For decades, the IRA has had a very sympathetic hearing from the BBC. I do not suggest that the BBC supported the killings, the bombings, the maimings carried out by Irish Republicans but it did seem to have a visceral sympathy with the IRA ideal that “Britain” needs to get out of Northern Ireland.
This morning, the BBC was coming to terms with an attempted massive car bombing of the Policing Board offices in Belfast by Irish republican “dissidents.” The BBC is forced to report that these “dissidents” are in fact IRA terrorists who simply seek to further advance their cause by violence but it spins it in a way that suggests that Adams and McGuinness are the “good” IRA whereas these weekend bombers are the “bad” IRA. In this way, all the atrocities of the past decades are sanitised.
The BBC had convicted Old Bailey bomber Gerry Kelly on – a man who subsequently put a bullet in a prison officer’s head – and let him spout about how dreadful this attempted bombing was and how those who have any information should tell the police all they know. Fine words, but why did the BBC not ask why Kelly and his kin do not tell the police all they know about bombings that DID take innocent life? The hypocrisy is staggering but the BBC do not pursue it. Might it be that the BBC still sees itself as a participant rather than a reporter in what passes for “peace”?
I didn’t get the feeling that violence of the past was sanitized at all. However, I always find it amusing how the BBC ignores the elephant in the room when doing features on NI. This “peace process” and the current political process has one goal, and one goal only: to united NI with the Republic of Ireland, and end the connection with the UK.
When Naughtie said that the Real IRA and other factions considered Gerry Kelly “a traitor”, as he is a convicted murderer for the IRA, it was clear that we’re supposed to see how silly that is because Kelly is still working to break NI away from the UK. His method is different, but the goal is the same. Yet, Naughtie never goes so far as to openly point out the real, ultimate goal of Kelly and his associates.
It’s not about power-sharing or ending violence or whatever. Gerry Kelly was even allowed to talk about how Sinn Fein is gaining more and more support, state that it’s the DUP who are really holding up the “peace process”, and speak of the benefits of his group and their efforts. It was also pretty funny listening to him talk about how these little incidents of violence wouldn’t be such a problem if local policing was in the hands of his cohorts. I’m quite sure his gang would crack down on these rival gangs, but Naughtie wouldn’t dare put it that way.
Regardless of which side of this anyone is on, the BBC ought to at least mention the actual goals of Kelly and Sinn Fein regarding the “peace process” when they’re discussing things that might impede it.