Opinion:I believe

It all depends on who you believe. Or who you believe in.

If you believe the majority of the media, Sinn Féin are liars, criminals, money launderers, and so on. Trial by media is the order of the day. No evidence required. No due process, even of a dubious no-jury kind. Kangaroo courts – sorry – editorial boards rule.

If you believe Labour, Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats, Fianna Fáil and the SDLP, Sinn Féin were brought in from the cold, treated with kid gloves because these parties were benign and benevolent. But that's all over now. Creative ambiguity, whatever that is, is over, done with, finished. Enda Kenny, Pat Rabbite, Mary Harney, Mark Durkan have reluctantly had to mend their ways. No more being nice to the Shinners.

If you believe Sinn Féin, they are innocent of all the charges, I mean allegations, made against them.

If you believe the British government and the unionists you... Well, come to think of it, the British government and the unionists have not been saying a lot recently and why should they when others are doing their business for them.

If you believe RTÉ, Sinn Féin is under more pressure than at any time – ever. And just to prove the point they repeat the point in every newscast, of every day. RTÉ journalists interview RTÉ journalists. "How much pressure is Sinn Féin under?" they ask. "More pressure than ever before," comes the reply.

If you believe the Taoiseach, he doesn't know who is on the Army Council of the IRA.

If you believe Michael McDowell, he does, and he doesn't mind telling everyone. Except the Taoiseach.

If you believe RTÉ, the money from the Northern Bank Robbery found in the RUC Athletic Club was planted there by republicans.

However the arrest of and subsequent release of one Sinn Féin member means that the entire party is steeped in criminality, and the country is awash with Northern Bank notes.

If you believe Michael McDowell then... is a "colossal criminal empire". This is the Michael McDowell, the Minister of Allegations, who sought election the last time round on the basis that Fianna Fáil was dishonest and needed the PDs to keep them on the straight and narrow.

If you believe P O'Neill, the IRA didn't do the Northern Bank robbery.

If you believe the Taoiseach, the IRA did do the Northern Bank robbery and me and Martin McGuinness had prior knowledge of this. If you ask him for evidence, as we did, he says he got it from intelligence sources.

If you believe Hugh Orde he says he has "no idea" who had prior knowledge. And he didn't give any names to anyone.

If you believe in intelligence sources why is it they always claim to have information after an event? Presumably the purpose of intelligence gathering is to prevent events… like robberies for example. Like the Northern Bank robbery in particular.

If you believe government sources, me and Martin McGuinness control the IRA, we are not serious about the peace process, and cannot be trusted.

If you believe other government sources, me and Martin McGuinness are not in control of the IRA and are of no use to the process.

If you believe in the power of government spinners, the afornamed sources, spinning opposite stories on different days may be the same sources.

If you believe in the media, journalists should be objective.

If you believe Sinn Féin it has never pretended to represent the IRA.

If you believe Labour, Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats, Fianna Fáil and the SDLP, none of their attacks on Sinn Féin have anything to do with party politics.

If you believe Sinn Féin, it's all about party politics.

If you believe Labour, Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats, Fianna Fáil and the SDLP none of this has anything to do with the growth in the Sinn Féin vote.

If you believe the Taoiseach he's against sanctions against Sinn Féin, but then Paul Murphy, the British Secretary of State, has more power than the Taoiseach.

If you believe the Good Friday Agreement the imposition of sanctions is a breach of its terms.

If you believe the two governments the Monitoring Commission established by them is independent.

If you believe that, you would believe anything.

If you believe Labour, Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats, Fianna Fáil and the SDLP, Sinn Féin are in a power process not a peace process.

If you believe Michael McDowell, it is only a matter of continuing to beat up on the IRA and they'll go away.

If you believe the two governments, the IRA is the only remaining problem.

If you believe Ian Paisley, he agrees.

If you believe in the peace process, you are probably wondering where all of this is leading.