Human Rights – Page 27 – Slugger O'Toole

“Both governments could have done more..”

Pete Baker on March 16, 2009, 11:31 pm

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The House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee held meetings in the NI Assembly’s Senate Chamber today. Before appearing in front of the committee Michael Gallagher, of the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, stopped by the Stormont Live studio to discuss governmental opposition to a public inquiry into the Omagh bomb investigation, the Real IRA, and Sinn Féin’s belated endorsement of co-operation with police investigations. [They do have legacy issues.. – Ed] Pete Baker

“This is the weakness in the Sinn Fein position..”

Pete Baker on March 15, 2009, 2:51 am

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As well as the suggested similarities to elsewhere, Malachi O’Doherty has some interesting thoughts about this “odd week”. The argument against a new campaign is, roughly, this. The dissident republicans have no hope of achieving what the Provisional IRA failed to achieve in thirty years. We will understand what viable objectives the dissidents might have if we understand what is wrong with that argument. The Provisional IRA failed to achieve a united Ireland but succeeded greatly in the secondary objective …

“We may in fact have to accept that..”

Pete Baker on March 13, 2009, 6:27 pm

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Whilst I’ve noted that some have already suggested we might be looking at something similar to the IRA campaign in the 1950s, at the Guardian’s Politics Blog Henry McDonald has another suggested comparison. Eta’s current nihilistic campaign probably provides an even better comparison. We may in fact have to accept that – just as Spain and the Basque country will be shaken occasionally by the odd Eta outrage – the same goes for Northern Ireland and extremist republican groups. Basque …

“It was, and is, a dead end.”

Pete Baker on March 12, 2009, 7:43 pm

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Mick’s collection of quotes at Brassneck should provide food for thought for some. While Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams is placing the “onus on the British government and the PSNI to resist any temptation or any demands for a return to the bad practices of the past”, WorldbyStorm has a select choice of what has been said in the Irish Seanad. Meanwhile Gardaí are reported to be increasing policing along the border and “intensifying intelligence-gathering operations against known and suspect dissidents”. …

“Gerry Adams does not have a monopoly on the theology of republicanism.”

Pete Baker on March 11, 2009, 6:18 pm

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There was an interesting clash between Máirtín Ó Muilleoir and Kevin Toolis on Monday’s Talkback with Máirtín denying he was putting forward the Sinn Féin point of view on those other republican paramilitaries. As Máirtín repeated at CommentisFree, that point of view could be paraphrased as – don’t mention the ‘R’ word. And no wonder. There’s a harsh reality here for Sinn Féin to face, as Eamonn McCann points out in the Daily Mail The working-class anger that gave rise …

Glorifying terrorism an extraditable offence

Pete Baker on March 10, 2009, 7:57 pm

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A Belfast court has ruled that the charge against convicted ETA killer José Ignacio (Iñaki) de Juana Chaos, of glorifying terrorism following his release from a Spanish prison, does constitute an extraditable offence. According to the BBC report, “A two-day hearing, when his lawyers will attempt to stop the extradition, will take place in May.” Pete Baker

“safeguards for those individuals proposed by the group are patently inadequate”

Pete Baker on March 9, 2009, 4:29 pm

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In the Irish Times letters page today, Peter Smith, QC, responds to Denis Bradley’s previous response to his criticism of the proposals by the Consultative Group on the Past. From the Irish Times I have the highest regard for Mr Bradley and his equally distinguished colleagues, but I do not believe that his prediction will be borne out by events if the recommendations in question are implemented. On pages 147 and 148 of the report the purpose and powers of …

“the best judge of how I address that community..”

Pete Baker on March 9, 2009, 2:48 pm

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Brian’s already noted some of Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams, MP, MLA, statements on the Today programme. But the Guardian’s Andrew Sparrow adds Adams’ response to criticism of Sinn Féin’s clinical, belated, response to the weekend murders. Apparently, “The Sinn Féin statement was totally and absolutely unprecedented” [Historic, even.. – Ed]. “We have been very successful at how we have brought the broad republican community to where we are. I have to be the best judge of how I address that …

“The only door that has been closed is that of the IRA.”

Pete Baker on March 6, 2009, 1:48 am

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Co-chairmen of the Consultative Group on the Past, Robin Eames and Dominic Denis Bradley, were in Dublin today appearing in front of an all-party Irish parliamentary Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement which included Member of [the UK] Parliament, Sinn Féin’s Pat Doherty. From the iol report “The only door that has been closed is that of the IRA,” Mr Bradley told the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, in Leinster House. Addressing …

UN Security Council adds Irish passport holder to List of Al-Qaida associates

Pete Baker on March 4, 2009, 9:35 pm

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As reported in the Belfast Telegraph, the UN Security Council has added the name of Libyan-born, but Ireland-based, Muslim businessman, Ibrahim Boyasseer, to the Consolidated List of Individuals associated with Al-Qaida. The report states that he has been living in Ireland since 1981 and was granted an Irish passport in 1991. Following the Security Council’s notice on 4th February, the UK Treasury issued a Financial Sanctions Notification [pdf file] requiring “financial institutions and other bodies and persons [] to check …

“there is no placing of blame on any individual..”

Pete Baker on February 26, 2009, 5:33 pm

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In the Irish Times Gerry Moriarty reports Denis Bradley’s response to the criticisms of their proposals by Peter Smith QC – as noted yesterday. Mr Bradley also said he respected but disagreed with Belfast lawyer, Peter Smith QC, who in yesterday’s Irish Times said the Eames-Bradley proposals relating to truth recovery could threaten an individual’s “basic courtroom rights to face his or her accuser, and to challenge them by means of questioning their lawyer” and “would give rise to grave …

“The position in the common law world..”

Pete Baker on February 25, 2009, 5:51 pm

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The Northern Ireland Secretary of State has his opinion of what he would, or would not, consider taking forward from the Consultative Group on the Past’s report but other concerns about the recommendations remain. For example, what happens to the rights of anyone accused of criminal activity during the “fixed five-year mandate” of the Legacy Commission? Or are those rights to be suspended in pursuit of “forgiveness and reconciliation”? In today’s Irish Times, Frank Millar reports the views of Peter …

“we have evidence that he interpreted it wrongly”

Pete Baker on February 21, 2009, 12:39 am

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The Police Ombudsman’s investigation into claims by the trial judge Mr Justice Kerr, when finding Sean Hoey not guilty on charges connected to the Omagh bombing, that police forensic officers had engaged in a “deliberate and calculated deception” has concluded that the witnesses’ evidence was confused, but accurate. The Police Ombudsman’s press statement is here and the full statement on the investigation here [pdf file]. As the BBC reports Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson said that while the evidence given to …

“the case was not settled, it was stayed.”

Pete Baker on February 19, 2009, 6:58 pm

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It had been reported yesterday that Sinn Féin MLA Francie Brolly had “settled” a High Court action he had taken against the Chief Constable in connection to his arrest and questioning in 2005 about the 1972 Claudy bombing. At the time Sinn Féin claimed the arrest was “politically motivated”. He was later released without charge. According to yesterday’s Irish News report The High Court was told yesterday that the lawsuit has now been settled on terms endorsed. Mr Brolly refused …

Eames-Bradley: An ahistorical tool of the Peace and reconciliation industry?

Mick Fealty on February 17, 2009, 7:55 pm

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Henry Patterson has a piece in the Parliamentary Brief on the Eames-Bradley report. He’s worth quoting en bloc and at considerable length: Bradley’s problem, and indeed the problem of the report, is that the politicians’ response articulates profound communal division over victims and the past. Unionists, politicians and those who have voted for them, do not agree with Bradley when he proclaims: ‘we cannot wash our hands and say we were not part of the problem’. Most firmly believe in …

Policing the community..

Pete Baker on February 15, 2009, 2:32 am

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It’s not just in Belfast and in Londonderry where there’s evidence of self-appointed vigilantees/mob rule/attempts to exercise control. In Ballymena today, according to the BBC report At about 1350 GMT on Saturday, a crowd, including a number of men with sticks and other weapons, gathered in Sandown Park in the Doury Road estate. A man in his 20s was assaulted in a flat and is believed to have suffered a broken arm. A nearby flat was also set alight and …

Trial hears of off-camera interview

Pete Baker on February 13, 2009, 8:27 pm

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At the time Mick noted that Phil Flynn, former Vice President of Sinn Fein and confidante of then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was not included among those charged in connection with the Garda investigation which led to Ted Cunningham’s trial on money-laundering charges and he has publicly denied any involvement. He was, though, a non-executive director of Cunningham’s money-lending company Chesterton Finance. Whether he was on Cunningham’s Christmas card list isn’t clear although Cunningham has met several other high profile figures. …

“All the evidence is here.”

Pete Baker on February 13, 2009, 4:06 am

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On Hearts and Minds tonight, Malachi O’Doherty on the real lessons from The Process™ here – “You don’t need to be sane and reasonable to make peace. You don’t even have to be a good politician.” Of course, it also helps to have well-placed friends.. and to keep moving, however slowly, towards the agreed objective. Even if you we end up with an incomplete, or partial, version of that objective. Pete Baker

Garland bail application adjourned again

Pete Baker on February 12, 2009, 6:45 pm

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Former Irish Workers’ Party president, and current national treasurer, Sean Garland has had his bail application adjourned again and has been told that he must “submit a convincing case by tomorrow that he would not abscond again.” It’s also reported that Judge John McMenamin has requested Garland’s “passport, banking statements and the deeds to his home” and also asked to see details of “all assets available to both Garland and his wife”. The adjournment came after the judge was told, …

Murphy launches new legal challenge to trial

Pete Baker on February 11, 2009, 8:34 pm

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More legal news. From the Irish Courts this time. “Good republican” Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy has been remanded on continuing bail until the end of May pending the outcome of another legal challenge to his trial in the Special Criminal Court on nine charges of failing to “furnish a return of his income, profits or gains to the Collector General or the Inspector of Taxes for the years 1996/97 to 2004.” The last reports on the case, in November last year, …