Part 1 > IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP > http://irlnet.com/rmlist/ > > Sunday/Monday, 23/24 July, 2000 > > > 1. FINAL PHASE OF H-BLOCK RELEASES > 2. Mowlam admits spying on Adams, McGuinness > 3. RUC role in loyalist terror > 4. OSCE move to protect defence lawyers > 5. Call for action over DUP disruption > 6. New British Army security cameras in Crossmaglen > 7. Incinerator in North East region opposed > 8. Feature: Peltier remains unbeaten > 9. Analysis: Restoring our Gaelic placenames > > 10. Events in Ireland and Britain > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> FINAL PHASE OF H-BLOCK RELEASES > > > This week sees the release of some 86 prisoners from of Long Kesh > in a major step toward the eventual closure of the world's most > famous prison camp. > > The final prison-release phase of the Good Friday Agreement, will > see the release of several high profile prisoners and will leave > the H-Blocks -- which once held thousands -- almost empty. > > Michael Stone, who admitted murdering six nationalists -- > including three in a gun and grenade attack on a republican > funeral in Belfast -- said the deaths were "regrettable". > > He was greeted by around 50 supporters in the prison car park and > was cheered as he emerged from the turnstiles, with a Ulster > Freedom Fighters flag raised behind him. > > "I recognise that there are those in the nationalist/republican > community who view my release and with anger, just as the > releases of republican prisoners on Friday will also anger the > loyalist/unionist community," he said. > > Rreferring to his attempt to kill Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, > now Education Minister, as he was taking his daughter to a > primary school in Derry, he said: "He is in charge of my > grandchildren's education which is ironic." > > The releases are being paralleled in the South, where only five > IRA prisoners will remain in Castlerea jail. Sinn Fein described > the releases as "a necessary part of the democratic process" > > North Belfast Assembly member and former POW Gerry Kelly said the > release of former combatants was an integral part of the > resolution of the conflict. > > Welcoming the releases, he said they were a sign that "we are > moving into a situation of proper conflict resolution". > > Former H-Block hunger striker Lawrence McKeown criticised efforts > by sections of the media to sensationalise the releases. McKeown, > who spent 70 days on a hunger-strike in which ten Republicans > gave their lives in pursuit of political status in 1981, is now > an advocate for ex-prisoners with Coiste na n-Iarchimi. > > He pointed out that republicans had been jailed for more than > 100,000 years while members of the British forces had served less > than 20 years. > > "People regardless where they came from be it republicans, > loyalists, members of the RUC, prison warders or whatever else > were born into a society which was in a conflict," he said. > > "For a long time there was an attempt to crush that conflict > through one way or another through military means. Hopefully, we > are moving out of that situation." > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Mowlam admits spying on Adams, McGuinness > > > Sinn Fein has called for an inquiry into the activities of the > British intelligence services following Mo Mowlam's admission > that she sanctioned the bugging of a car used by senior party > members. > > Britain's former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland told a > BBC light entertainment show how she approved the bugging of the > Ford Mondeo car used by Sinn Fein leaders during last year's > talks at a critical juncture in peace talks. > > The sophisticated surveillance device was discovered by Sinn Fein > and displayed at a press conference in December just days after > the formation of the Six County Executive. > > The incident was described by Mr Adams as a "hugely serious > breach of faith" which could have damaged the peace process. > > Mowlam told interviewer Nick Hancock that the car was bugged > because "lives were being lost". > > Veteran republican and South Derry Assembly member John Kelly > said the incident was "by no means isolated" and that an inquiry > should be set to up to look at such activity. > > "I believe there should be an inquiry into this kind of activity, > because the securocrats are a law onto themselves," Mr Kelly > said. > > "Tony Blair is having his share of it at the moment, but Sinn > Fein has been the target for these sort of tactics many times, > where we've had confidential memos released to loyalist > politicians - all directed at creating distrust or impeding the > Good Friday agreement." > > Mr Kelly said he believed British securocrats were still using > similar tactics. > > "I would always work on the assumption that this sort of thing > goes on," he said. > > "We would hope that their power is waning but until it is totally > severed there is always the lurking doubt that they could > dismantle what has been achieved." > > The South Derry assembly member said the incident had "created > distrust" at a time when trust on both sides was essential. > > "The whole incident could have led to the derailing of > negotiations and it engendered a degree of mistrust from > republicans that had not been there prior to that," Mr Kelly > said. > > "We had taken Mo Mowlam as someone we could deal with in a very > open and confidential manner." > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> RUC role in loyalist terror > > > A Catholic mother is a prisoner in her own home after being told > her personal details are in the hands of loyalists. > > Ann Fitzpatrick, who lives in the Markets area of Belfast, is > fearful of going out after being visited by RUC on Thursday > with the news. > > Ms Fitzpatrick revealed she was instructed by the RUC to step up > security because her details were in the possession of loyalists. > > "I can't sleep at night or go out through the front door without > thinking someone is going to harm me," she said. > > "My doctor has given me tablets to calm my nerves. The situation > has got so bad my teenage daughter also does not want to stay > here anymore." > > Ms Fitzpatrick said she did not know how the files had got into > the hands of loyalists or why they existed. She also criticised > the RUC for not doing enough to retrieve them. > > South Belfast Sinn Fein councillor Sean Hayes said she was the > third person to be visited from the Markets area in the past > couple of weeks. > > He said the files on Ms Fitzpatrick had been passed on by the > RUC. > > "They are still gathering intelligence and passing it onto > loyalists," he said. > > "This reinforces the need for a new policing service. The RUC is > a discredited force carrying on its sectarian war against > nationalists." > > Meanwhile, windows were smashed by ball-bearing attacks in four > homes along Finaghy Road North in Belfast over the weekend. > > Loyalist graffiti with acronyms such as KAT (kill all taigs) and > ATAT (all taigs are targets) were daubed on walls in the > area. > > And a Catholic secondary school in county Dowsn was attacked by > loyalist arsonists in the early hours of Friday morning. > > Damage to St Colman's High School in Ballynahinch was slight but > a recently bought school bus, parked in the grounds of the > school, bore the brunt of the attack. and was detroyed. > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> OSCE move to protect defence lawyers > > > For the first time ever, parliamentarians from all of Europe, the > United States and Canada have called for government protection of > human rights lawyers in light of the murders of defence lawyers > Rosemary Nelson and Patrick Finucane, who were killed as a result > of their work on behalf of nationalist clients in the North of > Ireland. > > Congressman Chris Smith from New Jersey, chairman of the US > delegation, offered the amendment during the Ninth Session of the > OSCE (Organisation on Security and Cooperation of Europe) which > wrapped up in Bucharest last week. Smith's amendment which also > demands governments "hold accountable persons" responsible for > threatening human rights attorneys, was included in the final > document, known as the Bucharest Declaration. > > The issue of protection for human rights attorneys in the North > of Ireland and the call for public inquiries into the deaths of > Patrick Finucane and Rosemary Nelson dominated the vigorous and > heated debate. > > "The harassment and intimidation of defense lawyers is > particularly offensive as it undermines the due process rights of > all citizens in all of the participating states," said Smith, who > is the Chairman of the US Commission on Security and Cooperation > in Europe. "Those who killed Rosemary Nelson and Patrick Finucane > committed acts of cowardice and should be held accountable so > that people will have faith in the ability of government > institutions to protect their rights." > > Smith who had invited Rosemary Nelson to testify before Congress > in 1998 said, "Rosemary Nelson told us that she had been > physically harassed by the police (the RUC) and that she feared > for her life. Incredibly, the British government turned to the > RUC to investigate her claims, the very organisation she feared." > > Nelson was murdered by a booby-trap car bomb outside her Lurgan > home in March last year. > > Meanwhile, further calls for a full judicial inquiry into the > murder of Pat Finucane are expected following the revelation that > two senior RUC officers are to be arrested and questioned about > the killing. > > According to a report in yesterday's Sunday Times, two RUC > Special Branch officers are to be interviewed by police with the > Stevens inquiry over allegations that they colluded with > loyalists in the murder. > > Finucane was murdered by a loyalist death-squad at his Antrim > Road home in November 1987, but it is widely believed that the > RUC were aware of the plot to kill the prominent advocate. > > Mr Finucane's family have called for a full inquiry into the > circumstances of the killing. > > The two RUC men facing arrest are reported to be the handlers for > self-confessed RUC agent William Stobie, who was arrested in > connection with the Finucane murder last year. > > Stobie was a leading loyalist in west Belfast at the time of the > killing and has said he informed his handlers of a possible > murder attempt on the high-profile figure. > > Both officers are said to have been part of the shadowy Force > Research Unit (FRU), an undercover operation in charge of > handling intelligence agents. > > Last night, the dead lawyer's brother Michael said he would not > comment on the reports, saying he had no faith in the Stevens > inquiry. > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Call for action over DUP disruption > > > Sinn Fein has demanded that two hardline unionist ministers be > stripped of some of their ministerial responsibilities when the > Democratic Unionist Party starts a political spoiling tactic on > Thursday. > > Mr Peter Robinson (Regional Development) and Mr Nigel Dodds > (Social Development) will officially resign on Thursday after the > Assembly failed to support a DUP motion calling for the expulsion > of Sinn Fein from the Executive several weeks ago. > > The two posts will then be passed to other DUP Aseembly members > initially Mr Gregory Campbell and Mr Maurice Morrow, on a > rotating basis until the next general election. > > Sinn Fein chairman Mr Mitchel McLauglin said such "antics" should > not be tolerated by the pro-agreement parties. Describing Mr > Campbell and Mr Morrow as "second-rate" and "second choice", he > said the tactic compounded the disruption caused by the DUP's > decision not to allow its nominees to attend Executive meetings. > > "Those parties that actually designed those portfolios have the > numbers and the votes in the Assembly to take away some of the > functions from the departments. We could have a situation in a > very short time when all they [the DUP] have is their musical > chairs to play with," Mr McLaughlin told BBC Radio. > > Meanwhile, Mr McLaughlin told a rally in Co Tipperary that > unionists were using the name and symbols of the RUC as a way of > maintaining control over po licing. At a commemoration for the > 1920 IRA man, Liam Lynch, in Knockmealdown, the Sinn Fein > chairman called on unionists to "stop posturing" over symbols and > establish a police service which young nationalists felt > comfortable joining. > > The approach adopted to the Policing Bill by unionists, the > Conservatives and the Police Federation suggested they wanted the > police to remain a unionist force. > > Nationalists and republicans, he claimed, would not be attracted > to a police service which retained "those very things that > contributed to making the RUC unacceptable". > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> New British Army security cameras in Crossmaglen > > > Louth Sinn Fein County Councillor Arthur Morgan has said that the > British Army presence in South Armagh is a continuing irritation > to people on both sides of the Border. > > Councillor Morgan pointed out that new surveillance technology > has been installed in Crossmaglen. He also said that helicopter > activity on the Louth/Armagh border is persistent, and the Royal > Navy and Marine Commandos are still patrolling Carlingford Lough. > Councillor Morgan asked: > > "If the British Army is increasing its visible presence on the > ground through cameras and listening equipment, how much is being > stepped up that we cannot immediately see but is still spying and > collecting information on people?" > > He said that ongoing intelligence gathering by the British Army, > the RIR regiment and the RUC police is causing unease among > nationalists still fearful of collusion between them and loyalist > paramilitaries. > > Councillor Morgan said the slowness of demilitarisation has > brought a number of complaints from constituents to Sinn Fein's > councillors in County Louth. > > "People from Louth do business and socialise in South Armagh as a > matter of course. The continued and very visible British Army > presence is a continuing source of irritation to people in their > daily lives and I am calling on the Taoiseach to bring pressure > to bear on the British Government to meet its commitments on > demilitarisation." > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 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] > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > > RMD1000724154958p4 >
