Bloody Sunday Paras Identified in the Press, Despite Court Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit ............................................................... jbm7@tutor.open.ac.uk (Jim Monaghan) BBC 18 June 99 Belfast paper names Bloody Sunday paras; Paras' names published despite High Court ruling A Belfast newspaper has published the names of the paratroopers who, on Thursday, won their appeal to retain their anonymity while giving evidence to the Bloody Sunday tribunal. The Irish News, the main nationalist morning newspaper, blanked out some surnames for legal reasons but claimed that the identities of the paratroopers were widely known in Derry, where Bloody Sunday occurred in January 1972. "They make a mockery of yesterday's [Thursday's] High Court ruling granting the men anonymity," it stated in the newspaper's front-page report. The High Court in London had voted 2:1 against a ruling by the Inquiry Chairman, Lord Saville, denying the soldiers' immunity for giving testimony in the Inquiry which commences in September. Lawyers for the soldiers and the Ministry of Defence had argued that the mens' lives would be at risk if they did not have anonymity. 'Meaningless campaign' The families of those killed on Bloody Sunday have consistently said that none of the Bloody Sunday soldiers was ever targeted for attack. Two of the officers who were on the scene have always allowed their names to be made public, the commanding officer, retired Lieutenant Colonel Derek Wilford and the then captain, now General Sir Michael Jackson. The Belfast newspaper pointed out that the anonymity campaign was pointless, as there were reports in British army magazines and through other sources in which the soldiers had been named. "Much of the indignation over the names which has been expressed by the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and various retired officers is therefore largely meaningless," it remarked in its editorial. The paper urged the Saville Inquiry to appeal the High Court decision. A spokesman for the British Army made no comment on the publication. ---------- Irish News 18 June 1999 Bloody Sunday paras are revealed By Seamus McKinney Derry Correspondent IMAGE: REVEALED... some of the paratroopers on duty on Bloody Sunday. The Irish News has omitted some surnames for legal reasons (Names listed: Lieutenant Colonel Derek Willord, Captain Mike Jackson [knighted by the queen and leader of NATO KFOR troops], Private Ronald ****, Corporal Terry ****, Sergeant Paul ****, Lieutenant John ****, Private David ****, Private Gordon ****, Corporal James ****, Private John ****, Private Michael ****, Private Harry ****, Major Roger ****, Sergeant Peter ****, Major Philip ****) THE full list of Parachute Regiment members present in Derry on Bloody Sunday has been obtained by the Irish News. The names are in wide circulation in Derry and they make a mockery of yesterday's high court ruling granting the men anonymity. While the Irish News publishes the list, the surnames of the soldiers have been blanked out. The high court voted by two judges to one to grant 17 former soldiers who fired live shots on Bloody Sunday blanket anonymity should they testify in the new Saville Inquiry which is due to start in September. The list contains the names of every paratrooper on duty on that day. The court decision sparked immediate anger among relatives of the 14 men who lost their lives and the surviving wounded who demanded that Lord Saville of Newdigate appeal the ruling. Lawyers for the 17 soldiers as well as the British Ministry of Defence had claimed the soldiers' lives would be put at risk from possible paramilitary revenge attacks if their identities were made public. But families of the dead men have consistently pointed to the fact that none of the Bloody Sunday soldiers was ever targeted for such an attack. Lawyers for the new inquiry as well as the families also argued that the English high court did not have the jurisdiction to over-rule the investigation's decisions. Most of the soldiers' names were known to campaigners for many years before British Prime Minister Tony Blair ordered a new inquiry into Bloody Sunday. Immediately after the 1972 shootings, the paratroopers themselves made some of the names known in their regimental magazine, Pegasus, along with photographs as they talked about their exploits in Derry. Former soldiers have also appeared on camera in various television documentaries about the Bloody Sunday killings while some - including the most senior officer present in Derry on the day - have voluntarily been named in newspaper articles. Yesterday's ruling sparked disappointment among families of the dead men. But there was no indication that the relatives would withdraw from the new inquiry. Peter Madden, who represents the majority of the Bloody Sunday families, said his clients would examine the entire investigation before taking any decisions. --- Irish News 18 June 1999 Relatives' disgust at inquiry decision By Seamus McKinney Derry Correspondent THE English high court's decision that the 17 soldiers who fired live shots on Bloody Sunday should not be named sparked a storm of outrage in Derry. Expressing his disappointment, Michael McKinney, whose brother William was shot dead on Bloody Sunday, said he was particularly concerned that the high court should intervene in an independent and international inquiry. "This inquiry is not being permitted to conduct its investigation in an impartial, independent way," he said. Mr McKinney said it was now clear the new investigation would not be open and public. The purpose of the inquiry was to restore public confidence. Derry author, Eamonn McCann, who is working with the Bloody Sunday campaign, said a number of aspects of the ruling were particularly alarming. Mr McCann said he was concerned that the Ministry of Defence had instructed a QC to speak on the former soldiers' behalf. "The MoD is a department of the government which established the new inquiry. "Is the government trying to set limits on the way the inquiry gets at the truth," he said. Echoing the words of former prime minister John Major about Britain's "securocrats", Sinn Fein assembly member for the city, Mitchel McLaughlin said: "The rats are at it again." Mr McLauglin, who was present on Bloody Sunday, said the ruling ran contrary to the need for a full and impartial inquiry into Bloody Sunday. He said it was clear British "securocrats" were involved in pursuing a hidden agenda with the collusion of the right-wing British media. SDLP assembly member, John Tierney said he was concerned that the ruling called into question the independence of the new inquiry. "The families of the dead as well as the surviving wounded and all the people of Derry worked hard to get this inquiry. "When it was announced, we all believed that the truth about Bloody Sunday might finally be revealed. The high court ruling implies that the inquiry is not as independent as we had hoped. That last thing we want is another Widgery where the people of Derry are betrayed again," he said. Shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Andrew MacKay welcomed the ruling, claiming it was a "dreadful irony" that, at a time when the Parachute Regiment was operating in Kosovo the lives of former members were being put at risk. Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph newspaper gave an undertaking yesterday not to repeat allegedly libelous comment about some of the Bloody Sunday families. In the high court in Belfast the paper agreed not to re-publish a phrase contained in the issue of June 11. The written undertaking led to Mr Justice Kerr discharging a temporary injunction he granted on Tuesday to relatives of three of the Bloody Sunday victims. The injunction had been granted to Charles McGuigan, whose father Barney was killed by paratroopers, and John Nash and Michael McKinney, who each lost a brother. ================================================================= 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-06.23.99-13:24:57-1260