Irish Republican Info Svc #215 9/23/97 id OAA05824; Tue, 23 Sep 1997 14:56:36 -0400 =========== Posted to multiple newsgroups and lists =========== ===== Redistribute *only* with full header and signature! ===== Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit IRISH REPUBLICAN INFORMATION SERVICE (no. 215) Teach Daithi O Conaill 223 Parnell Street Dublin 1, Ireland Phone: +353-1-872-9747; FAX: +353-1-872-9757; e-mail: saoirse@iol.ie September 23,1997 Republican Sinn Fein: http://iol.ie/~saoirse/rsf SAOIRSE Online: http://iol.ie/~saoirse Release Josephine Hayden: http://iol.ie/~saoirse/hayden 1798 Ireland: http://iol.ie/~fagann/1798/ (Updated) In this issue: 1. Marketkill 'continuation of age-old fight for Irish freedom' 2. Provos protecting British forces in Six Counties 3. Congratulations to the Welsh people 4. Provos' put new spin on call for reformed RUC 5. Nationalist paper carries British army recruitment ad 6. LVF hoax calls about bombs in 26 Counties 7. Families flee loyalist attacks in north Belfast 8. DUP attacks Irish language signs in County Down 9. Garvaghy residents rubbish RUC's whitewash 10. British attempt to recruit spies 11. Portadown school children attacked by loyalists 12. Loyalists post bullet to nationalist family 1. MARKETKILL 'CONTINUATION OF AGE-OLD FIGHT FOR IRISH FREEDOM' THE Continuity IRA claimed responsibility on September 19 for the 400lb bomb attack on Markethill RUC barracks in County Armagh three days previously. The claim was phoned to the 'Irish News' in Belfast by a caller using a codeword. The CIRA said: "The Volunteers loyal to the Continuity IRA carried out an attack against the RUC earlier this week and, seven weeks ago, in Carrybridge in Fermanagh. This is a continuation of the age-old fight for Irish freedom and independence," according to the 'Irish News' report on September 20. Several hours after the explosion the Provisionals' Mitchel McLoughlin told BBC's 'Newsnight' that those responsible for the explosion were the "enemies of the peace process". In a UTV 'Live Insight' programme the following evening Ruairi O Bradaigh, President, Republican Sinn Fein responded that he believed they were the "enemies of British rule". The explosion, which shook the Armagh town and caused substantial damage to the British colonial police barracks was heard over ten miles away and caused an estimated #3 million damage. On the UTV programme Ruairi O Bradaigh said Republican Sinn Fein had no relationship with the Continuity IRA. "But from their statements and press interviews we see that their objective is Irish national independence and that they will not accept an interim settlement. That would appear to be on the same lines as our political objective. We have always said we uphold the right of the Irish people to use force in a controlled and disciplined manner. We don't support specific actions. We would support the right of the Irish people to resist British rule." 2. PROVOS PROTECTING BRITISH FORCES IN SIX COUNTIES In a statement on September 23 Ruairi O Bradaigh, President, Republican Sinn Fein said that "when leading Provisionals went to Stormont today they were able to report to their British masters that they had ordered and carried out the seizure of a weapon from a true Republican operating against the British Occupation Forces in the Ardoyne area of Belfast ('Irish News', page one, September 23, 1997)." The Provisionals stopped and disarmed a member of the Continuity IRA before a planned attack on the British Crown Forces in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast on Friday night, September 19. A Continuity IRA source told the 'Irish News' (September 23) that the member involved was outnumbered and was not prepared to shoot the Provisionals' (whom he knew) to prevent them from taking his weapon. Ruairi O Bradaigh's statement continued: "The Provisional Movement is attempting to protect British rule in Ireland as surely as did the Free State army in 1922-23 and the Broy Harriers in the 1940s. "Political compromise from 1986 to date has resulted inevitably in physical collaboration on the ground with British forces. "The imperial plan of divide and rule is working once more in favour of perpetuating English rule in Ireland. The Provos are in effect protecting the British forces in this country." 3. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WELSH PEOPLE In a message to Plaid Cymru on September 22, Republican Sinn Fein congratulated the Welsh people on their vote for a Welsh assembly. "We look forward to future co-operation formalised in a Celtic League embracing the independent nations of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. "The idea of such a Celtic League has been Republican policy since 1976 and was re-endorsed by the Ard-Fheis of Republican Sinn Fein ten years ago," the statement said. 4. PROVOS' PUT NEW SPIN ON CALL FOR REFORMED RUC THE Provisionals' who are so eager to gain "parity of esteem" within the British colonial set-up that is the Six County State, even to the extent of policing that State have managed to put a new spin on their collaboration with British rule. The 'new speak' for this reformed RUC is 'neighbourhood watch'. Speaking at a Belfast press conference on September 19, Provisional leader Gerry Adams outlined how this new British colonial police could work itself out. The Provisionals must not be seen as turncoats willing to police occupied Ireland at the behest of the Brits. "The existing neighbourhood watch schemes need to be replicated," said Adams, "and a major effort made to co-ordinate their efforts and so place them on a more secure foundation. A federation of such groups is obviously one way to do this". Adams said he had already written to dozens of statutory agencies about his idea and had received a positive response. On more serious crimes the Provisional leader opined that it would have an obligation to refer more serious crimes to the British colonial police (RUC). This call for a new 'Community Neighbourhood Watch' comes just weeks after a similar conference called for "a new service we could all give allegiance to", when Alex Maskey enthused "existing members of the RUC or the 'IRA' would not be automatically excluded". From 'Neighbourhood Watch' to a reformed force in the confines of a Six County British colony. These are the stepping stones and this is the 'parity of esteem' much spoken of by the Provo gang of former Republicans. 5. NATIONALIST PAPER CARRIES BRITISH ARMY RECRUITMENT AD HOW many sixteen-year-olds do you know who would like to join the foreign army of occupation? While the British imperial power with the help of 'constitutional nationalists' and NATO allies impose their 'peace' on the people of the Six Counties, their military 'sugar daddies' are trying to entice Irish school-leavers into joining the British army. Belfast's 'Irish News' of September 18, carried a large advertisement entitled "Turn your mates green. A great opportunity for school leavers." It advised: "If you left school last June, register now . . . or if you're leaving school next June register now. . . "Just think, you could be wearing the camouflage but it's your mates who'll be turning green." Why is there no outburst of protest from the "peace people" over this deliberate attempt to recruit Irish children into the ranks of the British killing machine? And why is the 'Irish News' accepting ads from a body that has been responsible for the wounding, torture and death of many of its readers? 6. LVF HOAX CALLS ABOUT BOMBS IN 26 COUNTIES THE pro-British death squad, the LVF, claimed on September 15 to have planted three bombs in the 26 Counties. A caller claiming to represent the group phoned the UTV newsroom at around 3pm. He claimed three devices were ready to go off in 30 minutes and "would make Drogheda look like a picnic". The reference may be to a recent car-bomb in the town which appears to be linked to a feud between drug pushers. The three devices were alleged to have been planted at the car park at Dublin Airport, the main railway-line between Dundalk and Dublin and in a bin in Dundalk town centre. The pro-British LVF group is linked to jailed loyalist Billy Wright (King Rat) and has support among the main unionist parties. 7. FAMILIES FLEE LOYALIST ATTACKS IN NORTH BELFAST RESIDENTS of three houses in Belfast's Greymount estate were subjected to a series of orchestrated attacks by Orange fascists from September 11-14 last. The first attack was on Thursday evening when pro-British elements from the loyalist White City estate and the Whitehall Road district fired missiles at the home of an old woman living alone. On Friday and on Sunday two young families came under attack from the same sectarian mob. In all three cases stones, bottles and other missiles were used. A car was also wrecked. A spokesperson for the Whitewell and District Concerned Residents group said the community feared an escalation of these attacks. "These people are now A1 priority status and are waiting on word from Housing Executive to move to other homes . . . This is at the bottom of the Whitewell Road and there are genuine fears that the trouble will get worse." Once again pro-British expansionists spurred on by the MI5-controlled death-squads are using the British 'peace process' to kick nationalists out of their neighbourhoods and bring as much of the Six Counties as is possible under pro-British rule. 8. DUP ATTACKS IRISH LANGUAGE SIGNS IN COUNTY DOWN THE DUP has been criticised by other parties for its "amazing" attitude to Irish language street signs in Down District. The row is over dual English/Irish language street signs at three locations in Downpatrick and Strangford after requests from residents. DUP councillor Billy Alexander said it was a matter of "great concern" in the community he represented that "this particular thing" will escalate in the district. 9. GARVAGHY RESIDENTS RUBBISH RUC's WHITEWASH NATIONALIST residents on the Garvaghy Road reacted angrily to claims by the head of the British police in Ireland (RUC) that "all possible restraint" was used when clearing nationalist protesters from the road in July. Speaking at the September meeting of the Six-County Police Authority, RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan said that "the degree of force used to remove the protesters from the road was dictated by the degree of resistance shown by the protesters." In answer to a question from the Community Relations Committee, Flanagan said the decision to block the route of Catholics to Sunday morning Mass was "a most undesirable situation" but "an inevitable consequence". However the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition said the events on the Garvaghy Road in July were "vastly different from what Mr Flanagan says went on". The facts are that there was no resistance put up by the people protesting on the Garvaghy Road," said Councillor Breandan Mac Cionnaith on behalf of the Coalition. "One observer who was trying to monitor the situation was shot by a plastic bullet from a range of only 15 yards," he said. At the time international observer and South African MP Bora Ebrahim compared the events on the Garvaghy Road to massacres of the black population in his homeland during apartheid. On the night of July 6 last the RUC fired more than 1,500 plastic bullets at nationalists, more than five times the number fired the previous year during a five-day stand-off with the Orange Order. Breandan Mac Cionnaith dismissed Flanagans pledge to have complaints made investigated under the supervision of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints as a "farce", saying: "That commission is made up of RUC men. We are not interested in a situation where the RUC are investigating fellow members of the RUC. "We want to know why Ronnie Flanagan sent his men in wearing balaclavas and boiler suits so that they couldn't be identified. "That commission would only ask us to identify the individual RUC men. But they wore no numbers and hid their facial features with balaclavas." 10. BRITISH ATTEMPT TO RECRUIT SPIES THREE Derry men have come forward to tell how the British police (RUC) attempted to recruit them as informers on the nationalist community. The three men, Paddy McGlinchy, Tommy Duffy and a third man who did not wish to be named, spoke to journalists on September 18. All three said the approaches were made in the previous three weeks when they were questioned by the RUC in connection with non-political charges. The men were offered "favours in court" in regard to non-political offences in return for information. Paddy McGlinchy told how he was told to get information about a number of named nationalists and given a date to report back. 11. PORTADOWN SCHOOL CHILDRENN ATTACKED BY LOYALISTS NATIONALIST school-children are the victims of physical and verbal harassment by loyalists in Portadown. Around 25 pupils from the Catholic Drumcree High School, who change buses in Portadown town centre, have reported harassment which is reported to come from loyalists of the same age. According to the principal of Drumcree High School, Seamus O'Neill, a male pupil was taken to hospital after being hit on the head with a stone in Portadown on September 19. And on September 17 a female student was hit by objects thrown at her in the town centre. She was later found in a "very disturbed" state. Other school children said they were chased through the town and spat on as well as being subjected to verbal, sectarian abuse. A direct bus had been arranged to the school for 15 children from Armagh while Seamus O'Neill and other staff are now ferrying the remaining pupils to and from school rather than risk sending them to change buses in Portadown. These reports follow reports in last weeks IRIS of school-buses carrying nationalist children being stoned in Belfast and Lisburn, Co Antrim. A pupil from Drumcree High School was killed last October in Portadown following sectarian taunts. Darren Murray was running across the road towards loyalists who were taunting him with shouts of 'Fenian nigger' when he was hit by a van and killed. 12. LOYALISTS POST BULLET TO NATIONALIST FAMILY A NATIONALIST family had a horrific surprise when they opened a letter on Saturday morning, September 13. The family who asked not to be named for fear of being targeted again, received the threatening letter by mistake. The letter, which referred to a Protestant member of the Provisionals as a "turncoat bastard" and was signed "your old pals on the Shankill", also contained a 7.65 Russian hand-gun bullet which fell to the ground when the letter was opened. The mother-of-two speaking of her horror as she saw the bullet roll on the floor said: "My husband said he thought at first it was a toy for one of the children. We did not know what to do. Neither of us are Republicans and I think that made the shock all the greater . . . "It was that much of a shock, we are still walking about in a doze. We just wanted the bullet out of the house on account of the children". The woman added "we did go to the police but they said there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. My husband rang one of the loyalist parties and they said "it is when you don't get a warning that you need to worry". -end- Please circulate the information in IRIS and credit us if reprinting. We welcome your comments and ideas. Send them to saoirse@iol.ie ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytire-09.23.97-14:56:38-7008