IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP
http://irlnet.com/rmlist/
Wednesday-Friday, 16-18 August, 2000
PART 1
1. THREATENED BLOODY SUNDAY SOLDIER GETS PROTECTION
2. Loyalists urged to end violence
3. Flanagan seeks to pass on the RUC baton
4. Derry gang looking to 'take out' top nationalist
5. Sinn Fein delegation in Castlerea meeting
6. Disband RUC call at anti-internment rally
7. Student union calls for urgent action on housing
8. Feature: From the spiritual to the mundane
9. Analysis: Will the real economic indicators please stand up
10. Events in Ireland and Britain
11. Twelfth Desmond Greaves Summer School
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>>>>>> THREATENED BLOODY SUNDAY SOLDIER GETS PROTECTION
A vital witness in the Bloody Sunday inquiry has been promised
help for security to protect himself from enemies within the
British military and establishment who want to stop him
testifying.
The former Paratrooper, identified as Soldier 027, is to receive
funds towards moving house, changing car and changing jobs so
that he can provide critical evidence to the Saville tribunal.
In a statement provided to the Irish government and passed to the
tribunal last year, Soldier 027 revealed how his colleagues shot
unarmed civilians, killed a wounded man and later took part in a
cover-up of the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry on January 30,
1972.
According to the account from inside the ranks of the soldiers
involved, paratroopers had been hyped up with hate propoganda
before being urged to get "some kills" the next day. High on the
thrill of killing, soldiers fired on civil rights demonstrators
even as some held up their hands in submission. Thirteen were
killed immediately, while a fourteenth died later from injuries
sustained on the day.
On the order to move in, Soldier 027 said the nervous and excited
troops swept into Rossville Street "with visions of Gross
Deutschland". About 100 yards short of the civil rights
demonstrators, his colleagues opened fire on a crowd of men,
women and children, and he saw two bodies fall at a barricade.
Other soldiers then came running up from the rear and pushing
their way through to get into the firing line.
He later saw another four civilians killed in Glenfada park as
the crowd fled, including one wounded man finished off as he lay
on the ground.
Soldier 027 also revealed his colleagues used a personal supply
of lethal 'dum-dum' ammunition instead of regular ammunition,
thus avoiding the need to account for several fatal shots.
When interviewed by officials for the original Widgery tribunal,
he says he told them the truth.
"Then, to my utter surprise, one of the doddering gentlemen said:
`Dear me, Private 027, you make it sound as though shots were
being fired at the crowd. We cannot have that, can we?' He then
proceeded to tear up my statement.
"He left the room and returned 10 minutes later with another
statement which bore no relation to fact, and I was told with a
smile that this was the statement I would use when going to the
stand."
In the end, he was never called to give evidence to the Widgery
tribunal. Through his legal team, he promised to give evidence to
the new inquiry if arrangements were made to secure his personal
safety.
In a memo to the Bloody Sunday lawyers, the inquiry outlined
reasons for the unusual protection package for the soldier,
chiefly that his evidence was "of the utmost importance".
Sinn Fein Vice President Pat Doherty said: "If this is an aid to
establishing the truth then it is moving in the right direction,
but the soldier in question must feel under grave strain from the
establishment to seek such protection."
Lawyer Greg McCartney - representing the family of victim Jim
Wray - said the soldier obviously had a genuine fear of reprisals
from elements within the British security forces.
"His evidence supports the belief that some people were shot with
dum-dum bullets. This has also been supported to an extent by the
inquiry's own expert witnesses," Mr McCartney said.
Paddy McDermott, lawyer for the other families, said they did not
object to the financial package if it meant the truth coming out.
"Clearly, it would be better if nothing like this came into play
but what the families want is the ex-soldier to tell the truth
and they will be pleased he came forward," he said.
Robin Percival, Chair of the Bloody Sunday Trust, said that
Soldier 027 had shown courage in breaking ranks to tell
what he believes is the truth.
"Whilst these security measures are reported to be costing around
40,000 and will inevitably raise the issue once again of the
costs incurred by the Inquiry, it is our assertion that, had the
truth been told in the first instance by Lord Widgery and the
military establishment, then the current Tribunal would not be
necessary."
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>>>>>> UDA urged to end violence
Loyalist representatives have said the UDA won't have broken its
so-called 'ceasefire' until someone is actually shot, but have
urged loyalists to desist from sectarian violence.
Meanwhile, attacks have continued in Belfast and elsewhere.
On Wednesday night, three houses in Barrack Street, off the Falls
Road, had their windows broken and red, white and blue
paint-bombs thrown at them. One of the houses belongs to a local
SDLP councillor.
Eight households have been subjected to a variety of loyalist
sectarian attacks across County Antrim. Five homes were attacked
by loyalists in Larne while three Carrickfergus properties also
suffered damage.
A Catholic man and his Protestant girlfriend were forced to leave
their Larne home after a paving slab was hurled at their window
yesterday. The pair now plan to leave their home of more than two
years.
Elsewhere in county Antrim, two Catholic church buildings and a
school were attacked in the early hours of yesterday morning. St
Mary's Primary school in Martinstown, outside Ballymena suffered
scorch damage from a petrol bomb. Minutes earlier All Saints
Parish Church in Ballymena was targeted by paintbombers.
An attempt to petrol bomb a priest's house in South Belfast
failed because of double-glazing. The door of St Brigid's
Presbytery suffered scorch damage in the arson attack in the
early hours of Thursday morning.
'NO BREACH'
Ulster Democratic Party chairman John White insisted that despite
the increasing violence and death threats, the UDA has yet to
overstep the mark. The UDP represents the Ulster Defence
Association/Ulster Freedom Fighters.
"I think until guns are used and someone is shot they are not in
breach," he said.
North Belfast Sinn Fein Assembly member Gerry Kelly pointed out
that 15 people in houses where the gunfire occurred were
endangered.
"Any of these people could have been killed," he said. "John
White's definition of a cessation will cause alarm within the
nationalist community."
In his first public intervention since the attacks started
several weeks ago, the UDP leader, Gary McMichael, later pledged
that his party would do "all that it can to exert influence
within the loyalist community to stop these attacks".
"I make a public appeal to all loyalists not to become involved
in this form of sectarianism. Any person considering carrying out
such attacks, I ask them to stop now," he added.
Mr McMichael, however, stressed that Sinn Fein also had a
responsibility to halt what he claimed was a "spiral of
tit-for-tat incidents".
Responding to Mr McMichael, Gerry Kelly, said the orchestrated
campaign against Catholics carried out by loyalists needed to be
brought to a halt once and for all.
"I am glad to see that the leadership of the UDP have finally
spoken on these attacks. They are, however, not `tit-for-tat' as
claimed by the UDP but planned, orchestrated and then escalated
by the UFF over a period of time since before Drumcree.
"There clearly is a strategy in place to attack Catholics and
their property on an ever-increasing basis . . . What is required
now is an immediate statement from the leadership of the UFF
lifting its threat to kill Catholics in north and west Belfast
and for them to end their latest wave of sectarian attacks."
SHANKILL PARADE
Tomorrow sees a loyalist parade on the Shankill Road in West
Belfast, where the violence of recent days has been planned by
prominent UDA members.
Lower Falls Sinn Fein Councillor Tom Hartley said the call for
loyalists and bands to mass at tomorrow's parade has caused a
"genuine fear" among nationalists in West and North Belfast.
"The very real possibility of thousands of loyalists who support
the aims of the UDA and LVF, the two groups which have threatened
to kill nationalists, is very worrying. Given that the Ulster
Democratic Party has now spoken out against these attacks, I call
upon both themselves and those who will be stewarding this parade
to ensure that this event passes off peacefully, that those
attending do not become involved in attacks against nationalists
and that they go home peacefully.
"In recent weeks the UDA has tried to engineer a situation
whereby it can justify attacks on nationalists. They still have
not lifted their threat against nationalists. In light of this, I
urge all nationalists to remain extremely vigilant, especially
tomorrow."
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>>>>>> Flanagan seeks to pass on the RUC baton
The last passing-out parade of RUC recruits today sparked
controversy after Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan referred to the
murderous, discredited force in glowing terms using words like
'comradeship', 'dedication' and 'dignity' -- and said he was
seeking to "build on those magnificent foundations".
Thirty-two of the thirty-six recruits who passed out were
Protestant, reflecting a continuation of the force's
anti-Catholic tradition.
The parade, with its British colonial, militaristic pageantry was
suffused with the kind of imagery the Patten reforms were
intended to remove.
Flanagan said he observed the last passing-out with a certain
"sadness", but, he said, he was "looking forward with great
confidence to a brighter future".
The Sinn Fein national chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin said that
he could not share Flanagan's optimism and warned that his party
would not be recommending that young nationalists join what he
termed a 'Mandelson Police Force'.
"We in Sinn Fein believe that Chris Patten, despite his political
background, made an honest attempt to solve the policing issue,"
said McLaughlin. "The British government has chosen to ignore
this. The history of the RUC, their role in collusion, shoot to
kill, and the murdering of children with plastic bullets, is
clearly an unacceptable foundation on which to build a new police
service upon."
Mr McLaughlin said the Patten Commission had come up with what
could have formed a basis for a new beginning to policing.
However, for nationalists, Patten did not go far enough, and the
Mandelson Police Bill currently before the British parliament
failed to deliver the security of "decent, democratic and
accountable policing".
What was required was a new civic policing service that is
democratically accountable, working in partnership with all
citizens, and upholding international standards of human rights,
he concluded.
"If the British government come up with anything less than Patten
then Sinn Fein will not be recommending the Mandelson Police
Force as a career choice for young republicans and nationalists."
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>>>>>> Derry gang looking to 'take out' top nationalist
A hardcore group of loyalist hardliners is believed to be behind
an upsurge in violence in south Derry.
Another pipebomb was discovered in the Magherafelt area on
Wednesday, the second in south Derry within the last week. On
Tuesday a small device was discovered hidden in a cigarette
packet just outside Magherafelt on Pound Road.
Sinn Fein's John Kelly, assembly member for Mid Ulster, warned
that loyalists could be preparing to single out and kill a
prominent nationalist or republican in the south Derry area. Mr
Kelly pointed out there had been a serious rise in loyalist
paramilitary violence in the Magherafelt and Bellaghy areas in
recent months.
In the last six weeks alone, a Gaelic sportshall has been
targeted by arsonists at Greenlough, a pipebomb was left at an
AOH hall near Gulladuff and other devices were found in the
general Magherafelt area.
"I would be seriously worried that they are preparing the ground
to take some nationalist or republican out," Mr Kelly said.
The county Derry politician believed a small next of loyalists
were responsible for the recent attacks.
"My information is that there is a hardcore group of loyalist
paramilitaries in the general Castledawson area which is behind
all these attacks," he said.
He warned all nationalists and republicans to take special
precautions against any further attacks.
"I cannot stress enough how important it is that people take a
special look at their personal security in light of the recent
incidents," Mr Kelly said.
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>>>>>> Sinn Fein delegation in Castlerea meeting
Speaking after a meeting with the five republican POWs in
Castlerea convicted in relation to the killing of Garda Jerry
McCabe, Sinn Fein's Barry McElduff said that the party was
placing on record, "Sinn Fein's total determination to effect the
release of the Castlerea prisoners".
McElduff, an Assembly member for West Tyrone, was one of a
13-strong Sinn Fein delegation to visit the five men, Pearse
McCauley, Kevin Walsh, Gerry Sheehy, Mick O'Neill and John Quinn,
on Sunday 14 August.
Among those accompanying McElduff were Pat Treanor from Monaghan
and Jarlath McNulty from Strabane.
McElduff said: "The issue is straightforward. These men should
have been released in the month of July in line with the early
release programme as detailed in the Good Friday Agreement.
"The Agreement covers all prisoners who belong to organisations
on cessation. Quite clearly, the Castlerea prisoners are IRA
prisoners and the IRA has established and maintained a
cessation".
The Dublin government should not be allowed to cherry pick the
Agreement, said McElduff.
"The Sinn Fein approach is rooted in the letter and spirit of the
Good Friday Agreement. It is indisputable that the Castlerea
prisoners qualify for the early release programme and that there
is no legal basis for their continued detention. Bertie Ahern's
government is in default of the Good Friday Agreement.
"Any reading of the Agreement will confirm that the Castlerea
prisoners are political hostages.
"In the weeks ahead", stressed McElduff, "Sinn Fein will be
stepping up our campaign for the release of the Castlerea 5."
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>>>>>> Disband RUC call at anti-internment rally
The last OC of the IRA prisoners in the H Blocks, Jim 'Flash'
McVeigh, chaired last Sunday's anti-interment rally in Belfast.
And while the crowds attending the rally may not have been as
large as they have been in previous years, this may be explained
by a week of hard political activity at the Feile.
The main speaker turned out to be Tyrone's Francie Molloy,
drafted in at the last minute because the advertised speaker
Gerry Kelly, suffered a broken leg playing soccer. Sceptics
believe that Kelly may well have been one of those who succumbed
to the onslaught of Feile politics.
As usual, there were speakers representing the solidarity groups
from throughout the world, whose support has been a source of
strength to republicans throughout the last 30 years.
In his speech, Francie Molloy drew attention to the fact that in
the days after the introduction of interment on 9 August 1971, 19
people from the Greater Ballymurphy area died "from British army
gunfire".
The theme of Sunday's rally was 'The RUC must go' and Molloy
described the RUC as "a 100% unionist paramilitary force".
He accused the British government of bowing to the securocrats'
agenda by "gutting the Patten report".
He said the securocrats were still waging their "traditional war"
against republicans and so wanted to control the RUC and any
changes that might be made to it.
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>>>>>> Student union calls for 'urgent action' on housing
As 35,000 young people south of the border prepare to receive
their college offers this week, the Union of Students in Ireland
(USI) is calling on the Dublin government to take "urgent action"
to tackle the shortage in student housing.
USI President Julian de Spainn, said that Ireland needs to
provide more on-campus accommodation for students. At present
only 6% of Irish students are housed in on-campus accommodation,
as compared with 28% in Britain and an EU average of 17%.
"The government's reaction to the chronic shortage of
accomodation for students has been to introduce a tax relief
measure for student accommodation," he explained. "Up to 7,500
units are currently in various stages of planning as a result of
the tax concession. However, even after the construction of these
units, Ireland will still be far behind other European countries
in terms of the proportion of students in on-campus
accommodation. Urgent action is needed in this area."
Alison Gibney, the Welfare Officer at USI, said that the
organisation is concerned at the increasing gap between student
living costs and student grant levels. "Rent costs, which are the
single biggest cost of attending college for most students, have
rocketed over the last few years," she said. Gibney cited figures
produced by the Institute of Auctioneers and Valuers in Ireland
which estimate that average rents in Dublin over the last three
years have increased by 94%. "In the same period, student
maintenance grants have increased by a meagre 9%. The current
maintenance grant is #49 per week. This amount, which is supposed
to cover a student's living costs, course materials, transport
costs, etc., does not even cover the rent in many cases."
Meanwhile, in the Six Counties, USI has joined with the British
National Union of Students to mount a joint campaign for the
reintroduction of a maintenance grant for students and the
abolition of tuition fees.
"With many students working the equivalent of two days per week
in order to make ends meet, the quality of the academic
experience is diminishing," they say. The student unions say that
the British government's current tuition fee regime represents
"the thin end of a wedge, eventually leading to top-up fees and
full-cost fees".
Already, tuition fees are impacting on mature student
participation rates, with the Universities and Colleges
Admissions Service (UCAS) reporting that Six-County mature
applicants to higher education declined by 1.9% in 1999. In
addition there has been a drop of 9.1% in the number of mature
students aged 21-24 accepted for higher education places by
Six-County institutions in 1999.
However, the student unions do not supply figures for the
cross-over in third-level access between the 26-County and
Six-County states, which would be useful in getting a broader,
more coherent picture of educational disadvantage in Ireland.
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