Tuesday, December 11, 2007
“IRA members involved”
As chairman of the NI Executive sub-committee Assembly Committee inquiring into the devolution of policing and justice matters the DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson’s restatement of the party’s call for the removal of the Provisional IRA’s Army Council, and linking it to the devolving of policing and justice, is worth noting. But equally, if not more, significant is what he has said the Chief Constable Hugh Orde had to say about the killing of Paul Quinn.
Mr Donaldson said Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde told them that while there was “no indication” it was authorised by the IRA leadership there were “IRA members involved”.
And the NI Regional Development Minister has been given “very solid assurances” that the IRA were not involved.. if you believe it, that is.. But, if there are suspects, and there would need to be for the Chief Constable to have such an opinion, where are the arrests?
Adds Apparently Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey is still ‘thoroughly baffled’.. despite the recent statements by the Secretary of State. Déjà vu, indeed.
The official DUP statement also reiterates a variation of the ‘corporate responsibility’ line
“The brutal murder of Paul Quinn was also discussed. We made it clear that we require the full disclosure of all information regarding this evil act to be made available to us. There can be no attempt to pretend this issue doesn’t matter. It does. The DUP will not accept a situation whereby those responsible for or linked to murder hold places in the government of Northern Ireland. We await the outcome of the police investigation but people should be under no illusions as to the seriousness of the situation. If it is shown that the Provisional IRA authorised and executed the murder of Paul Quinn there will be serious repercussions.”
Pete Baker @ 03:00 PM
Turgon,
The IRA’s work is now finished - any further violent activity will now work against Republican interests. The fracturing of the Nationalist vote away from SF will suit the DUP. SF will probably loose seats in the next elction in the south if they dont get slab & co into line. On balance the DUP have probably called it right - the British government effectively blackmailed them into government and the unionist people know that the Englezes are not to be trusted. The DUP need to keep their noses clean and their heads down. Of course they are guilty of crass hypocrisy but a turn in any other direction will lead to what would be deemed further ‘betrayal’ by the Englezes. Best to just hold your nose - the IRA cannot survive without support from the Nationalist people - that has now been withdrawn. Intimidation will not stretch into the polling booth.
Posted by on Dec 12, 2007 @ 12:22 AM“That is a failing in moral courage”
Sez who, Joe? And a failing by whom exactly? Do you imagine that everyone in South Armagh witnessed the killing of Quinn in the Crossmaglen Coliseum or live on SATV, perhaps?
One doesn’t need to be, or to have read, Wittgenstein to know that it is well to speak nothing of those matters of which one knows nothing.
I remember “I don’t know” as being a simple statement of honesty, and while the same honest denial is often hijacked by lying rogues to deny their own guilt - its misuse by rogues cannot be turned against honest men.
Posted by on Dec 12, 2007 @ 01:46 AM“I’m sure some people are all misty-eyed about the DUP’s more loyal days, but the rest of us aren’t forgetting their alliances with loyalist paramilitarism, and there is nothing faintly new about the DUP’s hypocrisy in this respect.”
Except they were never-never days now they are actually saying ‘yes’ in a similar situation which they fought tooth and nail to prevent.
Clearly, because of those not to distant images still ingrained in the electorates’ mind, the DUP are therefore unable to suspend disbelief over claims that as a party it is functioning hypocritically.
Posted by on Dec 12, 2007 @ 02:01 AMSorry, Rory.
I was too imprecise. I did not mean in any way to tar everyone and I apologise if that’s how my remarks turned out.
I meant the people who have knowledge, who in their hearts know it was wrong, yet still are afraid for their lives.
I can’t in any honesty say that I would not fail in courage myself. At my age I might stand up but probably not if I had a young family to support.Posted by on Dec 12, 2007 @ 02:25 AMThis remark by Donaldson:
“There will be no devolution of policing and justice powers to the NI Executive without complete dismantling of the IRA’s structure”
can be easily turned on it’s head. i.e.:
The IRA Army Council will continue to exist until the DUP amend their illogical policy of refusing to agree a date for the devolution of policing and justice.
It seems to me that there’s a relatively simple trade-off to be agreed. Now, it could come down to a waiting game of who leaps first, or SF and DUP could stop the faffing and hammer out a timetable for both, to their mutual benefit.
Sure, the DUP might like to bust through the May 2008 deadline by a few weeks or months just to display their macho credentials, but the sooner they agree to a timetable for devolution of justice matters, the better for everyone from both sides of the community.
A case in point:
http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/article3194151.ece
“Evil child sex pervert Ian Magill will escape having his two year jail term extended because the Attorney General is powerless to send his case to the Appeal judges.
“The sentence handed down to Magill after he was caught with 15,000 child abuse images on his computer was last week dismissed as “paltry” by Upper Bann MP David Simpson.
“The DUP MP is due to meet with Security Minister Paul Goggins tomorrow to discuss the case and had hoped that the minister would be able to convince the government’s lawyer to refer the case back to the courts on the grounds of leniency.
“However, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office last night confirmed it could not act on the sentence handed to the depraved former museum curate at Downpatrick Crown Court.
“Although Attorney General Baroness Scotland has powers to refer a wide-range of criminal cases to the Appeal judges, possession of child pornography is not among them.”
If the Assembly had legislative competence on Justice matters, they could introduce a bill to widen the categories of crime for which sentences can be referred for Appeal. No point the DUP whinging about it whilst they obstinately rule out devolution of justice powers.
Furthermore, part of the reason for the apparent leniency in that case is the 50% remission rule for serious offenders in NI. Direct rule ministers have announced plans to abolish the 50% remission rule [wouldn’t apply retrospectively to the above case but would for future cases], but suppose Woodward and Goggins decided to instead replace it with 25% remission? - they wouldn’t lose a single vote back in their constituencies as a result. Where’s the accountable government the DUP promised?
Given the safeguards that would be involved, I haven’t heard a single reason why justice shouldn’t be devolved ASAP, except the nebulous “community confidence” excuse which is impossible to quantify, and the childish notion that If SF Want It Then It Must Be Bad.
Turning to SF, recent events demonstrate that long-term the continued existence of the Army Council is starting to act as a millstone round the party’s neck (regardless of whether or not there was active involvement in the death of Paul Quinn). If they can negotiate a standing down of the Army Council, in return for a fixed date for justice devolution, they would reap the benefit electorally (or at least no longer reap the disbenefit).
So, it’s over to the Chuckle Brothers.
Posted by on Dec 13, 2007 @ 02:12 PM(regardless of whether or not there was active involvement in the death of Paul Quinn)
should read:
(regardless of whether or not there was active IRA involvement in the death of Paul Quinn)
Obviously (and tragically), there was active imvolvement by someone..
Posted by on Dec 13, 2007 @ 02:16 PM
