Adams to decide on Colombia hearing
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams was today set to reveal if he will accept an invitation to testify at a US Congressional hearing on republican links to Colombian rebels.
With Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble demanding urgent talks with him over allegations that the IRA is targeting politicians, Mr Adams was coming under growing pressure from party members to stay in Belfast.
Republican sources said there was a ‘‘strong lobby’’ within Sinn Féin urging him not to go to Washington tomorrow in case the hearings would prejudice the trial of three Irishmen arrested in Colombia last year.
The House of Representatives’ International Relations Committee is keen to question Mr Adams on links between republicans and the FARC militia following the arrests of Niall Connolly, Martin McCauley and James Monaghan in Colombia last August on suspicion of training Marxist rebels.
Mr Adams discussed the invitation to Washington with Stormont minister Martin McGuinness, party chairman Mitchel McLaughlin and other leadership figures.
‘‘There is a very strong lobby within the party which is of the view that these hearings in Washington could be prejudicial to the men’s trial in Colombia,’’ the source said.
‘‘Many people are of the view that we cannot ignore what the families of the three men, their lawyers and campaigners are saying.
‘‘They have concerns about the prejudicial nature of anything that might be said in the hearings.’’
Meanwhile, Mr Trimble has demanded republicans come clean about allegations that the IRA broke into special branch offices at a Belfast police station and has updated intelligence files on senior British Conservative party politicians.
Amid growing fears that the crisis could wreck the peace process, Sinn Féin has defiantly insisted it is being scapegoated by shadowy British government agencies.
