Gerry Adams has been arrested

[Cocolepew]

He's being questioned about Jean McConville.

She is taking a huge risk.
Not much has really changed in NI. Too many people making too much money out of their protection rackets etc. It is just more underground now.

He keeps on winning elections as he has a good grassroots following that can't see beyond the end of their own noses. Great man for getting things done. I bet he is.

Is she taking a huge risk, though?If anything happens to her now, the police know where to look. IRA know that the absolute worst/stupidest thing they could do now is go after her. I would say that she's never been safer.

Yes. AW but knowing where to look isn't the same as securing a conviction is it? Either for lack of evidence or lack of will. I bet they've known who was responsible for this murder for decades.

Genuinely think he thought he was going in and out the door quite quickly, scarlett...

^^ This makes me quite happy really. Made an appointment to go to the police to get all this nasty inconvenient business done with before the serious work of the elections really got going. It didn't quite work out that way.

The police have always known where to look for these crimes. Means nothing there.

Maybe not her, but she will have people close to her.
You would think the police would be able to go after anyone who harmed friends or relatives, but I am not so sure.

Exactly ClubName.

But they stand a better chance of securing a conviction for a current crime than a historic one. And anything committed now would be outside the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. It would also be hugely damaging for SF. Despite still having a strong following in some areas, we've moved on a bit from the 70s, thankfully.

Just watching an interview with jeans daughter. Such a brave woman, hope her brothers can do the same.

Police usually know who has committed a murder. Usually it is a lack of evidence that stops arrests being made. Now people are openly talking if makes it more dangerous for that family.
The killers know nets are closing and haven't as much to lose any more. I hope prosecutions will arise but I doubt it, however to those involved the notoriety is enough.

In some circles it would be great kudos to make a killing in these circumstances. A badge of honour if you like.

If might not be sf or the IRA though aw. Plenty of people would like to damage their reputation as much as they want to keep it clean.

If he really did only expect to be there for half an hour, I wonder how long he can keep up the charming act under pressure, before he starts trying to throw his weight around.

The murder of Jean McConville was horrific. One of her sons was on Newsnight saying he was dragged off a few days later. He was 11. They put a hood on his head and threatened him.

The family deserve justice. But I hope it doesn't derail the peace process. I hope the process is strong enough to bear justice being done. Otherwise what kind of peace is it?

Long runs the fox! Eventually he will be caught.

IMHO the increase in support for SF south of the border is down to a) SF posing as a socialist party when times have been tough and b) the fact that the south was largely untouched by the troubles. And perhaps c) that SF being in a position of government/power in the north and people like GA being feted as heroes/ patriots by leaders from other countries makes voters think that whatever SF did or didn't do mustn't have been so bad after all.

FWIW, I don't think there has been any conspiracy in the timings per se, but perhaps - as the political parties in the south have seen SF's share of the vote increase - they might not have been as quick to tell the British government that arresting GA was the wrong thing to do.

In terms of GAs own clout, I did wonder if that was tarnished by the case involving his niece - perhaps imperceptibly at the time, but it dented the image he likes to portray of the righteous, wise man.

that should have read "what SF leaders did or didn't do in the past..."

Oh and I pray that the McConville's are at last given the support and protection they deserve whether or not they do decide to name names but agree that some idiot with a gun who has more bullets than braincells and thinks he's a hero is likely to take a shot at one or more of them and theirs

So, they've asked for more time. What is that most likely to mean? They're clutching at straws or there's so much info 24hrs is't enough?! Something else entirely?

Is it not 48 hours? They've had him since Wednesday.

yes sorry 48, so too much info to deal with in 48 hours?

The person who apparently pulled the trigger was named a few years ago. He died in 1996.

He might be refusing to talk. They will have to have something in order for the extension to be granted.

this proves he's not universally loathed

Hideous.