Terrorism – Page 9 – Slugger O'Toole

“this device may have been here for some considerable time, possibly many years…”

Pete Baker on January 28, 2012, 10:23 pm

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There’s good news, and there’s bad news, as a 36 hour security alert in Kinawley, County Fermanagh, ends with two controlled explosions by the British Army’s bomb disposal team and the removal of a viable device “for further forensic examination”. From the BBC report Police have said that a bomb found in a field in County Fermanagh may have been there for many years. Army bomb experts carried out two controlled explosions on the device found by the Drumroosk Road in …

Boston College: A glimpse of the archive…

Pete Baker on January 24, 2012, 4:55 pm

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Let’s keep the dialogue ‘hinged’ this time. With Ed Moloney and Anthony McIntyre aiming to try to head the US Government off at the pass, the legal battle over each ruling along the way continues in the PSNI/HET’s attempt to access some of the material in the Boston College Belfast Project archive. In the meantime, however, Boston-based lawyer, Ted Folkman has been following the legal arguments. And he’ll be live-blogging today’s hearing [7pm GMT – Added link]. He’s already noted …

“I am shocked, totally and utterly shocked.”

Pete Baker on January 23, 2012, 10:54 am

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After dithering by the Londonderry branches, about being associated with the UK City of Culture, it’s now reported that the Ulster Council of Comhaltas have declined to support the city’s bid to host the All-Ireland Fleadh in 2013. From the Derry Journal report Moves to bring the 2013 All-Ireland Fleadh will now not proceed after the Ulster Council said it had security fears about bringing the event to the city. The Ulster Council said it was with “deep regret and …

Boston College: “an example of just how unhinged the dialogue has become in some quarters.”

Pete Baker on January 19, 2012, 1:40 pm

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I had mentioned in the comments on a recent post that there was little threat of the pre-emptive destruction of the Boston College archive material which is being sought by the Historical Enquiries Team. As Thomas E Hachey and Dr Robert K O’Neill of Boston College point out in the Irish Times There have been people who have faulted Boston College for not adopting this or that particular stratagem, and we appreciate how expressions of concern have sometimes been prompted by …

Twentieth anniversary of Teebane

Turgon on January 17, 2012, 3:40 pm

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Almost any date in Northern Ireland is the anniversary of a death from the Troubles. Often the less iconic are forgotten about. As such marking one event may be unfair to the relatives of the less well known about deaths. Sometimes, however, the anniversary is such that is should be marked. This is the 20th anniversary of the Teebane murders. 20 years ago this evening a group of workmen were returning home from working on Lisanelly army base in Omagh: …

“Investigations mean more locks are applied…”

Pete Baker on January 3, 2012, 2:27 pm

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In the Belfast Telegraph, Brian Rowan picks up on former police ombudsman Nuala O’Loan’s call for a “unified investigatory body with powers to arrest and prosecute” to deal with the past and argues that this can only ever be a partial solution. From the Belfast Telegraph article. Investigations will only scratch the surface of what happened. The past is not just about who pulled a trigger, or who placed a bomb. It is about the orders and the thinking behind those …

“and ‘Soon’ would have known this”

Pete Baker on January 2, 2012, 3:01 pm

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Perhaps the most interesting [and least covered? – Ed] response to the release of UK National Archive files from 1981 was that of the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, TD. An edited version of his blog post appeared at the Guardian. The interesting part is not his declaration of “Another myth busted”. That particular “war of words”, as Brian Rowan says, “will go on”. The interest is in Adams’ calling into question “the relationship between London and ‘Soon’” – Londonderry businessman Brendan Duddy – …

Boston College to hand over Dolours Price interviews

Pete Baker on December 30, 2011, 2:15 pm

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According to Kevin Cullen, reporting for the Irish Times, US district court judge William Young is continuing his in camera review of the Boston College archive material. And he has already ordered the college to hand over the recorded interviews of former Provisional IRA member Dolours Price. From the Irish Times report College officials said Ms Price’s interviews will be turned over to US prosecutors acting on behalf of British authorities, believed to be the PSNI, by today. US district …

Nuala O’Loan: “that is not the foundation for a just society.”

Pete Baker on December 27, 2011, 3:28 pm

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A novel suggestion for dealing with the past from former Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman, Nuala O’Loan, in a Guardian interview. And it’s not an “absurd” and “disingenuous” call for an international ‘truth’ commission. From the Guardian article …the former ombudsman, now Lady O’Loan, stressed that a “Waking the Dead” style unit investigating Ulster’s recent conflict would not be tantamount to a truth commission like that which dealt with the apartheid era in South Africa. “There should be one unified operation to deal …

PSNI & Security Service [MI5]: “a sound working partnership and one that is to be commended”

Pete Baker on December 21, 2011, 1:41 pm

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The Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, has “received and welcomed a report from Lord Carlile of Berriew on the operation of arrangements for handling national security matters in Northern Ireland for the year to date.” But he’ll not be publishing it “given its sensitive nature”. From the NI Secretary of State’s statement The report points out that there have been serious incidents during 2011, including the murder of P.C Ronan Kerr in Omagh in April and states that the …

“Boston College declined Judge Young’s offer to seek a stay and appeal his decision”

Pete Baker on December 20, 2011, 12:10 pm

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In the Irish Times, Kevin Cullen adds a significant detail to the Boston College archive ruling. From the Irish Times report Boston College declined Judge Young’s offer to seek a stay and appeal his decision, saying it would turn the records over to him by tomorrow. Pete Baker

“Shaun Woodward ordered his recall on the basis of what his legal team have described as ‘closed material’.”

Pete Baker on December 19, 2011, 5:16 pm

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The BBC reports that Martin Corey has been “granted leave to seek a judicial review of the decision to revoke his licence over unspecified allegations that he was involved with dissident republicans.” The 61-year-old from Lurgan, County Armagh had been released on licence in 1992, having served 19 years of a life sentence for the murder of two RUC officers. In April last year, then Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, as the BBC report notes, “ordered his recall on the …

Boston College Ruling: “These are serious allegations, and they weigh strongly in favor of disclosing the confidential information.”

Pete Baker on December 17, 2011, 11:56 am

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Via Newshound. The Boston Globe reports the long awaited US court ruling on the release of the Boston College archive material. And it’s something of a half-way house. For now. From the Boston Globe report A federal judge rejected yesterday a motion by the trustees of Boston College to quash subpoenas that order them to turn over recordings of former members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and other items to British officials investigating crimes including murder and kidnapping. But Judge …

“Maybe your client is understating his importance.”

Pete Baker on December 16, 2011, 7:49 pm

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Yesterday Dublin High Court rejected an application by Freddie Scappaticci, who denies he was a British army agent within the Provisional IRA known as “Stakeknife”, for a judicial review of the Smithwick Tribunal’s decision to allow witness Kevin Fulton to give evidence from behind a screen – and for a halt in the hearing of that evidence until the matter was resolved to Scappaticci’s satisfaction. Today, the Smithwick Tribunal continued to hear evidence from Kevin Fulton – a former British army agent also known as …

“Something, Something, Something, Dark Side…”

Pete Baker on December 14, 2011, 6:35 pm

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The last time Sinn Féin wheeled out little known placeman, and non-public representative, Declan Kearney, in November 2009, the party was trying desperately to raise the stakes over the devolution of policing and justice powers – while muttering about “the NIO spooks and PSNI’s political detectives“. What he’s doing out of his box again is anyone’s guess… ANYhoo, here’s the script this time Sinn Fein’s support for democratically accountable policing is unambiguous, but it is not unconditional. We have repeatedly said that our Party …

“be careful what you wish for…”

Pete Baker on December 11, 2011, 4:00 pm

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In the Belfast Telegraph, Henry McDonald picks up on the recent reports of the Historical Enquiries Team’s findings, and how they undermine the “changing narrative [that] has become mainstream republican orthodoxy”. From the Belfast Telegraph article The HET’s conclusions over the Enniskillen massacre paints those responsible as, at the very least, guilty of callous disregard for civilian life and, at the worst, as viscerally sectarian. In relation to Loughgall, the HET line is quite stunning, because it actually aids the …

“The Reviewer states that the residual terrorist threat has continued on broadly the same level as 2010…”

Pete Baker on December 8, 2011, 5:55 pm

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The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson, MP, has published the Fourth Annual Report [pdf file] of Robert Whalley CB, Independent Reviewer of the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 . From Owen Paterson’s statement The report highlights the continuing security threat posed by residual terrorist groups, the activity of organised criminals and incidents of public disorder. The Reviewer comments on the importance of the powers under the 2007 Act in dealing with this broad range of security …

“accept the tragedy of what happened in those wasted years without indulging in double think…”

Pete Baker on December 6, 2011, 3:18 pm

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Via Newshound. As Liam Clarke notes on the political reaction to his report on the Historical Enquiries Team’s findings on Loughgall The past is often treated like a political football. Politicians take sides and blame the referee if he does not agree with them. The Historical Enquiries Team is a case in point. Up to now it has been mainly loyalists who have cursed this ref, accusing him of picking on them and turning a blind eye to republican foul …

Terrorists: the good, the bad and the ignored

Turgon on October 30, 2011, 1:02 pm

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I blogged my views about Gusty Spence previously. However, Mr. Spence’s death also raises the issue of how ex-terrorists (or ex-combatants for those who prefer the term: exactly how the actions committed terrorists could be called combat is bizarre, but I digress) are viewed especially by the media. The way in which the media views ex paramilitaries differs radically between different individuals and groups but there is a certain common thread especially amongst what might be termed the “establishment media” …

Settlement for Gadaffi’s victims here at last?

Brian Walker on October 23, 2011, 8:27 pm

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Lawyer Jason McCue tells the Sunday Times that the IRA victims of Libyan supplied semtex explosive will now receive a total of £450 million. Justice is also promised for the relatives of WPC Yvonne Fletcher and other Britsh victims of Libyan sponsored terrorism. Let’s hope the enterprising campaigners aren’t counting their Libyan chickens too early. Since optimism is reigning, why not the full story of Lockerbie next? Brian WalkerFormer BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current …