Washington visit for McCartneys
The sisters and partner of Robert McCartney are taking their campaign to have his killers brought to justice to Washington today.
The six women have blamed the IRA for the murder in a Belfast pub on January 30th and one of them accused Sinn Fein of covering up the crime.
They are due to present their case to President George Bush on St Patrick’s Day on Thursday and will today be meeting with senators Edward Kennedy and Hillary Clinton.
Last night, Sinn Fein chief negotiator Martin McGuinness told the McCartneys to “be careful” in letting their campaign become politicised.
“It’s vitally important for the McCartney campaign that they don’t stray into party politics,” he told Channel Four news.
“We do know there are people out there who would like to manipulate the situation.”
His comments come as it emerged that two Sinn Fein election candidates and a former party councillor were in the Belfast pub on the night of the murder.
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is also travelling to Washington for St Patrick’s Day but for the first time in years has not been invited to White House.
Leading Irish-American senator Edward Kennedy has also snubbed Mr Adams, citing the IRA’s “ongoing criminal activity and contempt for the rule of law”.
A spokesman for Adams said he was disappointed, adding: “On this occasion we believe he [Kennedy] has been badly advised.”
The party has cancelled any fundraising events during the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the US, which have raised up to £20 million in the last decade, amid fears about the reaction of the Bush administration.
