish citizens, one of whom represented Sinn Fein in Cuba, are stuck in a Bogota jail, charged with helping to train guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, designated by the U.S. State Department as a terrorist organization.

In the wake of President Bush’s war on terrorism following the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, it’s an association that is awkward, at the very least, for Sinn Fein.

The three — Niall Connolly, Jim Monaghan and Martin McCauley — have rejected the charges, saying they visited rebel-held territory in Colombia to study peace negotiations. Ironically, the Colombian government has since moved troops back into the territory after peace talks with the rebels collapsed in February.

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