Caught Red-handed … Except
Not caught, by the PSNI that is. A savage attack caught on CCTV, but still no justice. So what exactly do the police do, again? Is it that hard to find someone in Newtonabbey? Rusty Nail
Rusty Nail
The Rot at the Core of Stormont
Patrick Murphy asks, “Have our politicians created a culture in which honesty, decency, respect and trust are regarded as weaknesses? […] the most important questions relate to the nature of our wider society. How can our children be taught to respect authority when those who wield it are seen to abuse it for party political purposes? Who will tell our children that their education system was not planned for their learning and development but for the political gratification of Ian …
‘Ex Pows’ endorse Independent Republicans
In a full page ad in today’s Irish News, hundreds of former republican prisoners have put their names to a statement endorsing the independent republican candidates. The statement: (link includes signatures) Irish Republican Ex-Pows Against the RUC/PSNI & MI5 As Republican activists who served the Republican and Republican Socialist Movements in the armed struggle, we would like to take this opportunity to call upon all Republicans to come out and vote for Independent Republican Candidates of your choice in the …
The Big Con
Has the Peace Process been all a big lie? Picking up on Martin McGuinness’ earlier quote, where those who are opposed to Sinn Fein’s efforts risk upsetting the apple cart by telling truths, Henry McDonald in today’s Observer quotes a former RUC officer, speaking about the recent O’Loan report into collusion. ‘Another similar inquiry would push people to the edge,’ said the officer, who has had more than 25 years in counter-terrorism operations. ‘A lot of these men have knowledge …
Republican Women
Suzanne Breen profiles two Republican women battling it out in the elections over policing in this week’s Sunday Tribune: A tale of one city: two women on either side of the republican divide Peggy O’Hara and Martina Anderson are both standing in the assembly elections in Foyle. Peggy O’Hara is the mother of INLA hunger striker, Patsy O’Hara, and opposes the endorsement of the PSNI. Martina Anderson was part of the IRA bombing team behind Brighton, and spent 13 years …
Tangled Web Unraveling
Liam Clarke writes in today’s Sunday Times about Martin McGuinness’ IRA career, which apparently did not end in the early 70’s as he claimed to the Bloody Sunday Tribunal: McGuinness ‘lied under oath’ about IRA roleClarke refers to an interview given by Brendan Hughes in a book by Spanish academic, Rogelio Alonso that has been recently translated into English. Hughes describes a 1986 IRA meeting with McGuinness, which was about the strategy that would lead to the Loughall attack. Hughes …
Belfast Telegraph Television
Following the Irish News’ in.tv channel, the Belfast Telegraph has also launched an online video news channel. It looks to be a move for both newspapers to embrace their presence on the internet and make use of its advertisement opportunities. It’s also good competition for UTV and BBC NI’s local online news websites. Rusty Nail
The Power of Persuasion
Before: Today’s Newshound links to an Irish Democrat article by Father Joe McVeigh railing against the new MI5 building going up in Holywood. It’s a hot, strong article, claiming, the new base is “literally entrenching the intelligence agency’s position in Ireland”, is a “sinister development on Irish soil”, that “MI5 has shown nothing but contempt for democracy and for the Irish people throughout its history”. He writes, “By giving MI5 primacy in intelligence-gathering next year, the British are ensuring that …
Sinn Fein support joining PSNI
“If young republicans, or indeed any age of republicans, want to join it that’s their right and we would support them doing that,” Gerry Adams said. Rusty Nail
Republican detained by MI5
The Irish News reports that Bernard Fox, a long-standing republican and former hunger striker, was detained by MI5 at Belfast International Airport on Friday, as he returned from a family holiday. The Irish Times also has the story.According to The Irish News, two men identified themselves as MI5 and then, “His solicitor Ciaran Shiels, from Belfast firm Madden and Finucane, said Mr Fox was “subjected to a series of bizarre questions relating to the peace process and the current political …
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
While Sinn Fein is on the cusp of endorsing the PSNI, reports are coming in that thousands of ex-prisoners and others are marching behind the Anti-PSNI banner at today’s Bloody Sunday March in Derry. Independent accounts of the march from different people who were there are putting the total behind the Anti-PSNI banner at 3 to 4,000 people, by far the largest contingent of marchers today. There’s a good few in the above photo from Indymedia’s photo essay of the …
Explosive Claims: War by Proxy
The Sunday Herald is carrying claims from a UVF source of “How Britain created Ulster’s murder gangs”: A captain in military intelligence spelt out the reasons for the army creating these secret counter-insurgency cells. […] He said: “This type of war can’t be won by conventional means. The only solution is to implement a counter-operation, to counteract the violence of the enemy by heaping more violence on them That’s why we’ve chosen men like you to instil trepidation and pandemonium …
Bangladeshi man on blanket protest
The BBC is reporting that a man arrested for possession of a false passport, Mohammed Hussain, did not appear in court this morning as he is on a blanket protest and refusing to wear clothes. Rusty Nail
RSF to put up candidates?
On today’s Inside Politics, Mark Davenport talks with Ruairí Ó Brádaigh about Sinn Fein’s policing move and the upcoming elections. UTV also reports. Rusty Nail
‘Two Bald Men Fighting Over A Comb’
Says Eamonn McCann of the SDLP and SF, over their positions on MI5 at last night’s debate in Derry. The BBC has a short video report (opens in video player – text available here). Public policing debates are taking place tonight, with SF’s debate in Belfast and another debate in Ardboe, being chaired by David Dunseith Paul Clarke from UTV. Reports are of a massive crowd for the debate in Belfast. Rusty Nail
Families will treat SF ‘invitations with caution’
In today’s Derry Journal, following on from last week’s statements from the McBrearty family and other families unhappy with the policing debate, the families of George McBrearty (shot by SAS in Creggan in May 1981), Paddy Deery (killed in an explosion in Creggan October 1987), Patsy Duffy (shot by British Army in Maureen Avenue in November 1978) and Brian Coyle (killed in an explosion in July 1986 in the Bogside) are calling for an apology from Gerry Adams over his …
Irish News launches ‘IN.TV’
The Irish News has launched its online video news channel, IrishNewsTeleVision, or ‘in.tv’. It has a lot of goodies and has upped the ante for online news delivery. Very impressed. One for the bookmarks. The Sunday Business Post has some background on the move, as does the Press Gazette. Rusty Nail
South Derry
Following yesterday’s letter in the Irish News, backers of Sinn Fein in South Derry have chimed in with one of their own. Ian Milne, a former prisoner who served 17 years and is now the Chair of Magherafelt District Council, along with Councillor Peter Bateson, who also served two lengthy prison sentences, Sean McGlinchey, convicted for his part in the 1973 Coleraine bombing (and brother to Paul McGlinchey, also an ex-prisoner and former blanketman, who has broken ranks with Sinn …
A view from South Armagh
Jim McAllister, a former Sinn Fein councillor who was previously elected to the 1982 Assembly (alongside Danny Morrison, Owen Carron, Gerry Adams & Martin McGuinness), from Cullyhanna, has written to The Irish News today in support of Davy Hyland. This isn’t just about policing Letters Cullyhanna, Co Armagh SOME recent letters in The Irish News on policing and Sinn Fein’s policies in general suggest that republicans who do not agree with that party are ‘dissidents’ with nothing to say except …
RTE’s ‘This Week’ features Policing Debate
RTE’s ‘This Week’ has two segments of interest to those following the story. 1. Tommie Gorman, Northern Editor, reports from Galbally Community Centre, Co Tyrone, where Sinn Féin began the process of consulting its grass roots on policing policy 2. Brendan ‘Darkie’ Hughes, who was a close colleague of Gerry Adams in the early 1970s, speaks about the rift within the Republican movement over policing and other issues Links open in Real Player. Rusty Nail