Sinn Fein? They have gone away, you know.

[Syferus]

You have to ask yourself why they've gone after Adams now. I'm not talking about the upcoming elections. That's an old tactic. Sure they could arrest a lot of politicians on both sides at any time of their choosing with a little bit of digging.

There's something else in the pipeline. The British are often a step ahead of us.

I still believe this all part of the big picture.

SF and Gerry in particular have to get this monkey off their backs. Nobody gives a toss about the European elections that count for very little. If Gerry gets arrested, released unconditionally this is one less skeleton in SF's cupboard and leaves the road less rocky and there can be no more brickbats thrown in Gerry's road.

I firmly believe the Brits don't have much appetite for this fight.

Not having enough evidence to charge is not the same thing as being found innocent, nor will the public see it that way.

All this has done is remind people of SF's sins and hastened the end of Adam's career.

All that on the assumption he isn't charged and they don't hold someone for four days if there hasn't been some serious progress in the case.

[orangeman]

You have to ask yourself why they've gone after Adams now. I'm not talking about the upcoming elections. That's an old tactic. Sure they could arrest a lot of politicians on both sides at any time of their choosing with a little bit of digging.

There's something else in the pipeline. The British are often a step ahead of us.

I still believe this all part of the big picture.

SF and Gerry in particular have to get this monkey off their backs. Nobody gives a toss about the European elections that count for very little. If Gerry gets arrested, released unconditionally this is one less skeleton in SF's cupboard and leaves the road less rocky and there can be no more brickbats thrown in Gerry's road.

I firmly believe the Brits don't have much appetite for this fight.

Not having enough evidence to charge is not the same thing as being found innocent, nor will the public see it that way.

All this has done is remind people of SF's sins and hastened the end of Adam's career.

All that on the assumption he isn't charged and they don't hold someone for four days if there hasn't been some serious progress in the case.

If Gerry gets released unconditionally, then that's the end of the jibes and insults. And Gerry will take great pleasure in letting his opponents know that he was grilled for 4 days, much longer than the bankers etc.

There will then be a line drawn in the sand and the train will drive on to the next stop.

[orangeman]

The trouts out / in- former republican "messages" are being painted on the walls on the Falls. And there's a lovely mural of Gerry freshly painted today.

All publicity is good publicity.

[ONeill]

What's to stop a charge? Even if Adams is found after a long trial not guilty? We know what the British are capable of in terms of being wrong and sweeping it under the carpet if it achieved a short term goal.

[orangeman]

What's to stop a charge? Even if Adams is found after a long trial not guilty? We know what the British are capable of in terms of being wrong and sweeping it under the carpet if it achieved a short term goal.

Very simply he's mainstream. It's only them other boys that get 'treatment" now.

The Brits have their own Alibaba and magic carpet shops all over the world including one in Belfast.

[trileacman]

What's to stop a charge?

Common sense if they have no evidence. Can't see the Brits hand in all this, they'd pay a fortune to see us drift off into the North Atlantic and out of their f**king hands, why would they give a shit about screwing Gerry over? They've bigger, costlier wars to fight at the minute.

I think they pigs have an ace in the hole here, the Shinners are way to flustered for this just to be a shake-down, there's evidence here that they have that the press doesn't.

[give her dixie]

Will he be charged with membership of a proscribed organisation?

[T Fearon]

If it had been Gerry Kelly instead of Adams he'd have escaped by now

[muppet]

Gerry, as he is entitled to do, has protested his innocence.

Martin & Mary Lou are publicly expressing outrage, which is fair enough, but if I were Gerry I would like to hear of my innocence from the rooftops.

Bizzarrely Pearse Doherty, as an example, has only a press release on the Financial Regulator and Setantan Insurance on either his website or twitter feed, which is usually full of action in the last 3 days.

Whenever the real story comes out it will be fascinating, but if this arrest turns into a shambles and destabilises the situation, everyone will lose.

[orangeman]

If Adams was charged with for example membership of a proscribed organisation, sure what about it ?

If Adams gets charged with aiding and abetting like Bell was, sure what about it as well ?.

The only one to suffer loss of credibility and his seat is Gerry. Mary Lou or Pearse gets the top job and someone gets a seat in the Dail.

The unionists get their pound of flesh. For me it will be like going to the dentist. I don't like going. I don't look forward to going. It's not nice getting them injections. But it's not that painful, it doesn't last that long and I'm out of there in a wee while.

[lynchbhoy]

Gerry, as he is entitled to do, has protested his innocence.

Martin & Mary Lou are publicly expressing outrage, which is fair enough, but if I were Gerry I would like to hear of my innocence from the rooftops.

Bizzarrely Pearse Doherty, as an example, has only a press release on the Financial Regulator and Setantan Insurance on either his website or twitter feed, which is usually full of action in the last 3 days.

Whenever the real story comes out it will be fascinating, but if this arrest turns into a shambles and destabilises the situation, everyone will lose.

Yeah I find it v interesting too

It won't destabilize anything though
No one has an appetite for war. This will appease loyalist/unionists though.
Some dissidents etc might use the excuse to riot.

I'm wondering - the worst that can happen is if they pin something on Adams.
He prob won't do jail time ( under gfa).
He loses credibility. But why? What else is coming up that they need him off the scene for?
Elections ? Hardly, it won't even dent sf.
New leader will only increase support.
Adams wasn't an IRA man - so what's the real story here?
Will he take the fall for the real guilty person(s)?

[Syferus]

You have to ask yourself why they've gone after Adams now. I'm not talking about the upcoming elections. That's an old tactic. Sure they could arrest a lot of politicians on both sides at any time of their choosing with a little bit of digging.

There's something else in the pipeline. The British are often a step ahead of us.

I still believe this all part of the big picture.

SF and Gerry in particular have to get this monkey off their backs. Nobody gives a toss about the European elections that count for very little. If Gerry gets arrested, released unconditionally this is one less skeleton in SF's cupboard and leaves the road less rocky and there can be no more brickbats thrown in Gerry's road.

I firmly believe the Brits don't have much appetite for this fight.

Not having enough evidence to charge is not the same thing as being found innocent, nor will the public see it that way.

All this has done is remind people of SF's sins and hastened the end of Adam's career.

All that on the assumption he isn't charged and they don't hold someone for four days if there hasn't been some serious progress in the case.

If Gerry gets released unconditionally, then that's the end of the jibes and insults. And Gerry will take great pleasure in letting his opponents know that he was grilled for 4 days, much longer than the bankers etc.

There will then be a line drawn in the sand and the train will drive on to the next stop.

So your mind is made up?

They question him for 4 days and decide he has no case to answer, you pull the "no smoke without fire" line?

If I stood accused of something, I'd hate to see you on the jury.

"He wouldn't be in court if he didn't do it?"

If ye really think Adams being released would do anything other than re-open a plethora of questions and doubt for the public ye've got the Shinner-tinted glasses on.

You can bury Adams' political career in an unmarked grave after this, he is nothing more than a liability to his party.

[muppet]

I really wonder how Adams has made it this far in politics when an arrest is all that was needed to finish him.

He served time in jail before iirc.

It wasn't so much of an issue then. Ridiculously nowadays, to be seen to be hiding the truth could be more damaging than anything he may or may not have done. I know how daft that sounds.

[lynchbhoy]

I really wonder how Adams has made it this far in politics when an arrest is all that was needed to finish him.

He served time in jail before iirc.

It wasn't so much of an issue then. Ridiculously nowadays, to be seen to be hiding the truth could be more damaging than anything he may or may not have done. I know how daft that sounds.

What truth would that be muppet?

[Syferus]

I really wonder how Adams has made it this far in politics when an arrest is all that was needed to finish him.

You seem to be assuming he wasn't shakey to begin with. Iron Gerry is looking more like Paper Gerry right now.

Everyone knew he was a liability to his party for a good few years now but no one has been able to convince the man himself of that fact. He resembles a Castro who hasn't realised he has out-lived his shelf-life as a leader.