The news that an IRA suspect on trial for the Hyde Park bombing has been released by a judge on what seems like flimsy grounds, recalls how that that terrorist group campaigned for a Yes vote in the 1999 referendum for a republic ('' Hyde Park IRA bombing: suspect will not be prosecuted after police blunder,'' Tom Whitehead in the Daily Telegraph 25 February,2014).
But when a few years ago I recalled here that Gerry Adams had come to Australia and had vigorously campaigned in the 1999 referendum for Australians to cast a Yes vote, an ARM leader sent me an email saying: '' Are you quite mad, a habitual liar or just an idiot?”
The Australian carefully explained to the ARM on 14 September 2010 that Adams did precisely that.
This was despite the fact that the Irish Republican Army was already responsible for at least one terrorist attack on Australians. Just nine years before the referendum, in a vicious attack in a town in the Netherlands the IRA murdered two fine young Australian men, Stephen Melrose and Nick Spanos, in the presence of Stephen's young wife and Nick's girl friends
None of the perpetrators of that foul act were ever brought to trial. ( ''Why republicans should have said No to Gerry Adams.'')
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[Spephen Melrose & Nick Spanos]
That the ARM allowed Adams to campaign in the referendum without distancing themselves from him, as we called on them to do, is appalling.
…Hyde Park, Regent's Park outrage…
The suspected Irish Republican Army terrorist, is believed to have planted the nail bomb which killed four soldiers taking part in a Changing of the Guard procession from the Household Cavalry barracks in Knightsbridge to Horse Guards Parade.
Other soldiers in the procession were all badly wounded and shrapnel and nails sprayed into the crowd of tourists caused more injuries. Seven of the regiment's horses were also killed or had to be put down.
Soon after another bomb exploded underneath the bandstand in Regent's Park as the Royal Green Jackets band played to a crowd of 120 people, killing seven bandsmen and seriously injuring others and members of the public.
These outrages understandably shocked the world.