BY NORTON SANDLER
SAN FRANCISCO - U.S. government officials whisked Irish freedom fighter Jimmy Smyth from a jail near here on August 17 and extradited him back to British-occupied Northern Ireland.

In a statement prepared in advance and released to the press by the Irish-American Unity Conference, Smyth said, "I leave this country full of thanks for the spirit and independence of the American people. Just as they have countless times in the past, they put aside the pro-British prejudices of their leaders and asked their own questions about human rights in Ireland. The conclusions they drew were obvious by their actions. The American people have sheltered me, supported me, fought for me and prayed for me. They have kept faith with another generation of Irish people who looked to them for sustenance in the long struggle for justice....

"Unfortunately," Smyth added, "the further up the political ladder we climbed the less the voice of the people was heard. The closer to the White House we climbed, the less concern we found for justice and the more concern we found for political gain and for the feelings of an ally condemned throughout the world for the abuse of human rights....

"There are many who will seek revenge against me because I spoke the truth about Ireland. But I promise the American people I will rejoin you as a friend in freedom," Smyth emphasized.

Smyth, 42, joined Sinn Fein in 1972. As an activist in the nationalist struggle, he became a frequent target for police interrogations. In 1977 he was arrested for the attempted murder of an off-duty prison guard in Belfast. Smyth's case was argued in a Diplock court in front of a specially appointed judge and without a jury. No physical evidence was presented linking Smyth to what he was accused of. The only "eyewitness" to testify was a British soldier who claimed he could recognize the back of Smyth's head. Smyth has steadfastly maintained his innocence. Nevertheless, he was convicted and given a 20-year sentence. While in Long Kesh prison he participated in protests against prison conditions. Like many other nationalist fighters he refused to wear prison-issued garb and lived for a time with only a blanket for clothing.

Smyth and 37 other Irish Republican fighters broke out of Long Kesh in 1983. He lived in San Francisco working as a house painter until his arrest by the FBI in 1992. Long Kesh prison escapees Kevin Barry Artt, Terry Kirby, and Pol Brennan were also arrested. Together with Smyth they have become known as the H-Block 4.

The Clinton administration has pursued the extradition of these freedom fighters under the terms of a 1986 treaty with United Kingdom. In 1994 Federal Judge Barbara Caulfield barred Smyth's extradition, saying his life would be endangered if he returned to Northern Ireland. She then agreed to release Smyth on $1.5 million bail. This decision was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals, which reinstated Smyth's extradition. After the Supreme Court refused to review that decision earlier this summer, Smyth's bail was revoked.

U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher signed the extradition papers for Smyth's return on August 16. The Irish- American Unity Coalition (IAUC) has been spearheading defense for the H-Block 4 here. Some 350 rallied at the Irish Cultural Center four days before his extradition. Speakers included San Francisco mayor Willie Brown; Jack Henning, former secretary- treasurer of the California AFL-CIO; Paul Cambell, who had spent six years in Northern Ireland's Long Kesh prison and later won asylum in the United States; and many others. The IAUC has also organized numerous actions in defense of Smyth and the others, including a rush-hour protest outside the Clinton re-election headquarters in San Francisco the day before Smyth's extradition.

Under the terms of their bail, Artt, Brennan, and Kirby are forced to wear electronic devices that monitor their whereabouts. They have extradition trials pending in San Francisco this fall. In the meantime, the Clinton administration is trying to revoke their bail. On August 15, a three-judge U.S. appeals court panel heard oral arguments on this with U.S. Assistant Attorney Sarah Cristatelli claiming that the three were a greater "flight risk" now following the Appeal's Courts decision to extradite Jimmy Smyth. A decision on whether their bail will be revoked is pending.

Jim Altenberg, a member of the Oil, Chemical, Atomic Workers union, and Marklynn Wilson, a member of the United Transportation Union, contributed to this article.  
 
 
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