> IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP > http://irlnet.com/rmlist/ > > May Day Holiday, 29 April-1 May > > > 1. MARARTHON TALKS AT DOWNING STREET > 2. Loyalist youths terrorise Belfast residents > 3. Senior officers promised promotion to convicted soldiers > 4. Racist violence in Dublin > 5. US panel discusses peace process > 6. Feature: A kind of casual lynching > 7. History: The 1917 IRA Convention > 8. Analysis: Selective trauma of British soldiers > 9. US events > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >>>>>> SIX HOURS OF TALKS AT DOWNING STREET > > > At a series of talks in London, Sinn Fein today it had got "some > answers" but that a lot of work remained in efforts to save the > Good the Good Friday Agreement. > > A leadership delegation headed by Gerry Adams and Martin > McGuinness took part in a seven-hour talks session in Downing > Street on Tuesday. > > Baibre de Brun, the Sinn Fein Health Minister in the > suspended Six-County Executive, warned against under-estimating > the scale of the difficulties involved. saying they needed "a lot > of clarity and certainty" about the intentions of both the > British government and the Ulster Unionists if they were to make > progress. > > "We do not under-estimate the scale of the difficulties in front > of us in trying to resolve the present crisis," she said. > > The party was holding talks with British Prime Minister Tony > Blair and the Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the start of a day > of meetings involving the main players in the peace process. > > The former Education Minister Martin McGuinness said earlier that > his party had been in constant contact with all the pro-agreement > parties and were in daily conversation with both governments. He > said Mr Blair must ensure the full implementation of all > outstanding aspects of the agreement including policing, > demilitarisation, justice and equality matters. > > Both governments were playing down the prospect of any imminent > breakthrough. Downing Street said it was hoped to establish > whether there was "a basis for making progress". > > The two Prime Ministers also held separate discussions > with David Trimble's Ulster Unionists and the nationalist SDLP > later today. > > All sides have acknowledged that there is no prospect of > decommissioning being achieved by the target date of May 22nd > following the unilateral British collapse of the North's > embryonic new political institutions on February 11th. > > SDLP leader John Hume said no significance should be attached to > the May 22 date, saying: "We don't work to target dates because > that only increases the tension." > > But British Direct Ruler Peter Mandelson insisted the issue of IRA > decommissioning be resolved satisfactorily. > > "We are where we are and we have to untie this knot of > decommissioning once and for all," he said. > > Mr Trimble emerged from Downing Street in downbeat mood saying > that they still had not had enough 'clarification'. > > "I haven't seen very much in this process in recent weeks to give > one a sense of optimism." > > Sinn Fein President, speaking outside 10 Downing Street at > the conclusion of the day of negotiations, said: > > "We came here to do business. We came here for a working day to > get answers from the two governments, around the restoration of > the institutions, around the reconstitution and implementation of > the Good Friday Agreement. > > "We got some answers on some issues. We have a lot more to do." > > Mr Adams said he hoped the talks would come to a positive > conclusion, and that the current crisis was about the issue of > change. > > "What we have been trying to do is to get that change > implemented." > > The top-level talks are due to continue in Belfast on Thursday. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >>>>>> Loyalist youths terrorise Belfast residents > > > Loyalist mobs are terrorising nationalist residents in West > Belfast almost every night, says Sinn Fein's Lower Falls > councillor, Fra McCann. > > Last week, loyalist youths smashed a hole in the Finn > Square-Dover Street peace line and threw bricks and bottles > towards houses at Finn Square in the Divis area, where many young > children were playing. > > Jean Groves, a resident of Finn Square, said: "We are under > siege. Youths were standing on the wall shouting abuse and > throwing bricks for most of Sunday. Most people who live here are > elderly or have disabilities. My 75-year-old mother, who is in > the final stages of Alzheimer's disease, and my brother, who > suffers from cerebral palsy, both live here with me. > > "My neighbour's two-year-old grandchild was playing in their back > garden when the loyalists started throwing the bricks. When she > went out to fetch the child, she was struck with a bottle." > > Finn Square resident Philomena Mullan said that when she went out > to her back yard, she was met with torrents of verbal abuse from > the loyalist youths before they pelted her with bricks and > bottles, one of which struck her on the head. Several of her > windows were also smashed. Many of the houses have now erected > grills on their windows and doors to prevent further damage. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >>>>>> Senior officers promised promotion to convicted soldiers > > > The spurned lover of convicted British soldier James Fisher has > released a number of controversial letters to a Scottish > newspaper revealing that senior British Army officers visited the > convicted murderer in jail promising that he would be promoted > upon release. > > The letters go on to reveal why the soldier who searched murder > victim Peter Mc Bride was not called as a witness, Fisher's > disdain for his co-accused Mark Wright and an incident when > members of the Scots Guards regiment snubbed then Secretary of > State Mo Mowlam on a visit to the regiment. > > The revelations come as a British Army Board prepares to decide > the future of the two guardsmen convicted of the 1992 murder of > North Belfast man Peter Mc Bride. Fisher told his former > girlfriend, Kate Rice, that he had been visited by his commanding > officer, Lt Col. Tim Spicer, soon after his conviction and > promised that everything was being done to get the pair released: > "My commanding officer has said that I will get back, and when I > do, I could even be promoted." The letter went on, "I told you > about my visit from my commanding officer and Major General > Kizsley. He is doing his best to keep us in the army." > > Campaigners for the Mc Bride family have demanded that Prime > Minister Tony Blair intervene in the case. > > A spokesperson for the Pat Finucane Centre said, "The allegations > that senior officers attempted to pervert the course of justice > in this case confirms the suspicions that we have had all along. > > "On January 31 1997 Major General Kizsley used his position as a > senior officer to recommend that the two should not be discharged > from the army. In February 1996 a petition was sent to Secretary > of State Dr Mo Mowlam by Kizsley calling for the early release of > the two men. > > "Their commanding officer, Lt Col Spicer, has made clear his view > that the two should not even have been charged in the first > place. Clearly senior officers who had 'unlimited' jail visits > were attempting to negate the spirit of the judgement of a court > of law. Who really rules Britain?" > > A further damning revelation is contained in the letters, > according to campaigners for the Mc Bride family: Fisher > criticised his lawyers for wanting to put Lance Corporal Swift, > leader of the four man patrol, on the witness stand. His evidence > would have confirmed that he had searched Peter McBride and there > was no evidence of an alleged coffee jar bomb. > > In reference to a meeting with his Belfast solicitor Fisher > admitted, "He understands what the lawyers in England want, but I > don't know if they are aware of the reasons for not calling Swift > as a witness." Swift was never called to give evidence. This > admission refutes the central argument of those who claimed the > conviction was a miscarriage of justice. Ludovic Kennedy, who > called for the release of the guardsmen, claimed that Swift's > evidence might have "tipped the judge's mind into believing > Fisher's and Wright's account". Fisher obviously didn't share > this view. > > Fisher was scornful of his accomplice in the murder, Mark Wright, > accusing him of 'losing his cool' and inventing 'stupid lies' in > his statement to the RUC about bullets ricocheting off a wall and > hitting Peter Mc Bride in the back. > > In reference to an official visit to the Scots Guards by Dr > Mowlam Fisher relates how soldiers refused to talk to the > Secretary of State, "I would love to have seen her ugly face when > he blanked her." > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >>>>>> Racist violence in Dublin > > > Around 60 people were involved in Bank Holiday weekend clashes in > Parnell Street where an African-owned shop was attacked. > > The incident is believed to have started when a man shouted > racist remarks at a black motorist sitting in a car outside the > shop. > > During the attack a female shop assistant and a customer were > assaulted. > > Shop-owner, Kola Ojewale, a Nigerian who has lived in Ireland for > the past three years, said he was saddened by the incident. And > he said the attack had led him to question his future in Ireland. > > "I'm beginning to wonder if the best thing to do is to close the > shop for the safety of my wife and children," Mr Ojewale said. > > Gabriel Okenla, of the Pan African Organisation, said black > people in the area had received a number of threats in recent > months. > > Sinn Fein has called on State agencies - including the Eastern > Health Board and the Garda police - to take part in round-table > talks with Irish and African shop owners, residents and community > groups in Dublin's north inner city to defuse racial tensions. > > Councillor Burke said: > > "State agencies have the prime responsibility in defusing the > tensions created between black and white people by their > policies. Community organisations and local political leaders > such as myself are already actively playing our part but we > cannot make real progress without the active support and > involvement of State agencies. > > "The north inner city is a powder keg. Everyone must get round > the table and try to resolve any problems we have before the > situation flares again and someone is maimed or even killed." > > Councillor Burke said that whatever differences people have with > each other, there was no justification for racial abuse and > physical attacks. "We should talk to each other to iron things > out." > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >>>>>> US panel discusses peace process > > > > The Irish American Unity Conference joined the Georgetown > University Law Center in presenting an April 13th discussion > program on the northern Ireland Peace Process. > > Speakers included: Richard Harvey (Brehon Law Society), Jack > Healey (Human Rights Action Center), Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein), > Richard Norland (US National Security Council), Tom Russell > (Irish embassy), Anne Smith (Ulster Unionist Party), Peter Smyth > (Engish embassy), and Andrew Somers (IAUC). Prof. Sam Dash > (Georgetown University) moderated the panel. > > Both the British and Irish governments promised a new > breakthrough soon -- but gave no details. Tom Russell explained > the difficulty of constructing a package that would be mutually > acceptable to both parties. > > Sinn Fein noted that decommissioning cannot occur without > reinstitution of the northern Ireland Assembly, and the Ulster > Unionist Party claimed that reinstitution cannot take place > without decommissioning. > > According to Peter Smyth, many parts of the Good Friday Agreement > have been implemented. Prisoner release is near completion. The > Human Rights Commission and the Equality Commission are > operating. The British government has released its report on > "normalizing security measures," has passed the Fair Employment > legislation, and is drafting the Patten Commission legislation > for criminal-justice reform. The Criminal Justice Review Group > has recently released its report recommending additional > criminal-justice reforms. > > Smith, the North American spokesperson for the Ulster Unionist > Party, claimed that that some movement by the republicans was > needed to kick-start the peace process. > > Conor Murphy noted that both parties have an obligation to > advance the conditions that would lead to implementation of the > Good Friday Agreement. He emphasized that the Good Friday > Agreement provided that decommissioning was to occur within the > context of overall implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. > > "This the first time in years that all of major participants to > the northern-Ireland peace process have met together in the > United States and debated their positions in a public forum," > said IAUC Education Chair Judge Somers. "The panel may not have > saved the peace process, but I think that we provided the > necessary insight to understand the history and present > difficulties of the peace process." > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >>>>>> Feature: A kind of casual lynching > > by Laura Friel > > In the North of Ireland in the early hours of April 27 1997, > a mob kicked Portadown Catholic Robert Hamill to > death. The 25 year old father of three was identified as a target > by the loyalist gang waiting at the cross roads because he had > just left St Patrick's Hall, a Catholic social club in Portadown, > and was walking with his three companions towards a Catholic > housing estate. > > Struck from behind Robert fell immediately to the ground where > the mob repeatedly kicked and stamped upon his head. One of the > assailants shouted, "Die, you fenian bastard, die." Robert's > friend, Gregory Girvan, was also severely beaten but survived. > Having never regained consciousness Robert died in hospital 12 > days later on May 8. London Guardian journalist Jeremy Hardy > later referred to Robert's murder as a "kind of casual > lynching". > > And it was casual, if only in the sense that any 'taig' would do. > In the early hours of a Sunday morning, just when the pubs and > clubs were closing and people were making their way home after a > Saturday night out, the loyalist gang had gathered at a very > particular spot for a very specific purpose. > > Even the local RUC, anticipating loyalist trouble, had deployed > an armed mobile patrol to monitor the junction at Market Street. > A junction renowned as dangerous for Catholics returning home to > Obins Street and Garvaghy Road. > > And casual could certainly describe the attitude of the RUC. Four > RUC officers armed with pistols and machine guns sat in an > armoured Land Rover just a few yards away and watched as the > attack took place. They made no attempt to intervene. They did > not get out. They did not radio for reinforcements. They did not > fire a warning shot. > > When one of Robert's companions, a female relative Siobhan > Girvan, banged on the side door of the Land Rover pleading for > help, she was ignored. Her sister, Joanne Girvan, was also > screaming for help as she watched her husband, Gregory, being > kicked into unconsciousness. The RUC remained unmoved. In an > attempt to protect Robert from further blows, Siobhan threw > herself over his body. The action was a measure of her > desperation. > > "I knew Robert was hurt because he was a big fella but he just > lay down and never put his hands up to protect himself. He just > lay there and they were just kicking and kicking," said > Joanne. > > In the immediate aftermath the RUC patrol made no attempt to > administer first aid to either injured victim. The loyalist mob > hung around but the RUC made no arrests. No crime scene was > declared. A witness saw one loyalist sitting with the RUC in the > Land Rover after the attack, they appeared to be sharing a > joke. > > And Robert's death soon became a laughing matter amongst > loyalists generally in Portadown. In August of the same year, > during an Orange Order march past the nationalist Garvaghy Road > to Drumcree church, loyalists mimed kicking and stomping, > taunting nationalist residents with Robert's murder. > > This month marks the anniversary of Robert Hamill's death and > three years after the killing and the mockery continues. But now > it is accompanied by taunts about the murder of another local > Catholic, Lurgan defence lawyer Rosemary Nelson. At the time of > her death in March 1999, Rosemary was a key person in the > campaign for justice for Robert Hamill. > > Rosemary's murder came as she was arranging to meet Imran Khan, > the solicitor who represented the family of Stephen Lawrence, a > black teenager murdered in a racist attack by white youths in > London in 1993. Following years of campaigning a public inquiry > into Stephen's murder was held in 1998. > > The parallels between the two killings are striking. Striking, > not only in the nature of Stephen's and Robert's deaths but also > in the subsequent response of the authorities. Duwayne Brooks, a > friend with Stephen at the time of the attack, described the > attitude of the London Metropolitan police. > > "None of the uniformed officers were doing anything for Steve. > They should have known what to do. They should have done > something for Steve. They just stood there doing nothing." > > WPC Bethel said, "How did it start? Did they chase you for > nothing?" I said one of them shouted, "what, what nigger?" She > asked me if I had any weapons on me. She was treating me like she > was suspicious of me, not like she wanted to help." > > "My son was stabbed and left to bleed to death on the night of 22 > April 1993 while police officers looked on," said Doreen > Lawrence, Stephen's mother. Speaking of the Metropolitan police, > Doreen said, "they treated the affair as a gang war and from that > moment on acted in a manner that can only be described as white > masters during slavery." > > The RUC also attempted to distort the circumstances in which > Robert Hamill died. "Two youths have been detained in hospital > with head injuries following a clash between rival factions in > Portadown.....bottles were thrown during the hostilities and > police themselves came under attack by a section of the crowd," > lied the first RUC press statement. > > Three days later the RUC were claiming, "a police Land Rover crew > in Portadown town centre were alerted to a disturbance and > immediately intervened to gain order and prevent assaults." The > statement went on to claim that the RUC had only withdrawn when > they "became themselves the subject of attack". > > It was eleven days and on the eve of Robert's death before the > RUC set the record straight. "Two couples who had left a social > event in St Patrick's Hall were set upon by a large crowd. The > two men in the group of four were knocked to the ground and > viciously beaten." > > The RUC often play a decisive role in the manipulation of the > media's response to a particular incident. By regularly > distorting the detail of a particular killing RUC spin doctors > manipulate the wider perception of the conflict in the North to > suit a pro British agenda. A model in which two warring tribes > engage in reciprocal "tit for tat" violence contained only by the > "neutral" forces of the crown. > > Of course the facts don't fit the fiction. Over the last thirty > years Catholics have been more than twice as likely to be killed > than Protestants. The largest single category of deaths is that > of Catholic civilians. Over a hundred Protestant civilians have > been killed by loyalists, many in the mistaken belief the victim > was a Catholic. > > Sectarian attacks against Catholics are a weekly, in times of > heightened political tension, a daily occurrence in the Six > counties. Tens of thousands of Catholics have survived sectarian > attacks. Hundreds of thousands of Catholics have endured > sectarian abuse and sectarian discrimination. In exposed > nationalist areas such as North Belfast and within Portadown, > nationalist communities live under constant loyalist siege > > Although individual Catholics can be sectarian in their attitude, > the experience of sectarianism within the Six county state let > has been far from reciprocal. Sectarian violence is a weapon used > almost exclusively by loyalists against nationalists. > > Sectarian discrimination ensures unionist privilege. A sectarian > state maintains British domination. No wonder state forces like > the RUC often play a pivotal role in obscuring the truth by > creating a perception of sectarianism as a kind of Capulet and > Montague "plague on both your house" phenomenon. > > After Robert Hamill's death, six men were charged with his > murder. At their own request, they were placed in the LVF wing of > Long Kesh jail. The LVF acclaimed them as the Portadown Six and > produced leaflets in their support. The leaflet confirmed the > men's involvement but describes their actions as honourable. "You > have been criminalised for defending yourselves against an > unprovoked attack." > > Within months of their arrest charges against five, Allister > Hanvey, Wayne Lunt, Dean Forbes, Stacey Bridgett and Rory > Robinson were dropped. The sixth, Marc Hobson went to trial but > was acquitted. The Director of Public Prosecutions decided to > take no action against the RUC patrol at the scene during the > murder. > > Like the family of Stephen Lawrence, the Hamill's are now faced > with the desperate option of taking out private prosecutions > against Robert's killers. Their campaign for justice gained > further momentum last month with the news that the Dublin > government will be adding their voice to calls urging the British > government to establish an independent public inquiry into the > death. > > The murder of Robert Hamill was "a kind of casual lynching". > Casual in the manner of the loyalist mob, so confident in > escaping conviction that they carried out the fatal attack in > full view of an armed RUC patrol, made no attempt to hide their > identities or make good their escape. > > Casual in the attitude of the RUC, who empathised more with the > mob than their victims, who had no pity for the injured, dying > and the distressed and no interest in either preventing the crime > or punishing the criminals. And casual in the compliance of the > state and it's justice system. > > Lynching implies more than the act of hanging someone to a tree, > or as in the case of Robert Hamill, kicking a person to death, or > indeed as in the case of the Quinns, who were burnt alive. It > requires a wider complacency. In the context of the Six counties > it requires specific myths. > > Unlike sectarianism, racism implies a power relation, of white > domination and black oppression. By continually peddling the myth > that sectarianism is reciprocal, tit for tat gang warfare, the > truth about the oppression of Irish Catholics in the north and > the power relationships which ensure that oppression, is > obscured. > > In 1998 after the sectarian murder of the Quinn children in > Ballymoney, BBC television reporter Dennis Murray described the > killings as "racist". This well seasoned journalist, who I had > watched on TV reporting hundreds of sectarian attacks and > killings over many years, broke with the usual delivery and was > visibly struck with grief and horror at the Quinns' brutal > deaths. > > For a moment Murray understood what sectarianism equates within > the northern nationalist community, for a moment we were all > speaking the same language. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >>>>>> History: The 1917 IRA Convention > > By Aengus O Snodaigh > > Following the failure of the Easter Rising in 1916, the > leadership of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican > Brotherhood (IRB) were in the main arrested, sentenced or > interned, or executed. Those who remained at large had to > obviously curtail their activities in the few months after the > Rising, but not for long. > > Despite the difficulties it entailed, Irish Volunteer units, or > what remained of them throughout the country, tried to meet > regularly. The first serious attempt to draw the strands of the > military republican organisation together again came following > the release of Cathal Brugha from hospital in November 1916. > Believing that he'd been severely disabled after being badly > wounded during the Rising, the authorities discharged him. > > Brugha, who'd been Vice-Commandant of Dublin's Fourth Battalion, > was visited at his home in Rathgar on the night of his release by > two IRB men, Sean O Muirthile and Diarmuid O'Hegarty. They > explained the state of play with the IRB, but Brugha said he > didn't wish to have any more to do with the IRB. They turned to > discuss the Irish Volunteers, or the IRA, as it was becoming > known. > > At Brugha's behest, the two other men undertook to organise a > small representative meeting of the Volunteers. This was held at > Fleming's Hotel in Gardiner Street later that month and was > attended by about 50 Volunteers. Cathal Brugha presided over the > meeting, though he was still on crutches. A provisional committee > was established under him to further establish contact with areas > not represented at the meeting and inform them of future > organisational moves. > > Progress was slow for the next few months, but with the release > of some prisoners in December 1916, a swing in the public's > attitude towards republicanism and the early victories in the > Westminster by-election in February and May, headway was being > made. With the general release of POWs in June 1917 and the > victory of Eamonn de Valera in East Clare, the Irish Volunteers > signalled that they were back in action again. > > During the East Clare election campaign, Volunteer units from > Clare and the surrounding counties paraded publicly and prevented > on occasion the police from interfering with the electoral > process. The succeeding by-election in Kilkenny in August, where > a number of released POWs played a prominent role, signalled the > resurrection of the Army of the Irish Republic. > > Early in August, a meeting was held in the offices of Craobh > Cheitinn of Conradh na Gaeilge in 46 Parnell Square. Those in > attendance included Eamonn de Valera, Cathal Brugha, Thomas Ashe, > Diarmuid O'Hegarty, Diarmuid Lynch, Michael Collins, Michael > Staines and Richard Mulcahy. It was decided at this meeting that > an Army Convention would be held to establish a National > Executive of Oglaigh na hEireann. The date of the Convention was > chosen to coincide with and to use the cover of the larger > gathering of republicans in Dublin on October 25 and 26 1917 -- > the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis. The date chosen was the Saturday morning > of October 27, when large numbers of republicans being in the > city would not draw the attentions of the police, who'd presume > they were still be around following the Ard Fheis. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >>>>>> Analysis: Selective trauma of British soldiers > > By Fern Lane > > The British Ministry of Defence is being sued for medical > negligence by around 280 former servicemen for its alleged > failure to recognise and properly treat the symptoms of Post > Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It faces possible damages costs > running into hundreds of millions of pounds, as other ex-soldiers > are expected to launch further proceedings. Legal representatives > for the men who took part in the conflicts in the Falklands, Gulf > and Six Counties claim that many of their clients have suffered > severe psychological ill-effects as a consequence of their > experiences, often becoming depressed, violent and turning to > alcohol and drug abuse. > > It has to be said, however, that this PTSD seems to be highly > selective. Broadly speaking, British soldiers seem to suffer the > greatest degree of trauma, aside from dangers to their own > personal safety, in respect of other British soldiers. The > routine and barbaric oppression or even indiscriminate slaughter > of the enemy's civilian population does not seem to pose too many > difficulties for most of them. The members of the Parachute > Regiment who took part in the murder of civilians on Bloody > Sunday, for instance, do not appear to have been traumatised by > the experience; on the contrary, there is evidence that they > exulted in the day's events. Nor does Lee Clegg appear to have > been unduly upset by his own experience of killing, and the same > is true of Guardsmen Fisher and Wright, the killers of Peter > McBride, currently on peace-keeping duties in Kosovo. > > It is also notable that a significant number of those claiming > damages are veterans of the Gulf War. I may be wrong, but as I > recall, 99.9% of the carnage of that particular imperialist > adventure was suffered by the Iraqi army, and that was > overwhelmingly inflicted through the use of air power. Indeed, > almost all the British casualties (which amounted to no more than > a few dozen) were caused by gung-ho American bomber pilots and > so-called 'friendly fire'. Nevertheless, Shaun Rusling, chairman > of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association, quotes > the statistic that 200 British Gulf War veterans, having "lost > the plot", are currently in prison, and that seven out of ten of > their families have suffered divorce. This is, he insists, all > down to PTSD brought about by the horrors of war, but given that > the said horrors were rather limited on the British side it could > equally be argued that it reflects at least as much on the > general psychological calibre of the average squaddie as on any > tangible trauma. Whilst, as former British soldier and writer > Ally Renwick has argued, being in the British army is very often > not compatible to good mental health, there seems to be a total > inability on the part of veterans' campaigners to admit that many > soldiers who end up on the wrong side of the law do so because > they are just plain bad. > > The 40 Welsh Guardsmen who were trapped on the Sir Galahad > warship when it was destroyed by Argentinian forces in 1982 > during the Falklands conflict may seem to have a less implausible > claim. Seeing 50 people burn to death must necessarily leave its > mental scars, even if there are no physical ones. But still, it > has been observed that members of the emergency services, > particularly fire fighters, are faced with similarly terrifying > and disturbing sights on a regular basis and -- so far anyway -- > they have not queued up to claim compensation for what amounts to > doing the job for which they volunteered. > > There seems to be little doubt that many former soldiers do > experience adverse psychological effects as a result of their > time in the British army, even if they are predisposed to > violence in the first place, and even if it is the army itself > which, by design, brings out the worst characteristics in them. > But the MoD has thus far dismissed the claims, saying that it > knew nothing of PTSD at the time of either the Falklands or Gulf > War, even though psychiatric and medical research into its > symptoms goes back to the First World War. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >>>>>> US events > > > Thursday, May 4th > > Toronto, Canada: Declan Fearon, SAFRC chairperson, will speak at > McVeigh's New Windsor House (2nd floor) 124 Church St. (at > Richmond), Toronto at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call (416) > 591-1751. > > Scranton, PA: Dr. Dara O'Hagan, MLA will speak at the Bog Pub and > Restaurant at 9 PM. The Bog is located at 341 Adams Avenue in > Scranton, PA. The event is being sponsored by Irish > Organizations United and all are invited to attend. > > > Friday, May 5th > > Philadelphia, PA: Dr. Dara O'Hagan MLA will be at the Irish > Center at 8 PM. All are invited to attend. The > Irish Center is located at Carpenter Lane and Emlen Streets in > the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia. > > San Francisco, CA: Toni Carragher, SAFRC spokesperson, will > participate in the Cinco de Mayo celebration starting at 11:00am > at a San Jose bus yard. Public officials and union > representatives will be present. At 7:30pm that evening, she will > speak at forum at Pathfinder Bookstore in San Francisco. For more > information, call (415) 695-0135. > > Saturday, May 6th > > Boston, MA: From 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M., at 300 Hammond Street > south of Beacon Street) Chestnut Hill, on the campus of Boston > College, a public discussion will be held on the subject of > "Human Rights Lawyers in Northern Ireland: DEFENDING THE > DEFENDERS." The featured guest at the discussion will be Dr. Dara > O'Hagan, Sinn Fein MLA and friend of murdered solicitor Rosemary > Nelson. All members of the public are invited and are welcome to > attend. There will be no charge for the event. Please contact > either Walter Pollard at (617) 570-1047, or Scott Daugherty at > (617) 504-8718 for further information. > > Blauvelt, NY: Bobby Sands Memorial Mass at 8:00pm with Celebrant > Monsignor Mulligan at the Rockland Irish American Cultural > Center, 284 Convent Road. Guest speaker Dr. John McGrath. Social > to follow. Donation $20 per person or $35 per couple. Hosted by > the MacBride Chapter INA. For more information contact Jimmy > Teague at (914) 359-5138. > > New York City: Declan Fearon, SAFRC chairperson, will be speaking > at Rocky Sullivan's on Lexington Avenue between 28th and 29th > Streets in New York City at 7:00pm. For more information, call > (718) 418-3760. > > San Francisco, CA: Toni Carragher, SAFRC spokesperson, will > attend a fund-raiser barbecue for H-Block 3 prisoners at 4:00pm. > For more information, call (415) 695-0135. > > Sunday, May 7th > > Lynbrook, NY: Florida Four Defense Committee fundraiser at Fibber > McGee's on Broadway, Lynbrook, NY at 6:00pm. Music by Kevin > Smith. Buffet, raffle. $10 donation. Call Patti Kelly at (516) > 868-9491 for more information. > > Toronto, Canada: Celebrating the sacrifice of the 1981 Hunger > Strikers at 8:00 pm at McVeighs (Church & Richmond). Donation > $10.00. Tickets call Toronto: (416) 591-1751, Brampton: (905) > 799-0856, Hamilton: (905) 544-1401. > > San Francisco, CA: Toni Carragher, SAFRC spokesperson, will > participate in the Cinco de Mayo Parade at 11:00am. Toni will > lead the Brigada de los San Patricios de San Jose marching unit. > Toni will also be the speaker at a reception at New College of > California. For more information, call (415) 695-0135. > > Washington, DC: The 16th Annual Mass for the 1981 Hunger Strikers > will be celebrated at 10:00 am at Holy Redeemer College, 3112 7th > Street. Music will be provided by Jesse Winch and Brian Moore. > For more information call Rita Brown at (301) 365-7732. > > Sunday, May 14th > > Washington, DC: Toni Carragher, PRO of the South Armagh Farmers > and Residents Committee will brief members and supporters about > the damaging presence of continued British military occupation in > her region. The briefing will be held at 7:00 pm at Paddy Macds > Irish Restaurant in Silver Spring, Maryland (2 blocks from the > Red Line Metro Station). A $15 optional donation is requested. > For more information, contact Randy at 301-325-5560 or > www.inac-dc.org. > > > > > > c. RM Distribution and others. Articles may be reprinted with credit. > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > RM Distribution > Irish Republican News and Information > http://irlnet.com/rmlist/ > > PO Box 160, Galway, Ireland Phone/Fax: (353)1-6335113 > PO Box 8630, Austin TX 78713, USA mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > > RMD1000502153420p2 >
