Conflict – Page 31 – Slugger O'Toole

Dissidents both right and wrong…

Mick Fealty on September 1, 2006, 4:38 pm

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Davy Adams in the Irish Times today argues that in fact the Dissident Republicans are right when they claim that the Republican movement has given up on its traditional aim of gaining a united Ireland through force of arms, but wrong when they argue there was any alternative but suing for a peaceful settlement.Indeed, he believes that the basic argument is misleadingly self referencing or solipsistic: Those advocating a return to conflict, for example, claim that the republican movement betrayed …

No show on high profile case…

Mick Fealty on August 31, 2006, 3:12 pm

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Another snippet from the Telegraph worth noting is that a case which involved the public raid of UUP MLA’s constituency office at a particularly embarrasing point in last year’s election campaign has now been dropped. Jonathan McCambridge anticipates awkward questions from the Policing Board. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and …

Dissident Republicans need to get a grip…

Mick Fealty on August 31, 2006, 2:41 pm

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Brian Feeney turns his derision on the dissident Republicans supposedly behind a ‘significant’ split in Republican ranks. Although he believes the threat emanating from this quarter is derisory, nonetheless he believes further threats of Republican violence only plays into the hands of the DUP ‘hardliners’: If there’s one development the DUP nay-sayers would love it’s a new campaign by IRA dissidents called by any name you like. Republican violence is the great bogeyman DUP politicians use to scare their voters. …

Punishment beatings a fading horror of the past?

Mick Fealty on August 31, 2006, 12:22 am

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I’ve no idea how old this documentary on punishment beatings actually is. Considering the numbers of incidents has dropped like a stone since the IRA’s decommissioning of arms last September, it’s currency has to be in question. Nevertheless it documents in graphic detail incidents that have been a routine part of some people’s lives for most of the Peace Process. The second part of the segment is here. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on …

IRA put an end to ‘Dissident Convention’…

Mick Fealty on August 30, 2006, 3:22 pm

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Republican dissident Paddy Murray claimed that the IRA was stifling debate when they allegedly moved to stop a convention of various dissident paramilitary groups in Toome last night. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

On various responses to torture…

Mick Fealty on August 30, 2006, 2:23 pm

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Felicity de Zulueta of the Traumatic Stress Service at Maudsley Hospital, Robert McCrum stroke victim and literary editor for the Observer and Chris Moon, a bomb disposal expert who lost two limbs whilst clearing minefields in post war Mozambique, and talk about how to overcome disaster. It’s worth listening to the whole way through but at about 16.40 in de Zuleta notes that people who are politically motivated survive the trauma of torture more successfully than those for whom it …

Political Correctness gone mad…?

Mick Fealty on August 29, 2006, 3:01 am

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Thanks to David Vance for alerting us to the case of the Celtic goalkeeper who is being spoken to for ‘crossing himself’ before a game. In the eyes of some, this is an incitement to violence. David suggests that though in the charged atmosphere some approach from the SFA might have been appropriate, but the police have no business getting involved. The BBC report however notes that he previously played the Rangers crowd and that he had “provoked alarm and …

Campaign continues against one Ballymurphy family

Mick Fealty on August 22, 2006, 12:21 pm

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A low level war continues to be conducted against one family in Ballymurphy. Though it has not claimed further human life, there have been over 600 attacks on properties belonging to the Notorantonio family since two of them were charged with the murder of Gerald Devlin. According to the Sunday World (not online), the house belonging to Charlotte Burns has been attacked more than a hundred times. The family insists that the IRA is not directly involved but, Victor Notorantonio …

Just so you know.. again..

Pete Baker on August 21, 2006, 12:10 am

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According to The Sunday Business Post, someone within the Real IRA has admitted that, once again, they were the republican micro organisation responsible for planting the bomb at the house being built by Dr. Edward Haughey. In the report the RIRA source is quoted as claiming that Dr Haughey, otherwise known as Lord Ballyedmond, was a “legitmate target” because, “He is a peer of the realm and a member of the unionist landed gentry”.. but forgot to mention, as his …

Former Irish senator not wanted in Louth?

Pete Baker on August 16, 2006, 2:41 pm

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The BBC report the discovery of 70 pounds of homemade explosive mix, packed into a gas cylinder, which failed to explode despite the detonater being set off, at the site of a new house being built in County Louth by former member of the Irish Seanad, and current UUP peer in the House of Lords, Eddie Haughey – otherwise known as Lord Ballyedmond. RTɠreport here. According to the reports one of those republican micro-organisations are being blamed again. Update Irish …

HET to pull in ex servicemen…

Mick Fealty on August 12, 2006, 5:00 am

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There was some scepticism about the forward efficiency of the Historic Enquiries Team set up by Hugh Orde to tackle unsolved murders from the Troubles (some 3000 cases in all). Although Gerry Kelly, speaking at West Belfast Talks Back, suggested that some families may wish to push their case as far as they could with the process in order to take it further, his party could not express much hope in it efficicacy. Just the same, it looks like they …

Talking past and through the doldrums?

Mick Fealty on August 11, 2006, 9:47 pm

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West Belfast Talks Back is probably the highest profile annual public debate in Northern Ireland, after the MacGill Summer School [okay, I know it’s in Donegal, but you get my drift]. No DUP representatives this year, so I wondered whether I should bother going. There was an edgey confrontation between David Ervine and Raymond McCord father of a 22 year old beaten to death by a UVF squad back in 1997. But I came away with the vague feeling that …

A new anti (Middle East) war manifesto

Mick Fealty on August 11, 2006, 1:27 pm

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Daniel Davies points to an interesting development on the anti war front. It’s the Third Camp manifesto, set up in opposition to the Euston manifesto. He also points to where Marc Mulholland got to. It seems he’s been co-opted on to the team at Crooked Timber too. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, …

ABOD Ardoyne feeder parade to go ahead…

Mick Fealty on August 11, 2006, 1:00 pm

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Looks like there’s been yet another settlement in one of the most contentious areas for parades disputes in the last few years, north Belfast. Saturday’s Apprentice Boys march is to go ahead, hopefully without rancour.From the Parades Commission: Following yesterday’s meeting of the Parades Commission a spokesman said: “We have heard from representatives of the North and West Belfast Parades Forum (NWBPF) and the Ardoyne Parades Dialogue Group (APDG) with regard to the ABOD parade scheduled to take place on …

micro organisations fire-bomb stores in Newry

Pete Baker on August 9, 2006, 3:52 pm

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Incendiary devices believed to have been used in attacks on stores in Newry last night, completely destroying two stores and severely damaging others, have been attributed to “republican micro organisations” by Sinn Féin, according to the BBC, while the UUP have linked the timng of the attack to the 35th anniversary of internment, and the SDLP have described it as futile. Further report by the Press Association and by RTÉ and, according to the BBC report, there are ongoing security …

Lost in the ‘Sands’ of time…

Mick Fealty on August 8, 2006, 11:50 am

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It’s hard to move anywhere in Nationalist Northern Ireland without reference to the 25th anniversary of the Hunger Strikes. But as one paper noted, in Donegal some Republican activitists have missed out the most iconic of them all. Thanks to Steven for the heads up. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK …

Empey walking a political tightrope?

Mick Fealty on August 8, 2006, 3:03 am

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The abiding problem with the UUP/PUP pact (for Reg Empey at least) is in discerning what’s in it for the UUP. This story from today’s Newsletter seems to underline those doubts, when Empey is reported as echoing David Ervine’s misgivings that cross border co-operation with the Assembly might ‘spark a violent reaction’ from Loyalists. Whilst there is a need for mainstream mainstream politicians like Empey to engage with the residual disillusionment of Loyalist communities, there is also a question of …

Unshaken…

Mick Fealty on August 7, 2006, 1:30 pm

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Went to see the Wind that Shook the Barley last night, ironically two days after receiving a DVD copy of my favorite Loach movie, Land and Freedom. Not brilliant. If, as some people have argued, Loach was playing around with Brecht’s alienation technique, it certainly worked on some of the audience. Two guys sitting near us talked incessantly the whole way up until they sneaked out an hour and half in and another guy was partially engrossed in a text …

On the other hand of CRJ…

Mick Fealty on August 4, 2006, 8:23 pm

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Whilst it causes some angst on this side of the water, some of the commenters over at the Guardian see the practical side of vigilantism… Most of it is kind of tongue in cheek, but it’s broadly on the theme of getting a job done… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK …

Development in Dorrian case..?

Mick Fealty on August 4, 2006, 7:52 pm

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Have just heard that there is a police search being conducted in Kircubbin which may be linked to the disappearance of Lisa Dorrian … There are no other details yet as such… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty