SAOIRSE32

On all three of the SAOIRSE32 sites, I have had a site tracker from Webstats4u, formerly Nedstat Basic. Today I noticed these huge malicious pop-up pages whenever I clicked on two of the sites. I am not 100% positive, but I believe they were coming from the Webstats4u site tracker–the tiny blue box icon–so I have removed it from the Blogspot and the Blogsome sites. It does not appear to be causing a problem on the Livejournal site yet. If you are still seeing the blue site tracker icon or experiencing the pop-up ‘iLead’ page, clear your cache and reload. Hopefully this will solve the problem–or you can view the site at Livejournal for awhile. If I notice a problem there, I will remove that site tracker also. Sorry for the hassle.

Go >>here

Daily Ireland

Jude Collins
16/02/2006

For harassed Dublin drivers, it’s probably the last thing they need, but inside the next couple of weeks the capital’s main thoroughfare will be blocked off to facilitate the sound of marching feet on two separate occasions. Both events will draw a considerable number of onlookers, both events will feature heavily on the television news, and both will evoke strong feelings North and South.
The first, to take place later this month, will be organised by Willie Frazer. Like many people in the North of Ireland, Willie lost relatives during the Troubles and this has motivated him to organise some 1,000 unionists on a march through O’Connell Street and up to the gates of Leinster House for a rally. He hopes Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, can be persuaded to take part.
The march, Willie says, is to commemorate victims of Northern violence, and relatives and friends of all victims are welcome. But since Ulster and Union flags will be carried and a couple of Orange bands will lead the march, it’s a safe bet that Pat Finucane family members or Bloody Sunday victims’ relatives will not be part of the parade.
Willie argues that his march should be allowed to take place, since the South claims to be a democracy; besides, the southern state needs to know that northern unionists resent the South’s meddling in their affairs. Those opposed to the Frazer march argue that it is selective about the kind of victim it is prepared to commemorate, it will be led by bands from an anti-Catholic organisation, and that its sole aim will be to irritate and intimidate.
People will make up their own mind which side has the better of the argument, but certainly negative southern reaction so far shows a selective sense of outrage.
When similar marches occurred in places like Portadown and Bellaghy and the Lower Ormeau, the people of the South tended to shrug and wonder aloud why northern nationalists couldn’t manage to live and let live – sure it’d all be over in 20 minutes.
Now that a similar march is scheduled for Dublin, the phone-ins are hopping with the sound of angry voices denouncing the idea of Orange bigots marching where they’re not wanted.
Instructive or what? When agitation and conflict are happening ‘up there’, it’s easy to urge sweet reasonableness in response. When the drums come thudding up to your own door, what looked in the distance like an interesting cultural custom becomes alarmingly like a case of coat-trailing.
The second march will be at Easter and will involve some 2,000 soldiers of the Irish army marching past the GPO. This will be organised by Bertie Ahern and will aim to commemorate the sacrifice of those who led the 1916 Rising. The Fianna Fáil leader believes that the events of that year belong to no single group or party, and so he has decreed that a military parade, left dormant for decades, be resumed.
Again, the planning for this march has provoked differing responses.
Some agree with the Taoiseach that the nation owes a debt to the men whose sacrifice led to the creation of the southern state. Others, like the soft-spoken Senator, David Norris, argue that to honour these men is dangerous, since they engaged in violence and they might provide a bad example for others.
On the face of it, the two marches have little in common, other than happening along O’ Connell Street. Willie says he’s concerned to honour unionist victims of republican paramilitarism and wishes to demonstrate the depth of unionist feeling. Bertie says he’s concerned to honour republican victims of British militarism and wishes to demonstrate the depth of nationalist feeling. Couldn’t get much more opposite than that.
But look a bit closer and more important similarities start to show.
Willie Frazer’s feelings for what he calls ‘innocent relatives’ is probably genuine, particularly since he would include himself among them. But if you have innocent relatives, then there must be such a thing as guilty relatives, and in Willie’s book, that’s the families of people who were in some way involved with republicanism and were shot dead by the British security forces. They got what they deserved.
And when the Orange bands go thudding down O’Connell Street it will be to drive home that got-what-was-coming-to-them sub-text as much as it will be a commemoration of unionists killed during the 30-year Northern conflict.
There’s a sub-text to Bertie’s Easter parade as well. On the face of it, it’s a formal salute on the 90th anniversary of 1916 to those who fought and gave their lives all those years ago. Who could quarrel with that except maybe the peace-loving Senator Norris? But, of course, Bertie didn’t get Charlie Haughey’s ‘most cunning, devious’, etc, description without having earned it. In this case, like Willie Frazer, there’s no doubt a part of Bertie that is sincere: he does want to celebrate the sacrifice of Pádraig Pearse and his followers.
But there’s another part of him that, like Willie Frazer, wants to draw distinctions. Willie wants to distinguish between victims, Bertie wants to distinguish between combatants.
In particular, the Taoiseach wants to distinguish between the republican violence in pursuit of political ends that characterised 1916 and the years that followed, and republican violence in pursuit of political ends in the North that characterised the early 1970s and the years that followed.
Bertie would have liked my late mother-in-law. Upset by yet another Northern headline, she would sometimes sigh and say “Ah, the old IRA – now they were nice”.
But even as he’s keen to break any suggestion of a thread running from 1916 to present-day politics, Bertie is aware that something profound is happening throughout Ireland, and if he and his party don’t take account of it they could pay a heavy price, starting in the next election.
Bertie knows, just as Enda Kenny knows, and Pat Rabbitte knows, and Mark Durkan knows, that there is a tide of nationalist sentiment rising throughout this island, one that as recently as ten years ago would have been unthinkable, and that shows no sign of subsiding.
Bertie/Enda/Pat/Mark, and their allies in the media, have done and continue to do as much as they can to turn it back, but it’s becoming increasingly obvious the damned thing’s got too big.
And that’s the sub-text of Bertie’s planned parade on O’ Connell Street this Easter. On the face of it, Bertie, like Willie, is doing no more than honouring those who gave their lives in an honourable cause. But behind the scenes of official celebration, a sense of suppressed consternation prevails. Bertie knows that Fianna Fáil has a choice.
It either learns to ride this wave of nationalism that is coming, or it drowns. What looks like an O’Connell Street saluting stand is really a FF surf-board.

Jude Collins is an academic, writer and broadcaster. His latest novel is Leave of Absence (TownHouse, £6.99; €9.99)

Irelandclick

The postal strike took another bitter twist yesterday as workers accused Royal Mail of taking photographs and collating files on striking staff.

Two postmen, who wish to remain anonymous, contacted the Andersonstown News this week to voice concerns for their safety in the light of claims that files were being created containing personal details, including photographs, of the strikers.

“We were informed by an impeccable source in the Tomb Street building that dossiers were being created on those considered to be militant,” said one postman.

“We were told this by someone we trust 100 per cent but we know that Royal Mail will, and must, deny this because it is illegal.

“This is just another form of the bullying that lies at the crux of the problem. The climate of fear that the management has created is shocking, people are wary and frightened about talking to the media, but we need to get our side of the story out.”

The second postman said an agreement must be made in order to avoid further industrial action in the future.

“We are by no means a radical workforce, we are quite the opposite actually. Our work is a race against the clock, everyone gets the job done as quick as they can, it’s for everyone’s benefit but the situation is being made difficult due to the attitude of some members of the management.

“These issues must be resolved before we go back, the management want to break the union so they can steamroll through their procedures unhindered. We cannot and will not let that happen.”

Royal Mail dismissed the men’s allegations saying the claims were “patently not the case.”

Journalist:: Staff Journalist

icwales.co.uk

Darren Devine
Feb 16 2006
Western Mail

WALES ‘pioneered’ Guantanamo-Bay-style prison camps with a detention centre used to hold the men who went on to win the Republic of Ireland’s independence, it was claimed yesterday.

About 1,800 Irishmen were held at the Frongoch camp near Bala, in North Wales, including figures who would go on to play key roles in the Republic’s first Government.

The author of a new book on the camp points to parallels between the treatment of Irishmen imprisoned at Frongoch after the Easter Rising rebellion of 1916 and the terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay.

Welsh broadcaster and journalist Lyn Ebenezer, whose book Fron-Goch and the birth of the IRA is being launched in Ireland later this month, said, “In Frongoch they were there without charge and without trial as in Guantanamo. Of the 500 in Guantanamo only 10 have been charged.

“Another interesting connection is that at Guantanamo the detainees have turned to hunger strikes, which also happened at Frongoch.

“In 1916 there were as many as 200 on hunger strike in Frongoch.”

Among those imprisoned was Michael Collins, who later negotiated the settlement with the British authorities that led to the creation of the Republic.

Instead of crushing the sprit of those detained, Frongoch effectively became a university for nationalists from all over Ireland and reinvigorated their opposition to British rule.

Mr Ebenezer believes Guantanamo, as was the case with Frongoch, contains a mix of radicals and apolitical prisoners who were simply caught up in the US’s war on terror.

At Frongoch, those indifferent to politics were radicalised by their closeness to so many leading Irish nationalists and Mr Ebenezer believes Guantanamo may be similarly counter-productive.

“There were men at Frongoch who had nothing to do with the Easter Rising, but they were all thrown in together and they then became sympathetic to the movement.

“There must be a few in Guantanamo with no connection with terrorism. Some will have been together there for four years - that’s long enough to generate a hell of a lot of hatred.

“At Frongoch the longest anyone stayed for was seven months.”

Frongoch started life as Wales’s first whiskey distillery, but when the company folded the building was later converted to a prison camp for German soldiers captured during the First World War.

When they left, the men who orchestrated the Easter Rising took their place in January 1916 and most of these were released around seven months later, with only a hard-core remaining.

The men held at Frongoch were members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, but they would later rename the organisation the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Mr Ebenezer said the prisoners attracted the sympathy of local Welsh people, but throughout the rest of Wales they were viewed, as in England, as terrorists.

“All the research I’ve done shows they were treated very fairly by local people, who deplored the way they were treated by the British.

“But as far as the rest of Wales goes the reaction was exactly as it was in England - even trade unionists turned against them and regarded them as terrorists.”

During the 1930s the prison camp at Frongoch fell into dereliction, with some of the buildings sold off to local farmers.

Ironically, relatives of those imprisoned there returned in the 1950s - but not to see the site of their forebears’ imprisonment.

Instead, the Irish who arrived 40 years later came to work on the controversial Llyn Celyn reservoir, which was created after the tiny Gwynedd village of Tryweryn was drowned.

Irish Voice

By Mairead Carey

THE only original copy of the Irish national anthem is to go under the hammer in the coming weeks, in an auction of memorabilia from the Easter Rising of 1916.

A typewriter belonging to Michael Collins, a Tricolor said to have flown over the GPO during the Easter Rising, and the telegram from the British government announcing the formation of the Irish free state are also up for grabs.

So too are poignant letters from the leaders of the rising to their loved ones, written the night before their execution.

Among them are a letter from Thomas Clarke to his wife Kathleen, and a letter from fellow rebel Sean McDermott to the mayor of Limerick.

Auctioneers believe that the written copy of the anthem “The Soldier’s Song” or “Amhran na bhFiann” will fetch between ¤800,000 and ¤1.2 million and is likely to go to a bidder outside the state.

The song was written by Peadar Kearney on two pieces of paper nine years before the rising but was popularized by the 1916 rebels. It was chosen as the national anthem in 1926.

Despite the recent attempts by the Irish government to reclaim the spirit of 1916 from the Republican movement, there has been no indication that it will pay for the items to be kept in this country.

The auction, to be known as the “Independence Sale,” will be jointly hosted by James Adam and Sons and Mealy’s Auctioneers in the James Adam salesrooms in Dublin during the week of April 12, which coincides with Easter.

“This sale is unique in every respect. No sale of such national importance has ever been held before, and we imagine it won’t be matched for a long time after,” said Stuart Cole, director of James Adam and Sons. “Many of the items consigned for auction are one-offs.”

BN.ie

16/02/2006 - 14:34:04

Political sources in the United States have said they expect Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams to be denied a fundraising visa for St Patrick’s Day.

Sinn Féin has applied for a visa that would allow Mr Adams to attend a fundraising function in Washington on March 16.

However, US sources say the chances of him securing the visa are remote.

Mr Adams decided not to attend a similar function last year after the Bush administration barred him from fundraising due the IRA’s alleged involvement in the Northern Bank raid and the murder of Robert McCartney.

BN.ie

16/02/2006 - 15:35:26

The decision not to interview four key suspects in the murder of a Dundalk forestry worker 30 years ago was probably political, a judge said today.

Seamus Ludlow (aged 47) was abducted by loyalist paramilitaries in Co Louth and shot dead on May 2, 1976, but gardaí never interviewed the suspects identified by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) 18 months later.

At the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Judge Henry Barron was asked if this decision had been taken because of the volatile situation at the time.

“I think the reality is that it was probably political,” he replied.

Committee member Senator Jim Walsh suggested that while he did not agree with it, one possibility was that the Government did not want the loyalist suspects interviewed because it might inflame republican sympathies.

In his report into Seamus Ludlow’s death, Judge Barron said it was most probable the decision not to carry out the interviews with the Northern Ireland-based suspects was made by former Garda Commissioner Laurence Wren, then head of the Garda C3 security section.

The two Garda detectives who received the information from the RUC in 1979 never received authorisation from C3 to travel across the border again to follow it up, despite the fact that two of the suspects were in prison and readily available for interview.

Judge Barron told the committee he stood over his report’s conclusion, despite strong denials from Mr Wren that he had any involvement in the decision.

“It must have been made by the most senior member and that was Mr Wren,” he said.

Labour TD Joe Costello said that, in his opinion, this failure to interview the key suspects meant there had never been a proper murder investigation by the gardaí.

The four suspects named in Judge Barron’s report – Paul Hosking, James Fitzsimmons, Richard Long and Samuel Carroll – were arrested in the North in 1998, but the DPP there decided not to prosecute them because of insufficient evidence.

Judge Barron said he would have liked to have seen the RUC files on the Ludlow murder while compiling his report, but this was not possible because he got no co-operation from the British authorities.

Independent TD Finian McGrath asked him if there were any other avenues for the committee to investigate.

“It’s an awful long time ago. That’s the problem. Everything seems to suggest that four men were in public bars in the state (on the night of Ludlow’s murder). At the time, if photographs were shown to people, they might have identified them,” said Judge Barron.

The family of Seamus Ludlow, who have travelled from Dundalk to attend each committee hearing, are calling for a full public inquiry into his murder.

They are set to give a public statement through their solicitor, James McGuill, at the final committee hearing next week.

Judge Barron’s fourth and final report into bombings in Dundalk in the 1970s is within a week of completion, but its publication may be delayed to see if the names of those allegedly responsible can be included.

Daily Ireland

Ahern ‘buckles under pressure’ - Taoiseach capitulated to Fine Gael and Labour pressure and shelved plans to let North’s MPs take part in Oireachtas debates, claims Sinn Féin

by Senan Hogan
16/02/2006

The Taoiseach has caved into opposition pressure and abandoned plans for an all-Ireland Oireachtas forum involving Northern MPs, Sinn Féin said yesterday.
Sinn Féin had called for the North’s 18 Westminster representatives to be allowed to take part in all-party debates on specific issues relevant to their constituencies.
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, the party’s Dáil leader, yesterday said that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had capitulated on the issue as a result of pressure from Fine Gael and the Labour Party to shelve the proposals.
“This is a capitulation of the highest order and it undermines Mr Ahern’s ability to adequately stand up for the rights of all citizens on the island of Ireland,” he said.
Mr Ó Caoláin said Mr Ahern now wanted to water down his proposals to let MPs appear at Oireachtas committees. This limited MPs to the same billing as dozens of lobby groups, the Sinn Féin TD said.
Mr Ahern earlier told the Dáil that several political parties had difficulties with the original proposals, which had been recommended by the Oireachtas all-party committee on the constitution in 2003.
The Taoiseach denied that he was abandoning plans to let Northern MPs have a role in Oireachtas debates.
“I’ve listened to what everybody has said and I’ve taken account of the views of all the parties.
“I accept that several parties have reservations about the proposal so I’m currently considering those responses and have an opportunity to come back with a different proposal.
“It’s obvious that the House will not agree to anything other than Northern parties coming to the committee to make normal presentations and discuss issues in committee. That seems to be what the end point is, so I will come back with that suggestion,” said Mr Ahern.
Mr Ó Caoláin told the Dáil that Mr Ahern’s revelation alarmed him.
“I am disquieted, to say the least, that you are now considering something which is much less than the thrust of the committee’s recommendation – namely, an accommodation involving existing committees outside the Dáil chamber, which amounts to the same access that any lobby or interest group can avail of,” he said.
Mr Ó Caoláin said several communities – not just nationalists and republicans – in the North had been given the false hope that the proposal would become a reality.
“It is absolutely reprehensible that the Taoiseach now appears to have caved into the partitionist demands of Fine Gael and Labour.
“This is an appalling capitulation by the Taoiseach and raises serious questions about his integrity on this very important issue,” he said.
However, Mr Ahern said he hoped his amended proposals would be in line with the all-party committee report and consistent with the Good Friday Agreement.
“I’m not abandoning it and I don’t intend to. I have to take into account the views of the parties. I don’t intend to abandon it,” he told the Dáil.
Speaking at a small protest outside the Dáil after the Taoiseach’s remarks, Mr Ó Caoláin said the matter would be raised at the Sinn Féin Ard-Fheis in Dublin this weekend.

Belfast Telegraph

OAPs fearful after homes attacked

By Claire Regan
16 February 2006

Pensioners living in a tight-knit Protestant community last night spoke of their fear after a group of thugs went on the rampage, shouting sectarian abuse and attacking homes.

Windows in four homes belonging to elderly and disabled residents in Boyd Street, in the Lower Shankill area of Belfast, were smashed when a group of young men and one woman attacked them with traffic cones at around 2.30am yesterday. correct

At least one car was damaged and several front doors had visible boot marks where the youths had tried to kick them in.

Police have confirmed they are treating the incident as sectarian after the hooligans were heard shouting “Orange b******s” and “Up the ‘Ra” as they made their way along the street.

William Hood (60), who suffers ill health, has lived in the street for 38 years.

He had to get his living room window replaced yesterday after a traffic cone was hurled through it, smashing a lamp, destroying a set of blinds and damaging a table.

He said residents have to deal with abuse from people walking through the street at night on a regular basis.

He said: “We are absolutely sick of this happening. This is a very quiet area and we just want to live here in peace.

“But this is happening nearly every day now. We’ve had enough. There must be something the police can do.”

Neighbour Edward Carson and his wife Elizabeth, both aged 59, were woken by “shouting and barging” outside.

“They threw a cone at the front window but luckily the window didn’t smash. When I went out the next morning, I noticed a large dent on my car where the door had been kicked at,” Mr Carson said.

“They then smashed in the front window of the woman’s home next door. It’s pathetic.”

DUP MLA Diane Dodds visited residents whose homes were attacked.

She said it was believed the group were coming from the city centre and used the street as a short cut on their way to the Carrick Hill or New Lodge areas.

“This is a very vulnerable community because of its proximity to the city centre and this has been happening on a fairly regular basis. These residents, many of whom have lived here for a very long time, shouldn’t have to put up with this.”

Irelandclick

by Francesca Ryan

Hundreds of people turned out yesterday for the protest against a proposed asbestos dump in the heart of West Belfast. (Photo: Mark Jones - Daily Ireland)

Politicians, community representatives and families who have lost relatives to asbestos-related diseases stood shoulder to shoulder at the rally outside the offices of Grove Services Group. They heard Sinn Féin councillor Paul Maskey promise that West Belfast would not stand by and let the dangerous substance be stored in this community.

Anxious parents, concerned pensioners and children listened intently as Councillor Maskey reaffirmed his commitment to getting the plans shelved.
“We will not allow this to happen in Andersonstown. If this application is given the go-ahead, it will act as a green light for other companies to do the same across Belfast.”

Local environmentalist Terry Enright and Sheila Smith, who poured out her heart to the Andersonstown News a few weeks back about the experience of losing her father to mesothelioma, also spoke at the protest in the Kennedy Way Industrial Estate.

“The large turnout today shows the deep concern the people of West Belfast have about these plans,” said SDLP councillor for the area, Tim Attwood.

“It is just incredible to think that the planners have agreed to an asbestos dump so close to a large housing estate, a nursery school and business park.

“It is probable that asbestos will be transferred from across the North to here.

“Reports have shown that there is a high risk of asbestos escaping from bags being transported to the dump, and a medium risk of the deadly dust escaping during manual handling by plant workers. This is totally unacceptable.

“There are serious problems with planning decisions being taken here, there are obvious health concerns involved and public protest appears to be the only way to oppose this application.

“I would encourage people to continue to get involved to see these plans killed off.”

Sean Paul O’Hare, Director of Féile an Phobail, added his support to the campaign.

“I am here to show my opposition to plans for an asbestos storage facility here in West Belfast,” he said.

“We have long been trying to make positive contributions towards making the area a better place – a facility like this contributes nothing and is a negative factor.

“The people here today are sending a clear message that this asbestos facility isn’t welcome in West Belfast.”

Terry Enright of the Black Mountain Environmental Group said the plans were the latest “in a litany of abuses”.

“The turnout here is great and people need to keep up the momentum, they need to be writing away and telephoning those who are making these irresponsible decisions.

“People are voicing their concerns about the impact on health and on the environment but they are basically being ignored. In my eyes, this is just the latest in a litany of abuses against the people of West Belfast.

“The planners need to be held accountable for their decisions.”

Councillor Maskey told the Andersonstown News last night that he was very pleased with the turnout.

“This is only the first protest of many, we plan to keep this up for as long as is necessary, we cannot stand by and let this happen.

“People have shown enough concern to come out here today, for many it is their lunch hour but they wanted their voices to be heard and hopefully now Grove Services will listen.”

Councillor Maskey, along with representatives from Andersonstown’s Link and Tullymore community centres, will be meeting with Grove Services’ Managing Director, Dougie Sloan, today.

“Mr Sloan asked to meet with us on Thursday, to me this is an exercise in PR because the media spotlight is on him. Today’s rally was a success in that it brought us to the meeting table. Grove had stonewalled everyone until the last minute, they thought we wouldn’t pull the rally off but we did and this is a good result.”

Responding to Mr Sloan’s claim that Grove will only be handling “low-grade” asbestos, Councillor Maskey said: “At the end of the day, asbestos is asbestos and it only takes one speck to be inhaled to lead to a potential fatality. If this application is given the go-ahead, Grove can bring in the high-grade stuff in the following week and there is nothing that anyone will be able to do.

“This is just one of the points we will be discussing with Mr Sloan on Thursday.”

———————

Last-ditch response from GSG

“Our premises are not in a densely populated area. We are situated in the middle of an isolated, off-road industrial estate”.
Dougie Sloan, Managing Director,
Grove Services Group

by Francesca Ryan

Yesterday morning, just hours before the planned protest rally at the offices of Grove Services Group, the company’s Managing Director, Dougie Sloan, finally contacted the Andersonstown News.

Mr Sloan said he was moving “to allay public concern” about the proposals for an asbestos storage facility at his Andersonstown premises. In fact, he issued a general statement to the media and has still failed to answer all the questions we put to him 38 days ago.

Grove Services had remained silent despite being pressed by the Andersonstown News, amongst others, to answer a number of questions relating to the security precautions to be taken to contain the potentially deadly asbestos fibres that will be stored at Blackstaff Way if the application is given the green light.

Mr Sloan said in his statement that he had been unable to comment until now as the application is still with the Planning Department but said he wanted “to put the record straight” on what he admits is “a highly emotive subject”.

“The company would not contemplate or do anything that would endanger the health of our employees, or the health of the public,” said Mr Sloan.
“We will only be dealing with the very lowest grade asbestos: asbestos sheeting from roofs, the lining of chimneys, even old PVC tiles from kitchen floors.

“It’s called bonded asbestos: it’s already sealed in. This is not limpet or friable asbestos, which is classified as the highest risk.”

Mr Sloan refuted allegations that his company were putting financial profit before the health of those living and working in West Belfast.

“We plan to undertake this work because the government has failed to provide adequate facilities elsewhere,” he said before countering claims that his company, and the proposed asbestos site, are situated in a densely populated area. “Our premises are not in a densely populated area. We are situated in the middle of an isolated, off-road industrial estate.

“Any storage at our premises off the Kennedy Way will be temporary, not permanent. And how fast or frequently it will be transferred to Scotland for disposal will depend on the volume collected. We don’t know that yet.”

The Andersonstown News has reported that a security assessment carried out by Grove Services themselves in the summer of 2004 revealed that there was a “high risk” of the escape and ingestion of asbestos fibres due to either the rupture of asbestos bags during carriage to or from a vehicle, a vehicle accident or a fire in the vehicle.

“The application has to factor in all worst case scenarios. That is required by legislation,” reads the statement

“It has to cover all asbestos types, even though we will be dealing solely with the bonded, sealed variety: the lowest risk category.

“In the planning application, we have committed ourselves to taking all steps humanly and technically possible to guarantee the safe and secure collection, storage and transportation of asbestos.

“The material will be transported and stored in enclosed steel containers which exceed all the requirements of industrial, Health, Environmental and Transport laws.

“This covers air-proofing, weatherproofing, fireproofing and vandal-proofing.” Mr Sloan was eager to stress that he understood why the community was concerned and emphasised that, as far as he was concerned, locals would not be put at risk.

“We understand and respect the concern being expressed in the community. That is why we have taken all the steps outlined in this statement.

“Our health and safety record is exemplary. If we had any major concerns about this latest development we would not progress with what we see as providing a service to the community.

“I stress again: we would not contemplate or do anything that would endanger the health of our employees, or the health of the public.”

RTÉ

16 February 2006 12:22

The United Nations has published its report on the United States detention camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and said the facility has undermined international law.

The document charges that the US treatment of detainees violated their rights to physical and mental health and in some cases amounted to torture.

About 500 people are currently imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay many of whom were detained in Afghanistan more than four years ago.

The UN’s Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Novak, says the US should give all inmates a proper trial or free them and close down the camp.

The authors of the report also call for the prosecution of US officials who may have been involved in torture.

The United States has already responded to leaks from the report, rejecting the findings as ‘baseless assertions’ and pointing out that its authors had never visited the prison.

Ahead of the report’s publication, the most senior UN human rights official said there was little alternative to closing the detention camp.

Louise Arbor, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, said some of the inmates there had been held for so long that even a greater involvement from the US judicial system in their cases would not be enough to undo the damage.

RTÉ

16 February 2006 11:34

Police in Northern Ireland are investigating a link between a petrol bomb attack in west Belfast this morning and the killing of a local man, Gerard Devlin, earlier this month.

The device, which failed to ignite, was thrown at a house in the Ballymurphy area at around 4.30am. A bin was also set on fire.

Yesterday, two windows were broken in the same area.

Mr Devlin, a 39-year-old father of six, was killed as he called to collect his children from Whitecliff Parade in Ballymurphy two weeks ago.

Four people have been charged with his murder.

BN.ie

16/02/2006 - 10:49:16

A member of MI5 tried to coax loyalists into launching a bomb attack on Martin McGuinness’s home, he alleged today.

As the British government prepared to publish legislation enabling the transfer of policing and justice powers to a future devolved administration at Stormont, Sinn Féin’s chief negotiator any lead role it may give to MI5 in running informers and agents in the North.

He also claimed a considerable amount of work on policing and justice would still have to be done before his party could participate on bodies designed to hold the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to account.

Mr McGuinness said: “We are totally opposed to any MI5 role in intelligence-gathering, let alone giving it the lead role.

“In the circumstances of restored political institutions, we believe it should be the responsibility of the government in the North to deal with all of these matters.

“Anyone who knows anything about the history of MI5 knows it has played a very negative role in events in the North over the past 25 years.

“Indeed I was informed at one stage that a member of MI5 tried to encourage a leading loyalist paramilitary to throw 30lb of gelignite through the window of a house I was living in in Derry.

“The experience of MI5 among republicans has been very bad and I have to say anyone who thinks it is acceptable for MI5 to have a role in intelligence-gathering is living in cloud cuckoo land.”

MI5 is expected to take over the primary responsibility from the Police Service of Northern Ireland for running agents and informers in the North in late 2007.

In preparation for its role, the organisation is believed to be preparing to move to a new base in at Palace Barracks in Holywood, Co Down.

The proposal has, however, been criticised by SDLP leader Mark Durkan who warned British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a meeting in London yesterday that his party would oppose any role for MI5 because it will be unaccountable to the Policing Board or an executive at Stormont.

PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde has, however, defended the move, calling it a healthy split in responsibilities.

With Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain due to announce a new look Policing Board in April, there has also been considerable interest in whether Sinn Féin will take up the seats it has so far refused.

Republicans will not participate in the board because they argue police reforms have not gone far enough despite their endorsement by the Catholic Church, the Irish and US Governments and the SDLP.

They have also accused elements within the PSNI of authorising and mounting politically-motivated policing operations against republicans.

Sinn Féin has long argued for legislation committing the British government to the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont.

However as his party prepared to debate 37 motions on policing and justice affecting members on both sides of the border at its annual conference in Dublin this weekend, Mr McGuinness said there was still considerable work to be done.

“In the negotiations that took place in December 2004 Sinn Fein outlined what was required,” he said.

“In the course of the coming days we are going to see the enabling legislation made public. That will have to be examined very carefully to see if it meets the needs of our constituents.

“So there’s still quite a lot of work to do. The publication of the enabling legislation on its own is not going to be enough to resolve differences.

“There will also have to be crucial discussions between the Democratic Unionist Party, Sinn Féin and others about how we deal with policing and justice in the context of a restored Assembly.

“There are a lot of ideas circulating as to how a department would work and how it would fit into the 10 ministries. We have our own ideas but we want to hear what the DUP and others have to say.”

BBC

The government is to unveil legislation which could lend fresh momentum to Northern Ireland’s political process.

The Northern Ireland Bill will enable the secretary of state to transfer policing and justice powers to local politicians if he deems it appropriate.

Political Development Minister David Hanson is due to hold talks at Stormont with some of the parties.

He will focus on possible changes to the rules of any future Stormont Assembly.

Devolved government at Stormont was suspended in 2003 following allegations of a republican spy ring at the Northern Ireland Office.

The new bill is expected to make new provisions for the devolution of policing and justice powers so that a speedy transition could be made once the assembly reaches agreement on the matter.

The bill will also deal with the funding of political parties and a number of other measures.

BBC NI’s political editor Mark Devenport said the Northern Ireland Bill could be described as an “Uncle Tom Cobbley and all” law.

The prime minister will not visit NI next week

“Ministers have loaded measures to cover a wide range of topics into the bill in order to avoid having to seek more time at Westminster,” he said.

“The bill will enable the secretary of state to transfer policing and justice powers to local politicians when he deems it appropriate.”

It is believed that a discussion paper will set out various models, including the possibility of two ministers from different parties sharing the responsibility.

Sinn Fein has demanded this bill, but the DUP appears negative about the details.

On party funding, it is thought the official watchdog body, the Electoral Commission, will have to be informed about donations.

Unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, Irish citizens resident abroad will be allowed to give money to parties in Northern Ireland.

It is understood there are measures to provide an all-Ireland electricity market and to allow a future assembly to borrow more money.

There is also a measure offering the secretary of state flexibility to call a snap election.

On Wednesday, Downing Street sources told the BBC that a planned visit to Northern Ireland next week by Prime Minister Tony Blair had been cancelled.

The sources said after meeting the DUP, UUP and SDLP on Wednesday, “Mr Blair was developing an idea of the direction in which the government should go”.

It is understood Mr Blair wants to meet Sinn Fein and reflect on the views of all the parties before making a speech.

Irish American News

Chris Fogarty
February 2006

**Via The Blanket

As this column reports news that the rest of the news media cover up, corrections of fact remain warmly welcome and will be included in the following month’s column. So far, none — after ten years..

Gerry Adams & Co. (A & Co) - patriots or traitors? You decide: “by their fruits ye shall know them.” Here are their fruits.

Denis Donaldson, top Sinn Fein (SF) operative and head man at SF’s Stormont Castle offices, was a key Adams confidant for more than three decades until being “outed” last month. On RTE television he admitted being a paid operative for Britain’s MI5 for at least the past two decades. How did MI5, through Donaldson, get SF to front for the reimposition of British rule in Ireland? If A & Co were not complicit with Donaldson how could they have possibly failed to notice the new Brit policy that MI5 was imposing on Occupied Ireland? After all, the treason was inescapably obvious for years to the casual observer even here in Chicago.

Michael Flannery. As far back as 1986 this New York life-tong supporter (RIP) of Irish freedom, spotted A & Co as traitors and permanently severed ties with them. He also resigned from A & Co’s subservient Irish Northern Aid (INA) and re-established the Friends of Irish Freedom (FOIF) in the U.S. The FOIF supported the SF’rs who had not sold out. These were (are) led by the O Bradaigh family. Dathi O Connell (RIP) et al who still operate as Republican Sinn Fein (RSF). At that time I was of the opinion that the split of SF in Ireland would not cause splits in Irish-America (IA) if we were careful. Flannery remained faithful to republicanism until his death in his 90s. A & Co attempted to marginalize him for rejecting the sell-out and exposing it.

A & Co. Alienate the US. In 1989 at INA’s national convention in Toledo, Ohio, Donaldson’s predecessor (Brian O’Donnell), was SF’s rep in the US. He managed to alienate nearly everyone present. In retrospect, that is probably why he was sent to the States. Chicago INA officers told O’Donnell that they were finished with SF and INA. Soon thereafter they allied with the true, RSF and joined Flannery’s FOIF, leaving behind a rump INA in Chicago that continued to tout Adams (perhaps still does). Donaldson, upon his replacing McDonnell as A & Co rep in the US, continued their policy of rancor and division in NY. He removed the officers of the Irish People newspaper and put Atty. Martin Galvin in charge of it. Not long thereafter A & Co replaced Galvin with McDonough and Boyle. Later they, too, were removed. Some time later the Irish People, rish republicanism’s main voice in the US, died. It is now clear that A & Co killed it.

A & Co. Oppose Truth about the Irish Holocaust. This truly shocked us. When an “Irish Famine” book was being promoted in east coast cities from Boston to Miami, its author was met by groups demanding that she stop covering up the Food Removal. The groups (I came to know some of them) distributed to the author and attendees copies of my Mass Graves of Ireland; 1845-1850 pamphlet. The distributors were physically attacked; not by Brits or KKK members, but by A & Co. affiliates. One such person whose group also destroyed boxes of pamphlets identified herself as Padraigin Newell, leader of A & Co’s support group at George Mason U. Newell stated that she was an officer of A & Co’s SF and was acting as such. This was borne out by her associates.

Adams’ Visit. While in the US Adams wrecked IA’s clout in Washington. The damage seems to be permanent. Prior to Adams’ visit IA had some 150 congressmen on our side after years of careful cultivation. Here is how Adams wrecked us politically. Hoping for the best re his impending US visit IA had lobbied for a visa for him. But then we noticed that it was the pro-Brit pols including Kennedy and Moynihan who postured as pursuing the visa. Upon Adams’ arrival he snubbed the 150 congressmen who had supported Irish republicanism. He thanked the half-dozen or so pro-Brit congressmen and gave them the photo-ops and political credit for the reduction of violence in Occupied Ireland. By this means he betrayed IA and the 150 congressmen who had been supportive of justice and freedom for Occupied Ireland.

Politics is a rough business; pols had rightfully expected recognition for standing with IA. Having received nothing but insult from Adams and IA’s news media as reward for their support for IA, they obviously decided that it’s too dangerous to ever again support issues such as the MacBride Principles, the Birmingham Six, or freedom for Joe Doherty. (In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s IA had the support of four powerful politicians known as “The Four Horsemen”. They were Sens. Ted Kennedy and Dan Moywhan, House Speaker “Tip” O’Neill and NY Gov. Carey. But after Bloody Sunday in 1973 the Brits, alarmed by the international and, in particular, US outrage, began a campaign of subversion of IA political support. We don’t know the means used, but within months all four “Horsemen” turned against us and never again voted in favor of justice for the Occupied Irish.)

Adams’ Escorts during his Chicago visits were two MI5/FBI moles. In a letter we handed to Adams in Kroch & Brentano bookstore on LaSalle St we alerted him that one of them was a mole (we didn’t know the other was also a mole at the time). In retrospect it is revealing that Adams did not replace them.

Adams and “Terrorism.” In that same letter we begged Adams to use his media moment to win America for Ireland by making it clear that the Brits are the terrorists. For example, of the 174 children murdered in the post-1969 phase of the struggle, all but twenty of them were murdered by British forces. In case he didn’t have the homicide facts on his tongue-tip we also handed him a copy of Sutton’s undisputed An Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland;1969-1996. But on network TV that night and others, Adams smirked his acquiescence to being labeled an “ex-terrorist” by show hosts. Only he can explain why he thus used his media moments by abetting Britain’s Big Lie and falsely incriminating as unreconstructed “terrorists” all who had not sold out with him.

Activists Replacement. Having wrecked IA’s political effectiveness by alienating the 150 supportive congressmen, Adams further marginalized IA activists. He, with hidden help, set up groups whom he fraudulently credited (accepted by the imposters) with the years of successful lobbying and organizing that the actual activists had performed. IA’s corrupted news media participated in the build-up of the imposters and recorded their visits to the White House as if they were legit. Not a one of the imposters had ever supported the cause or won over a politician. Many of them had actively opposed our efforts; but now, like A & Co, they posture as the political activists.

“Achieving Peace.” A & Co and the pro-Brits around them point to M15’s Good Friday Agreement as having delivered peace to Occupied Ireland. They don’t dare to even mention justice seeing that the Brits are again torturing republicans as in pre-Hunger Strike days. As to “peace,” they depend on the news media to keep IA disinformed and unaware that the homicide rate in Occupied Ireland peaked way back in 1972 and has been on a sharp decline ever since and had dropped to small numbers well prior to A & Co’s sell-out.

War Crimes Trials? There won’t be any. The reason? Nearly all of the mass murders and other war crimes were perpetrated by Brit forces. A & Co’s sell-out made the Brits the winners, and winners never try themselves for war crimes. The Brits always got the news media to blame atrocities on the IRA but the truth always prevailed, usually within days. “Terrorism.” Reasonably well-informed people know, despite the news media, that British forces were the terrorists in the Anglo-Irish conflict - they always were, throughout history. But to the extent that the public depended upon the news media for their “takes” on Occupied Ireland, they were misled into believing that the terrorists were Irish.

Article 2 and 3 of Ireland’s Constitution. These were the prominent two articles that laid permanent claim to all of Ireland’s national territory and adjoining seas. It is hard to believe, but they were rescinded under the Good Friday Agreement that A & Co were sent to the US to promote. The sixty-seven pages of the Good Friday Agreement were filled with baffle-gab, contradictions and aspirational posturings. There was only one-third of a page of clear language that was not contradicted elsewhere. It was the language that rescinded Articles 2 and 3 thus giving Ireland’s Six Counties to Britain. That is what Ireland voted on when they were told to “Vote Yes For Peace.” Adams was not alone in promoting this unprecedented reduction of national territory. It is hard to believe, but the Irish gov’t were full participants in it.
A United Ireland has always been the goal of Ireland’s patriots. Britain had proved over the centuries in Ireland that rule–by-murder is its permanent policy. Now Adams claims that reunification is his goal, too. He had better first explain how his successful campaign to abolish Articles 2 and 3 advanced that goal.
Martin McGuinness, Adams’ partner, was the subject of a radio show last weekend.

By phone, NY Radio Fee Eireann show-host John McDonagh told me that last Saturday his show featured ex-MIS mole Martin Ingram. Ingram has gone straight and is now blabbing on his ex-handlers, On air he reported that McGuinness’ Brit handlers protected him from prosecution for the earlier murder of a Brit spy; and that the reason for protecting McGuinness was to enable McGuinness to continue doing the more important work of winning the war for Britain and securing the Six Counties for it. Radio Free Eireann can be heard live each Saturday at 12:30 to 2 pm Chicago time at www.wbai.org or recorded on www.irishfreedom.net. 1t is tragic about McGuinness. Many doubted that Adams had sold out, not because they trusted Adams, but because they trusted McGuinness, and they believed that Adams could not have sold out without McGuinness noticing it.

Denis Donaldson and Martin McGuinness, now both positively exposed as Brit agents were not as noticeably sell-outs as Adams was in his public actions. Adams’ own deeds nailed him. The other two could have continued operating for M15. But to be innocent they would also have to be considered blind to not have noticed Adams’ deeds.

Sad World! All that danger and death! All those dead hungerstrikers! All now betrayed. A victory turned into ignoble defeat. Those three were the undisputed leaders of Sinn Fein, a once-proud party of patriots, now destroyed. But the 32-County Sovereignty Movement continues as does Republican Sinn Fein. They are not likely to be bought by anyone. Who are the terrorists re Occupied Ireland? See www.terrorismireland.org.

Which Brit Reg’t starved your relatives? See www.irishholocaust.org. Reach me at 312 664 7651 or fogarty@ix.netcom.com.