Sometimes a little slice of (real) life adds to the analysis/judgement.
Ellen Starbird
> IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP
> Thursday/Friday, 1/2 January, 1998
>
>
>1. Peace process under attack
>2. Family of five escapes murder bid
>3. McAliskey's fate in hands of British Home Secretary
>4. Sinn Fein TD's six months in Leinster House
>5. Analysis: Can they justify 'retaliation?'
>
>________________________________________________________________
>
>
>>>>> Peace process under attack
>
>
> Two indiscriminate murders by loyalists within five
> days coupled with hardline comments by unionist leaders
> has led to an outpouring of fear and anxiety over the
> future of peace efforts in the north of Ireland.
>
> Britain's governor in Ireland Mo Mowlam today called an
> unscheduled meeting of the north's political parties in
> Belfast on Monday to discuss the increasingly grave
> situation. She strongly criticised the recent murders,
> which she described as "nakedly sectarian" and "random
> acts of overt bigotry".
>
> On New Year's Eve, two loyalists entered the Clifton
> Tavern in north Belfast shortly after 9pm and raked the
> pub with gunfire from an Uzi sub-machinegun and a
> handgun.
>
> Hijacking a car in loyalist west Belfast, the loyalist
> death-squad drove to the nationalist Cliftonville Road
> where two members got out and walked casually to the
> pub, exchanging banter with locals. On reaching the
> door, the two men pulled masks over their heads and
> guns from under their coats before firing
> indiscriminately. Stunned customers dived behind tables
> but most had no time to move.
>
> Eddie Treanor, a 31-year-old father of one just begin
> New Year's festivities in his local pub when the gunmen
> entered. Eddie was pinned into a window seat and had no
> escape. He died shortly after being shot in the head.
> Five others were injured, two seriously.
>
> The attack followed another fatal gun attack on the
> Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon, County Tyrone at the
> weekend. Father of three Seamus Dillon, a hotel
> doorman, and three others, including a
> fourteen-year-old boy, were injured as masked gunmen
> attempted to shoot their way into a hotel ballroom
> where hundreds of teenagers were attending a Christmas
> disco.
>
> Last night, the breakaway Loyalist Volunteer Force
> which is opposed to the peace process claimed the
> Clifton Tavern shooting had been carried out by its
> "West Belfast brigade". But the LVF has no known
> support in west Belfast, and suspicion for the attack
> has fallen at least partly on members of the UFF
> ("Ulster Freedom Fighters"), using the LVF as a cover
> name.
>
> One well-known UFF killer did not attempt to hide his
> involvement, with eyewitnesses spotting him at the
> wheel of the getaway car. The UFF, also known as the
> UDA (Ulster Defence Army), is still represented at the
> peace talks at Stormont Castle in Belfast. The
> organisation has claimed to be adhering to a nominal
> ceasefire in order to preserve its position at the
> negotiating table, but has come under pressure to be
> expelled from the talks following this latest attack.
>
> Speaking at the scene of the New Year's Eve mass murder
> bid, a shocked Sinn Fein North Belfast representative
> Gerry Kelly expressed his condolences to Eddie
> Treanor's family and said his party was determined to
> end the conflict through inclusive negotiations.
>
> Mr. Kelly said: "Loyalist attacks on Catholics and
> unionist obstruction in the talks process are designed
> to subvert the peace process and minimise the potential
> for change. Neither the actions of loyalist death
> squads nor the behaviour of the Unionist leadership
> must be allowed to drag us back into the abyss from
> which we have come."
>
> The Sinn Fein negotiator said there was "an onerous
> responsibility" on the two governments, but
> particularly the British government, to push forward
> with the negotiations.
>
> Following the attacks, unionist politicians have loudly
> warned of the possible collapse of the peace process in
> the absence of gains for their community. Urging the
> resignation of Britain's governor in Ireland Mo Mowlam,
> Ulster Unionist party leader David Trimble claimed the
> two recent loyalists murders were due to a lack of
> concessions in the talks, but did not explain ten
> others last year.
>
> "There is very great concern within loyalist ranks at
> the moment because of the way in which the peace
> process has been operating, because they have seen it
> as something that operates solely to their
> disadvantage," he said.
>
> The UUP leader said there was "diminishing confidence"
> in Mo Mowlam and the peace process and urged her to
> resign. "I will do nobody any good to simply support
> someone who is not doing a good job," he told BBC
> Radio.
>
> In militant remarks, Trimble's deputy, Ken Maginnis,
> said what he called "retaliation" was inevitable
> following the murder of an LVF leader at Long Kesh
> prison on Saturday.
>
> "We all knew the danger there was of retaliation, and
> extended retaliation, because the LVF had said it would
> exact revenge for the death of Billy Wright," he told
> journalists, but he was not asked to explain what
> doorman Seamus Dillon or civil servant Eddie Treanor
> had done to merit their murder.
>
> Mr Maginnis also said that his community were
> "dispirited" and had been saying "the only thing that
> pays is violence" because of what he claimed was
> "concession after concession after concession" to
> Republicans.
>
> There has been an angry reaction to the unionist
> remarks, which one human rights group described as
> "appalling" and "offensive". "Loyalists need no excuse
> to kill innocent innocent Catholics. They have been
> doing so since 1966," a spokesman for the Derry-based
> Pat Finucane Centre pointed out.
>
> Sinn Fein Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin said he could
> not over-emphasise the need for "the utmost vigilance"
> and "detailed attention by nationalists to their
> personal security".
>
> Mr McLaughlin said the peace process was being
> deliberately put under pressure by an alliance of
> unionist politicians and loyalist killers.
>
> "Everyone must keep in mind that we are at a very
> critical stage in the peace process," he said. "The
> process itself is coming under attack from two fronts.
> We have those Unionist and Loyalist parties inside the
> talks process attempting to prevent substantive
> negotiation from within. And we have the Loyalist
> Murder Gangs complimenting this intransigence from
> outside the process through their campaigns of murder
> and intimidation to prevent even the slightest movement
> towards a democratic society based on equality, justice
> and peace."
>
> Mr McLaughlin said despite the pressures being exerted
> on the peace process, Sinn Fein would not be deflected
> from its commitment to seeking a negotiated settlement
> and urged others to "not allow themselves to be
> bullied".
>
> "We will keep our nerve. There is a tremendous onus on
> all other politicians who are genuinely interested in
> finding a just resolution to this conflict to also keep
> their nerve and redouble their responsibility to move
> the process forward in a positive manner and not to
> allow themselves to be bullied by those who refuse to
> negotiate."
>
>
>________________________________________________________________
>
>
>>>>> Family of five escapes murder bid
>
>
> The mass murder bid in north Belfast on Yew Year's Eve
> was followed early the next morning by a gun attack on
> a Catholic family home elsewhere in Belfast yesterday.
>
> Several shots were fired at the front of the house in
> Greymount shortly after 4am yesterday. The family of
> five asleep inside escaped injury.
>
> But last night the RUC police, who maintain a heavily
> militarised base just 200 yards from the house, could
> not explain why it took them so long to respond.
>
> They had already warned locals of the danger of
> sectarian attacks and had promised increased security
> folowing the shooting of Eddie Treanor nearby just six
> hours beforehand, but failed to respond to the attack
> on the home in Greymount.
>
> Yesterday the family whose home was attacked was too
> upset to talk to reporters. North Belfast Sinn Fein
> councillor Danny Lavery said an anonymous caller had
> contacted a bar in the area on Monday to threaten
> Catholics living in Greymount.
>
> It is understood the caller warned that any Catholics
> in the area had two weeks to leave. He named one man
> and said he would be shot if he did not leave
> immediately.
>
> Councillor Lavery accused unionist and loyalist leaders
> of "sabre-rattling" which offered an excuse for gunmen
> to "murder and intimidate the nationalist people".
>
>
>________________________________________________________________
>
>
>>>>> McAliskey's fate in hands of British Home Secretary
>
>
> Irish human rights victim Roisin McAliskey may be
> finally nearing the end of her ordeal at the hands of
> the British judicial system after the go-ahead was
> given for her appeal to British Home Secretary Jack
> Straw by a magistrate at Bow Street Court in central
> London today.
>
> Her lawyers said today's decision will clear the way
> for Jack Straw to decide on extensive legal arguments
> urging him to stop an extradition to Germany. With
> little or no evidence, the frail Tyrone woman has
> suffered some of the most inhumane conditions endured
> by an Irish political prisoner. Despite her pregancy
> and ill health, Roisin had been held at a high security
> unit at a London prison pending her extradition to
> Germany.
>
> Since her arrest 14 months ago for alleged involvement
> in an IRA attack on a British Army base, RUC police and
> prosecutors have yet to establish her whereabouts
> during June, 1996 when the attack took place. The RUC
> have so far ignored extensive documentary and
> eye-witness evidence confirming her presence in Ireland
> on the dates when they allege she was spotted in
> Germany. The individual who was said to have seen has
> himself cast doubt over this claim.
>
> The extradition hearing, which began in November 1996,
> had reached stalemate because of the magistrates'
> refusal to order her extradition in her absence.
> despite testomny by psychiatrists that she was
> medically unfit to appear.
>
> In May 1997, three days before her baby was born, she
> was released on bail by a High Court Judge and has been
> staying at a mother-and-baby unit at the Maudsley
> Hospital, south London, where she is being treated for
> post-traumatic stress disorder.
>
> Roisin was granted bail on the condition that:
>
> * She resides 24 hours a day in a hospital
> mother-and-baby unit.
> * That a surety of 100,000 pounds is taken.
> * A 95,000 pound security is deposited with solicitors.
> * She agrees to consent to all future medical and
> psychiatric reports.
>
> Speaking outside court, one supporter who contributed
> to the bail fund said he was not particularly
> optimistic about Mr Straw's forthcoming decision.
>
> He said: "We fear that the Government is so desperate
> to please loyalists that they will use Roisin as a
> sacrifice. I am not optimistic, but Mr Straw has
> evidence that Roisin is unwell and evidence that she is
> innocent."
>
> Afterwards, Roisin's mother, former mid-Ulster MP and
> prominent Republican Bernadette McAliskey, who was in
> court, said they were now eagerly awaiting Mr Straw's
> decision.
>
> She said: "At this point the Secretary of State has
> access to all the evidence and justice and reason will
> determine that he will refuse extradition.
>
> "My daughter is innocent. She is not charged with any
> offence and I believe we will resolve this matter
> fairly.
>
> "The most important thing is that the evidence put
> forward to sustain a hearing is fundamentally flawed.
> There is no evidence."
>
> Speaking of her daughter's health, she added: "It is
> difficult for her to make long-term progress but she
> has quiet courage and dignity."
>
>
>________________________________________________________________
>
>
>>>>> Sinn Fein TD's six months in Leinster House
>
>
> -----------------------------------
> MICHEAL MacDONNCHA, parliamentary aide to Caoimhghin O
> Caolain TD, reflects on the reality of life in the Big
> House of the 26-County parliament in Dublin.
> -----------------------------------
>
>
>
> Two reports landed on my desk here in Kildare House
> last week. One was full of Christmas cheer. The other
> struck a more sombre note.
>
> The first was a little Christmas present from the post
> office -- a brochure and stamps marking 75 years of
> 'Rialtas na hEireann', the anniversary of the
> foundation of the 26-County Free State on 6 December
> 1922. The text gushed with enthusiasm for the Celtic
> Tiger and the great achievements of the Irish in all
> fields of endeavour. It was a promotional publication,
> aimed primarily at international audiences. But the
> tone echoes that of our political class in the 26
> Counties, full of self-congratulation about the
> successes of the economy. We are all meant to share in
> the 'feelgood factor'. If we dissent we risk being
> stigmatised like the grumpy old man whose Christmas
> greeting was "Bah Humbug!"
>
> Of course the real Scrooges are not griping on the
> sidelines. They are actually running the country. The
> second report reminded us of that. It was from the
> Conference of Religious in Ireland and gave a detailed
> analysis of Charlie McCreevy's Budget for the Rich.
>
> Charlie is an old-fashioned politician. He doesn't have
> much time for ideas or ideologies. He likes
> horse-racing and has a down-to-earth style of delivery.
>
> He was truly disappointed when he was not universally
> praised for giving pensioners a rise of #5 per week. He
> was completely unruffled when it was pointed out that
> he had blown the best chance in years to narrow the
> inequality gap and lift many of our people out of
> poverty.
>
> Those of us with longish memories recall his Dirty
> Dozen cuts when, as Minister for Social Welfare in
> 1992, he cut benefits during the recession in the name
> of fiscal rectitude. During hard times the poor are
> made to pay.
>
> During better times the wealthy are rewarded. That,
> basically, is how the system works. Companies and
> wealthy individuals will have bulging Christmas
> stockings thanks to Charlie. The rest of us will
> struggle along as usual.
>
> In their constituencies the 81 Government TDs will
> encounter daily the hard realities which no amount of
> public relations can conceal. They will meet people
> living in cramped accommodation as they linger on
> endless housing lists.
>
> They will meet the unemployed, and some of the many
> thousands on the make-work schemes which are used to
> fiddle the true jobless figures. They will deal with
> innumerable social welfare issues.
>
> In such face-to-face meetings in their 'clinics',
> boasts about the Celtic Tiger will not work. So the
> government TDs will rely on their ability to convince
> people that because they are government TDs they have
> special access which will speed up claims and get the
> desired result. Once again, that's how the system
> works.
>
> Where can a progressive party that seeks fundamental
> change fit into all this?
>
> With great difficulty is the short answer. The two-fold
> challenge is immense. It is first to provide the
> service to constituents which they expect and deserve.
> It is then to put forward a consistent political
> programme, an alternative to the failed policies which
> have dominated for so long. This alternative needs to
> be constructive, offering real improvement in people's
> lives in the short term as well as in the long term.
>
> Place this burden on the shoulders of one TD, the sole
> representative of his party in Leinster House, and the
> size of the task becomes clear. And I haven't even
> mentioned the special responsibilities which
> participation in the peace process bring.
>
> We live in the most centralised state in Europe, and
> one of the most bureaucratic. Precious little power is
> devolved to local level. Conservatism is ingrained in
> the ethos of the civil service, mirroring that of their
> political colleagues of both the major parties. This
> means that people look to their elected representatives
> to short-circuit a system which is bewildering in its
> complexity and intransigence. It means that the vast
> majority of TDs spend virtually no time on law-making
> and policy formulation and nearly all their time on
> constituency work.
>
> Leafing through the newly published Guide to the 28th
> Dail and Seanad it is amazing the number of faces that
> I do not recognise. They are rarely seen around the
> corridors here. They are the mass of Fianna Fail and
> Fine Gael back-benchers who spend all their time on
> constituency work and only appear here as required by
> their party whips for lobby fodder when votes are
> called in the House.
>
> The business of forming policy and making laws is left
> to a very few people, a select group of ministers and
> top civil servants. These same people dictate the
> procedures of the legislature itself. They treat it as
> a kind of sausage machine. The meat is stuffed in one
> end and the regulation-size sausages come out the
> other. Their job is to ensure the smooth working of the
> machine.
>
> Political debate is incidental. Real political imput
> from TDs, representing the democratic voice of
> constituents, is negligible.
>
> All this is disguised by the niceties of parliamentary
> procedure and the ethos of Leinster House itself. Like
> most parliaments, its membership is male-dominated,
> mainly middle-aged and conservative. The stuffiness of
> the gentleman's club prevails. If you're not part of
> the old boy network -- the lobby fodder -- life is made
> very difficult for you.
>
> The sole Sinn Fein TD Caoimhghin O Caolain has
> encountered all this at first hand. Even the most basic
> democratic right -- his right to speak in the body to
> which he is elected -- is severely curtailed. The peace
> process may have led to a thaw towards Sinn Fein on a
> personal level (and that's by no means unanimous as you
> would see from some of the sour pusses in the
> corridors) but in here the political reality remains.
> We are a competing party, presenting an electoral
> challenge and a political alternative. No favours are
> expected or given.
>
> In response we must deploy hard work and struggle --
> nothing new for republicans. The workload of our TD is
> enormous. Constituency work is highly demanding and
> there is a big challenge to make full use of the
> political opportunities presented by membership of
> Leinster House, both for the people of Cavan/Monaghan
> and for Sinn Fein. We are learning lessons all the time
> which will be of use to future Sinn Fein
> representatives here. We are improving representation
> and service to constituents.
>
> We work in a system which we are trying to transform
> and that means that the most important arena is not in
> here but on the outside, in the community, where we
> build our political strength. It has been an
> unprecedented year for Sinn Fein in terms of building
> political strength. We made a breakthrough six months
> ago in Cavan/Monaghan. The story of the past six months
> has been one of efforts to make more breakthroughs, to
> push the boundaries further. Republicans have shown
> themselves well capable of breaking out of the jails
> and ghettoes made by their opponents. There will be
> many more escapes to come.
>
>________________________________________________________________
>
>
>>>>> Analysis: Can they justify 'retaliation?'
>
>
> By Dominic Doherty
>
>
> Many in the nationalist community in Ireland have
> pondered the use by the media and certain politicians
> of the term "retaliation" when referring to
> indiscriminate loyalist murders.
>
> Some also ask, why this description is never used when
> loyalists or members of the British security forces are
> killed by republicans.? Could it not be argued just as
> justifiably that republican killings of loyalists or
> British security force members are in "retaliation" for
> the sectarian murders of people in the nationalist
> community by loyalists or the "shoot-to-kill"
> operations and other state oppression by British
> government agencies?
>
> If the attempted mass murder at the Glengannon Hotel
> and the actual murder of Seamus Dillon was in
> "retaliation" for the killing of Billy "King Rat"
> Wright, how do you square the murders of John Slane,
> Sean Brown, Robert Hamill, Bernadette Martin, James
> Morgan and Gerry Devlin? Were they too killed in
> "retaliation?" If so, for whom?
>
> Why did the media not describe the shooting of Billy
> Wright as being in "retaliation" for the murders of
> these six Catholics? These victims were murdered simply
> because they were easy targets for cowards who take
> minimum risk while carrying out purely sectarian
> murders.
>
> Do these politicians and media commentators not realize
> the hurt they inflict by seeming to give tacit
> justification to these loyalist thugs by referring to
> the indiscriminate murder of their loved ones as
> "retaliation?"
>
> Did any of them give any consideration to the facts
> surrounding the attack on the Glengannon Hotel?
>
> The car used in the attack was hijacked in Portadown
> after six o'clock on the evening of the attack. It's
> highly improbably that those who hijacked the car
> decided on the spur of the moment to drive to the
> Glengannon Hotel to carry out that attack. It's more
> probable this attack was planned prior to the killing
> of Billy Wright to ensure the killers would have ample
> opportunity to make good their escape.
>
> The attack on the Glengannon was nothing more than the
> continuation of the unjustifiable loyalist campaign of
> sectarian murder and intimidation of the nationalist
> community, which it has been claimed was being directed
> by Billy Wright from his prison cell.
>
> Who will the next unfortunate Catholic victim be in
> "retaliation for?" Perhaps the death of Billy Wright
> will be good enough in their minds to be used to
> justify as many murders of nationalists as it takes
> until they can come up with a new reason for
> "retaliation?"
>
> The media and politicians should stop giving credence
> to the myth which has been promulgated over the years
> that loyalist violence is "reactive." Since the
> foundation of the state, loyalists have never needed an
> excuse for killing Catholics, other than their own pure
> bigotry. The sooner the media stop giving tacit
> justification for these killings, and stop using the
> description "retaliation" for sectarian murder, the
> better.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------
> -- --
> -- From RM_Distribution --
> -- an Irish Republican news --
> -- and information service. --
> -- --
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>
>
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>
>RMD980102133351p9
