Sinn Fein accused the Bush administration on Monday of needlessly harassing officials of the IRA-linked party at airports in the US, where party leader Gerry Adams was detained last week because he is on the US "watch list."
Adams and his longtime aide, Richard McAuley, were delayed on Friday from traveling to Buffalo, New York, just hours after both Sinn Fein officials were guests of President George W. Bush in the White House for St. Patrick's Day festivities. They missed the flight -- and still were missing two suitcases when they returned on Monday to Ireland.
"This is a nonsensical position we've found ourselves in, and we're determined for it to stop," McAuley said in a telephone interview from a car carrying him and Adams back to Belfast. "In one moment we're in the White House and Gerry is having his photo taken with the president ... then a few hours later at the airport, you're being pulled aside for this rigorous, ridiculous special screening."
McAuley conceded that both he and Adams had convictions for Irish Republican Army-related activities in the early 1970s -- Adams for an attempted prison breakout, he for possessing a rifle. Adams left prison in 1977, McAuley two years later.
Because of the convictions Adams and McAuley require special waivers from the Bush administration.
The convictions could be why the two are regularly pulled aside at US airports when US Homeland Security officials check their computer records.
"Nothing that happened 30 years ago can justify the treatment of Adams today," McAuley said.
"Before we leave Ireland the State Department is given a complete schedule of our journey. They know what flights we're taking, the times to the minute, and the flight numbers. Despite the fact they have all this detail, we end up with this ridiculous security stamp on our tickets," he said, describing the mark on all their US-issued tickets as "SSSS."
McAuley said Sinn Fein has implored US officials since 2003 to drop Adams and other Sinn Fein officials from Homeland Security's "watch" list. He said they were complaining publicly now because Friday was the first time they missed an event with Irish-American supporters because of it. Previously, he said, they had missed flights to Ireland.
"Every US official we speak to agrees the policy makes no sense, but the buck gets passed from State to Justice to Homeland Security, and becomes impossible to tie down," said McAuley, who expected a string of complaints this time from Sinn Fein's supporters in US Congress.
"This might make a difference," he said.
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