SAOIRSE32

Belfast Telegraph

By Chris Thornton
Thursday, January 11, 2007

Tony Blair put up an administrative wall between MI5 and the PSNI yesterday to help ease Sinn Fein’s support for the PSNI - at the same time unleashing a pre-election battle within nationalism about the best way of dealing with the Security Service.

MI5’s new Ulster headquarters at Palace Barracks in Holywood

Sinn Fein portrayed Mr Blair’s announcement as a victory over the SDLP because it drastically reduces the scope for direct contact between PSNI officers and MI5.

Contact between the organisations will take place through PSNI liaison officers, based at their own headquarters up the hill from MI5’s new base at Palace Barracks in Holywood.

Prior to the announcement, the position had been that PSNI officers would work directly with MI5 in the analysis of intelligence, including the secondment of police officers to MI5, after the security agency takes charge of anti-terrorism later this year.

The SDLP argument was that this was a better way to ensure effective scrutiny of MI5 - where PSNI officers go, Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan’s investigators could follow.

While Mr Blair said there will be “arrangements” to allow Mrs O’Loan access to Security Service intelligence “where necessary”, there is no legal basis for that co-operation.

Lord Carlile, a Liberal peer, will annually review MI5’s role in Northern Ireland, but it did not appear from yesterday’s announcement that he would investigate specific complaints in the same way as Mrs O’Loan.

Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly said yesterday’s announcement was a reversal of plans in the St Andrews Agreement to integrate the PSNI and MI5, plans that would have recreated the scenario that existed with RUC Special Branch.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan said the decision “does not sort out MI5″ and actually damages accountability. He argues that while Mrs O’Loan could pursue complaints against PSNI intelligence handlers today, she won’t be able to investigate MI5 equivalents when they take over national security arrangements.

In practical terms, Mr Blair’s decision means that MI5, already recruiting for its Northern Ireland operation, will end up employing more people - in many cases, former RUC Special Branch officers.

Security and official sources also say that five principles for intelligence sharing, announced in the St Andrews Agreement, will stand.

Crucially this would mean the PSNI will continue to run “the great majority” of national security informers and conduct arrests for MI5.

Mr Kelly says MI5 has been removed from “civic policing”.

He said: “Our objective has been to firewall local policing from the malign and corruptive control of MI5. The proposals remove MI5 from policing structures in Ireland.”

Mr Durkan said: “There is a coincidence of interest between Sinn Fein and the British Government on this. The latter want to promote and protect the primacy of MI5 in intelligence gathering into the future. Sinn Fein partisan propaganda purposes require a fig leaf.”

No doubt the arguments in nationalism will continue. But in the disputes over the detail, the Government will still wind up keeping its secret operations well beyond the reach of politicians at Stormont. And that may make them the ultimate winner.

Derry Journal

CREGGAN woman Michaela McKinney, who was waiting for a heart and lung transplant while campaigning for people to sign to the donor register, finally succumbed to her illness on Sunday.

By Claire Allan
09 January 2007

The 34 year old, who had spoken to the ‘Journal’ on many occasions about her congenital heart condition, was given just three weeks to live last June.
Although she was taken off the transplant list at that stage, as she was too ill to survive the procedure, she never gave up hope. And she always continued campaigning for more people to sign up to the donor register.
Yesterday her husband Michael told the ‘Journal’ Michaela had “died in peace and with dignity”.
“Her family were around her, and that is exactly what she wanted,” he said.
Michaela’s Requiem Mass will take place this morning (9th) at10am from St. Mary’s Church, Creggan. Michaela is survived by her husband Michael, her parents Michael and Mary McFadden, her sister Amanda and brother John.
SDLP Leader and Foyle MP, Mark Durkan, expressed his deepest sadness at Michaela’s death.
“Michaela was a very brave young woman whose great courage inspired everyone who knew her. She was so dignified in her battle against ill-health, but sadly, what we all feared has come to pass. My deepest sympathy and thoughts are with husband Mickey, parents Mickey and Mary, sister Amanda, brother John, and all the other members of her family at this very sad time.
“Michaela’s courage and strength touched the hearts of many in Derry. It was also there for all to see when she went public last year about her condition as part of a campaign to raise awareness of organ donation and to encourage more people to sign the Organ Donation register.
“It would be a fitting tribute to Michaela if we all considered signing up to the register. Indeed, by doing so, we could help bring life to others in receiving donor organs for transplantation, as well as hope to many others on waiting lists across Northern Ireland,” he said.
The staff of the Derry Journal would like to pass on our sincerest condolences to the McKinney and McFadden families.

Derry Journal

DISSIDENT REPUBLICANS are to hold a meeting in Derry next week to discuss their support for an anti-policing candidate in the Assembly elections.

09 January 2007

And, in a surprise move, the IRSP has suggested one option on the table will be a move to support veteran socialist Eamonn McCann “because of his anti-policing and Good Friday Agreement stance.”
A 12-strong focus group of “concerned republicans” - made up of the political representatives of the INLA, the Real IRA and independent republicans - has confirmed that a public meeting will take place in the city next Wednesday January 17 to discuss Sinn Fein’s support for the PSNI.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Willie Gallagher, spokesman for the Irish Republican Socialist Party (the political wing of the INLA), told the ‘Journal’ that the “policing debate” would be dominated by plans to run an anti-policing candidate should elections be called for March.
Behind McCann
Mr. Gallagher suggested that dissident republicans in the city might throw their weight behind Eamonn McCann of the Socialist Environmental Alliance.
“We haven’t decided about a candidate in Derry yet but we’re giving serious consideration to supporting Eamonn McCann because of his anti-policing and Good Friday Agreement stance. He is also very much opposed to the water tax and his socialist policies would are very much in line with those of the IRSP.”
He said the move would have to be agreed by the IRSP Ard Comhairle.
Spokesman for the 32CSM Gary Donnolly - who polled almost 500 first preference votes as an independent republican in the 2005 Derry City Council elections - said that although the movement had not ruled out supporting the SEA candidate, it would be more inclined to back someone “who would not take a seat in Stormont” in the event of electoral success.
According to the Mr. Gallagher, there is “a strong demand” in the city for an alternative to the pro-policing, pro-agreement candidates.
Independent republicans
“We’ve been talking to a lot of people in Derry who are asking for independent republicans to stand in the election so they can register their opposition to Sinn Fein’s stance on policing and the agreement. A vote for Sinn Fein is a vote for partition and for the endorsement of the PSNI,” he said last night.
“It’s understood that there are 4,000 people not registered to vote in Derry and we believe that the large bulk of them are dissaffected republicans opposed to the Good Friday Agreement and policing. We are calling on all republicans to register before Thursday, the closing date for registering.
Continued on page 6
“There are going to be a number of independent republicans standing in the elections throughout the North. As yet we don’t know how many in total but it could be in most if not all constituencies.”
It’s already been announced that the brother of murdered INLA leader Dominic McGlinchey is to stand as an independent in Mid-Ulster should elections be called for March. Former Sinn Fein member Paul McGlinchey, who walked out of the party last month, has confirmed that he will go head-to-head with Sinn Fein’s Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness and other former colleagues. He said that opposition to Sinn Fein’s policy on policing prompted his decision.
Ex-IRA man Gerry McGeough - who spent three years in a US prison - is considering mounting a challange against Sinn Fein’s Michelle Gildernew in Fermanagh/South Tyrone.
Invitations to next week’s meeting in Derry - the venue for which is yet to be confirmed - have been extended to Sinn Fein, Republican Sinn Fein, independent republicans, the Socialist Environmental Alliance, the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and the IRSP.

BBC

The prime minister has insisted that the police and MI5 will operate as distinct bodies in Northern Ireland.

In a written statement to the House of Commons, Tony Blair said police and the security services would be “completely distinct and entirely separate”.

MI5 are due to take over responsibility for national security issues in Northern Ireland later this year.

Sinn Fein welcomed the statement, but the SDLP said it did not resolve concerns about oversight of security.

Mr Blair stressed MI5 would not have any role in civic policing - a move aimed at reassuring republicans.

“When anybody has cause for concern or complaint about national security intelligence-gathering, unlike now, there will be nobody credible to turn to.”
Mark Durkan
SDLP leader

He said he hoped his statement would reassure Sinn Fein and help republicans move to support the police.

Questions about the role and accountability of MI5 have dominated the debate about policing in Northern Ireland in recent weeks.

Mr Blair also announced that police officers would not be seconded to work under the control of MI5.

But he said there would be liaison between them in response to the threat of international terrorism, as directed by the chief constable.

As expected, the prime minister also announced that Lord Carlisle, the government’s independent monitor of anti-terrorism legislation, will review annually the operation of the arrangements for handling national security related matters in Northern Ireland.

‘Malign and corruptive’

SDLP leader Mark Durkan warned the measures would limit the ability of the Police Ombudsman to investigate national security issues.

“When anybody has cause for concern or complaint about national security intelligence-gathering, unlike now, there will be nobody credible to turn to,” he said.

Sinn Fein policing spokesman Gerry Kelly said local policing would be protected from the “malign and corruptive control of MI5″.

“The whole issue of MI5, and these security services are also in the south of Ireland, is that if they act illegally then we have a PSNI which is not signed up to MI5 and which will hold them to account.”

“If (MI5) act illegally then we have a PSNI which is not signed up to MI5 and which will hold them to account.”
Gerry Kelly
Sinn Fein

DUP MP Nigel Dodds said Sinn Fein’s support for policing and justice would have to be “tested by their actions”.

“Words alone are not enough. Sinn Fein’s support for the police, the courts and the rule of law has to be tested by their actions over a credible period of time because we have learned to our cost in the past that Sinn Fein’s words are meaningless when it comes to translation into action,” he said.

The UUP’s Fred Cobain said Mr Blair’s statement “may have offered much delight for Sinn Fein,” but it had created “a confused mess for the rest of us to deal with”.

“I fear that, in his rush to appease Sinn Fein, Mr Blair has lost his way completely by raising further question marks over the policing and justice ministry,” he said.

“Sinn Fein have lost the battle on policing, but due to bad negotiating tactics by the DUP, we’re seeing the government continuing to pander to republicans.”

MI5 is building a £20m headquarters in Palace Barracks outside Belfast.

BBC

The man accused of the Omagh bombing will not give evidence in the trial, his lawyers have told Belfast Crown Court.

Sean Hoey’s defence team began their response to the prosecution case on Tuesday by challenging fibre evidence.

The 37-year-old, from Jonesborough in south Armagh, denies a total of 56 charges, including 29 counts of murder as a result of the Omagh Bombing.

The prosecution completed its case against Mr Hoey in December.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Hoey’s lawyer Orlando Pownall QC, recalled explosives expert Gordon McMillen to be cross-examined again.

He was questioned about the condition of a detonator recovered in a defused car bomb outside Newry Road police station in Armagh in May 1998.

“You have got no explanation for why about one and a half centimetres of wire is protruding in the photographs at the end of last year and significantly less in photographs taken at the scene,” Mr Pownall told him.

Mr Millen, accepted that he had no “explanation” for this, but told the prosecution it was the same detonator he had examined in October 1998.

Fibres

Later, fibre expert Roger Cook, the only defence witness to be called, said it was coincidental that fibres found on a timer power unit from a car bomb in Lisburn in April 1998, matched some taken from Mr Hoey’s home some five years later.

However, he also agreed with the findings of the prosecution’s expert witness, that the fibres provided a “weak” indication that they came from the same source.

“Whilst I cannot rule out the conclusions that Dr Griffen (prosecution expert) came to, it is more likely to be a coincidental match,” Mr Cook said.

Later when cross-examined by prosecuting QC Ciaron Murphy, Mr Cook accepted that “the bottom line” was that there were matching fibres between the power unit and Mr Hoey’s home.

The case has been adjourned until Thursday to allow for comparison tests to be carried out on Newry Road detonator.

Depending on those results, Mr Hoey may be asked again if he wishes to give evidence on his own behalf.

BBC

The Police Ombudsman has launched an inquiry into the conduct of two key Crown witnesses in the Omagh bomb case.

Scenes of Crime officer Fiona Cooper and Det Ch Insp Philip Marshall gave evidence at the trial of Sean Hoey, the man accused of the bombing.

During the trial both admitted changing their statements on how some evidence was gathered.

Mr Hoey, 37, of Jonesborough, County Armagh, denies 56 charges, including the 29 murders in Omagh in August 1998.

Forensic evidence is a vital part of the case against him.

The prosecution claims that the south Armagh man made the bomb timers used in Omagh and in a series of other attacks.

Strengthen

During cross-examination at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Marshall and Ms Cooper admitted they had “beefed up” their original statements to suggest that specialist forensic precautions had been taken at an explosives find, when in fact, they had not.

The defence alleged this was done to strengthen the case against Mr Hoey.

It was also revealed that the original statements made by the witnesses had been lost.

At one point the defence barrister, Orlando Pownall QC, asked for their evidence to be excluded saying “their testimony is dishonest”.

The prosecution lawyer, Gordon Kerr QC, told trial judge Mr Justice Weir that he should treat their evidence “with caution”.

The judge strongly criticised the conduct of the two witnesses and called for an investigation into why some statements were altered, and the originals lost.

BBC Newsline has learned that Nuala O’Loan, the Police Ombudsman, has now launched a formal investigation.

Her investigators are examining the transcripts of the evidence given by the witnesses and have also requested other relevant documents.

The judge has taken the unusual step of ruling that the investigation into the conduct of witnesses can take place while the trial continues.

The ombudsman may request to speak to Mr Justice Weir about his concerns.

The police said they were co-operating fully with her investigation.