Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is scheduled to
arrive in Cuba on Sunday for a controversial four-day visit
that seems certain to alienate supporters in the United
States.
The much-awaited trip was originally due to take place this
summer, but was postponed after three people suspected of
belonging to the Irish Republican Amry were arrested in
Colombia on terrorism charges.
Plans to reschedule the visit appeared to have been
scratched after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Although Cuba
played no role in the attacks on New York and Washington,
its government is officially listed by the U.S. State
Department as a "state sponsor of terrorism." Also, while
Cuban leader Fidel Castro condemned the suicide
hijackings, he has since been one of the most outspoken
critics of U.S. military action in Afghanistan.
Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA, relies heavily on
support in the United States -- especially in the New York
area -- for fundraising. It also enjoys official recognition from
the U.S. government as part of its commitment to the Good
Friday peace accords.
The announcement of the Cuba visit prompted veiled
criticism from the U.S. State Department on Thursday.
"While we would prefer that he not visit Cuba this is entirely
his decision to make," a State Department spokesman said.
But in recent days several prominent Irish-Americans have
voiced strong opposition to the Adams visit, saying the
republican cause should not be confused with Castro's
communist system.
"Fidel Castro is a walking human rights violator," said J.
Brian McCarthy, chairman of Irish American Republicans, a
lobbying group. "We have supported Gerry Adams in the
past and we will continue to support his efforts for peace
and justice in the north of Ireland, but we will not allow him
to go to Cuba and embrace a tyrant without comment."
The trip is planned to commemorate Cuban solidarity during
the celebrated 1981 IRA hunger strike at the Maze prison.
Ten strikers died in what became a major embarrassment
for the British government over demands that IRA prisoners
be given political status.
As well as meeting Castro, the Sinn Fein delegation will
unveil a monument in memory of the hunger strikers.
Analysts say the visit is part of an attempt to improve
Adams' international standing while peace talks drag on with
the British government. The IRA has lately come under
increased international pressure for dragging its feet over
decommissioning its weapons, a key element of the peace
process.
In October Adams made a similar visit to South Africa,
where he met with former President Nelson Mandela.
During that visit he also unveiled a sculpture on Robben
Island to commemorate those who have died on hunger
strikes in Northern Ireland and South Africa.
Analysts, however, say the merits of visiting Cuba are harder
to see.
The trip will only serve to refocus debate over Sinn Fein's
alleged involvement with left-wing Colombian guerrillas of
the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, often known
by its Spanish abbreviation, FARC. One of the three IRA
suspects jailed in Colombia was Sinn Fein's unofficial
representative in Havana, Niall Connolly.
Connolly and two others, Martin McCauley and James
Monaghan, were accused of training FARC fighters in
explosives and urban terrorism. Sinn Fein initially denied that
Connolly belonged to the party. But Adams later confirmed
that an internal investigation revealed Connolly had been
working in Havana for a senior Sinn Fein executive, though
without the party's formal approval.
Republican members of Congress are aghast over the
political timing of the visit. This week, Rep. Peter King,
R-N.Y., said: "I've told Gerry for some time I think it's a
mistake to go. It undercuts Sinn Fein's argument for human
rights. Castro is a flagrant violator of human rights."
The House International Relations Committee is conducting
an inquiry into links between FARC and the IRA with a
view to holding hearings. The committee is looking into
allegations that the IRA has had a four-year connection to
the Colombian group, during which time some 30
high-ranking IRA members have visited Colombia.
The Bush administration has warned the IRA that there
would be serious consequences for Sinn Fein's status in the
United States if it were proven that the IRA has been helping
the FARC.
Asked about his meetings with Sinn Fein, the White House
adviser on Northern Ireland, Richard Haass, said recently: "I
made it categorically clear that the U.S. had very big
interests in Colombia in terms of money and personnel. And
I told them, I never want the situation to arise where the help
of the IRA leads to the death of a U.S. citizen."
He also laughed at claims that the three alleged IRA
members held in Colombia had been studying the peace
process in that country.
"They were there involved in discussions about matters
which can only be associated with activities that would fall
under the rubric of terrorism," he said.
Next week's IRA tour may be the most high-profile
delegation to visit Cuba, but relations between the Cuban
revolution and the republican cause stretch back many
years.
In the past the Castro regime has given haven to on-the-run
IRA members, including the former IRA fugitive Evelyn
Glenholmes, who was linked to an IRA arms and explosives
cache in the early 1990s.
