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Derry Journal

16 January 2007

THE FAMILY of an IRA man gunned down by the SAS in Derry 25 years ago have accused the Sinn Fein leadership of being “systematically dishonest” with grassroots republicans on the policing issue.
George McBrearty (24) was shot dead alongside Charles “Pop” Maguire as the pair approached a car at Lone Moor Road on May 28, 1981, at the height of the Long Kesh hunger strikes.
The car contained an undercover SAS unit and both IRA men died in a hail of gunfire.
The McBrearty family this week said it felt the need to speak out against Sinn Fein’s move towards “endorsing the RUC/PSNI.”
A spokesperson for the family said: “No one disputes that the RUC/PSNI is as armed British police force in the occupied Six Counties, made up, for the most part, of RUC personnel. We believe that, if Sinn Fein support the RUC/PSNI, then not only will the ideas of our Volunteers remain unfulfilled, they will be reversed.”
The family said it was clear Sinn Fein was preparing to support policing at “an opportune date in the near future.”
“As the family of a fallen Volunteer, we are deeply disturbed. Despite their assurances that the families of dead Volunteers would be consulted, we find that this consultation on ‘policing’ is meaningless if you don’t adhere to the leadership-driven strategy.
“This has also been the case regarding the ceasefires, the return to Stormont, the decommissioning of republican arms and other British-led capitulations. Indeed, it is now clear that, far from conducting meaningful consultations, the Sinn Fein leadership has been systematically dishonest with the republican base.”

Appeal

The McBrearty family statement concluded with an appeal to “Irish republicans: “We would appeal to you to carefully consider the implications for republicanism of supporting a political party that is now attempting to legitimise the continuation of British rule in Ireland, something that we, as a family, believe our son and brother would never have given his life for.”
In response, Sinn Fein spokesperson, Martina Anderson, said: “I am disappointed that Danny McBrearty has decided to attack the Sinn Fein leadership in the way he has, accusing them of being ’systematically dishonest’ with the republican base. The reality is that, for such an assumption to be true, then he is effectively labelling the republicans he talks about as being naive or gullible. Republicans are neither naive nor gullible. The reality is that it is the republican base, in partnership with this republican leadership, who have transformed our society in recent years and brought Sinn Fein to the position of being the third largest political party on this island. This happened through maximum participation and maximum debate.
“Sinn Fein have a strategy which is about delivering Irish unity and independence. We are about mobilising more and more people from across the island on republican issues. The recent coming together of so called dissident republicans along with individual members of the INLA and IRSP offer no such strategy. Indeed, as the weeks go by, it is clear that the only glue binding this group together is a dislike of the current Sinn Fein strategy and leadership. They do not even have a common view on whether they would enter the power sharing institutions in Stormont in the unlikely event of electoral success.
“In dealing with the issue of ending political and partisan policing and the creation of a fully accountable and transparent policing service, the Sinn Fein leadership is committed to a range of public and internal consultation meetings. These will be rolled out over the next two weeks. I have no problem with republicans holding a different view to that being currently advocated by the Sinn Fein leadership and articulating that view publicly. That is what debate and discussion is all about.
“But, at the end of this process, republicans will have a collective decision to make. It will be taken in a democratic vote of the party membership. Whatever that decision is, it is important that we maintain our focus and our unity as we move forward towards achieving our ultimate objectives of Irish unity and independence.”

Derry Journal

16 January 2007

THE MOTHER of INLA hunger striker Patsy O’Hara has confirmed she will stand as an independent republican candidate on an anti-PSNI ticket should Assembly elections be called this year.

The Ard Comhairle of the INLA’s politicial wing (the Irish Republican Socialist Party) gave 76 year-old Peggy O’Hara its backing during a meeting on Saturday.
Mrs O’Hara has told the ‘Journal’ that she is running as an abstentionist candidate in memory of her son, who died after 61 days on hunger strike in May 1981.
“We don’t recognise the police then and we won’t recognise them now. I decided to run because of what the police did to Patsy. When he was taken from Ballykelly to Long Kesh they burned his lovely face with cigarettes. That’s why he had to grow a beard.”
Mrs O’Hara said that her son would have been “very against” Sinn Fein’s policing strategy and that her standing in any election this year would honour his memory.
“No-one has come to me and asked me what I think of the policing debate. I am standing in memory of Patsy,” she said.
IRSP spokesman Martin McMonagle has described the grandmother as a “unifying force” for republicans in Derry.
“Peggy has the full backing of the IRSP and a wide range of republicans in Derry,” he said.
He added that she had been “really hurt” by the recent moves by Sinn Fein towards the PSNI. Indeed, her announcement was made only hours after Sinn Fein confirmed that it will hold a special Ard Fheis on policing on January 28.
“We believe she is the best person to maximise the anti-Good Friday Agreement and anti-PSNI vote in Derry should an election take place. We are calling on all republicans to vote for her in protest at partition via the endorsement of the Good Friday Agreement and the PSNI,” he said.
It’s understood that Strabane community activist, Paul Gallagher, is also to contest any Assembly election this year. He was also given the green light by the IRSP’s Ard Comhairle to contest an Assembly election in the West Tyrone constituency at last weekend’s meeting.
Mr. Gallagher has contested Strabane District Council elections as an independent candidate on two occasions in the past.
Meeting tonight
Meanwhile, dissident republicans are to host a public meeting to discuss Sinn Fein’s strategy on policing in the Tower Hotel tonight. The meeting - which will have speakers from the IRSP, the 32 County Soverignty Movement (the political wing of the Real IRA) and Independent republicans - will begin at 7.00 p.m.
A spokesman for the organisers said he was “hopeful” that Sinn Fein would send a representative.

BN.ie

16/01/2007 - 15:17:03

Shell is making an application at the High Court to discontinue proceedings against four Rossport local residents about the route of the Corrib gas pipeline.

Lawyers for the company say they cannot take action against Brendan Philbin, Willie Corduff, Phillip McGrath and Brid McGarry in respect of a line which is not now going to be constructed.

The matter of the route of the of the pipeline is going to be changed on the back of recommendations to move it further away from dwelling houses.

The four however have said they will not back down.

They are taking a counter claim and so want the matter to go to trial.

BBC

Sinn Fein has said some of its politicians in west Tyrone have received threats, including bullets.

Sinn Fein says bullets were sent to party members

It understood they were contained in packages which were left at a cemetery in Strabane.

It is believed a local priest was then tipped off about the packages. Sinn Fein said they do not know who was behind the threats.

In December, police reportedly warned Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams and Gerry Kelly about dissident republican threats.

Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde said the threats to the Sinn Fein leadership were “very real”.

Republican sources said the threats to senior party members came from disaffected IRA members who left the organisation in recent months.

BBC

The Police Ombudsman is investigating the police handling of an assassination attempt on Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams more than 20 years ago.

Gerry Adams survived an assassination bid in March 1984

He has complained to the ombudsman about press reports that the police had prior knowledge of a UDA plan to ambush him and three colleagues in Belfast.

The four were driving off after a court appearance in March 1984 when their car was sprayed with bullets by a UDA gang.

Mr Adams was hit five times, but received emergency hospital treatment.

UDA leader John Gregg, himself murdered in 2003, was jailed for his part in the ambush.

Mr Adams complained to the ombudsman about possible collusion after a report in the Andersonstown News said the police had been tipped off by an informer inside the UDA a week before the attack took place.

The ombudsman’s office confirmed they have received a complaint and an initial investigating officer is examining the police handling of the matter.

BBC

The Omagh bomb trial is expected to end later with the prosecution and defence lawyers giving closing submissions.

Sean Hoey, 37, from Jonesborough, County Armagh, denies a total of 56 charges, including 29 counts of murder as a result of the Omagh bombing.

The trial has now heard from hundreds of witnesses at Belfast Crown Court. A judgement is not expected for several weeks.

During the trial, two charges against Mr Hoey were effectively dropped.

It came after prosecution lawyers accepted there was no case to answer.

The charges were connected to a car bombing and an explosives find just weeks before the 1998 Omagh atrocity.

On Monday, the trial heard information from FBI spy David Rupert who had infiltrated dissident republican groups at the time of the 1998 atrocity.

Belfast Crown Court was told that he named more than 100 members and associates of dissident republicans. However, Mr Hoey was not of them.

Belfast Telegraph

By Clare Weir and Brendan McDaid
Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Dissident republican threats against elected Sinn Fein members today took a sinister twist in west Tyrone when a package containing bullets and pictures of elected representatives was left in a graveyard.

The dramatic development comes as the political battle over policing was today hotting up, as both Sinn Fein and dissident republicans prepare to hold meetings in Londonderry.

The North West Telegraph understands that several republicans in the Strabane area are among those who received threats.

A Sinn Fein source said that they were contained in a package, left in a cemetery, that included live bullets.

Although there were few details this morning on who received the threats left in the package, a Sinn Fein spokesman said that a statement would be released later today.

The sinister development comes just over a week before Sinn Fein stages a major meeting in the Millennium Forum on January 25, amid moves by opponents to fight the Assembly election on an anti-policing platform.

Republicans opposed to support for the PSNI will meet in the city tomorrow night.

It also emerged today that Peggy O’Hara, the mother of INLA hunger striker, Patsy O’Hara, will contest the forthcoming Assembly election in Foyle.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is expected to attend next Thursday’s meeting at the Millennium Forum, which will precede Sinn Fein’s crucial ard fheis on the policing issue at the end of the month.

But tomorrow evening, republicans opposed to policing - including speakers from the INLA-linked IRSP and 32 County Sovereignty Movement, aligned to the Real IRA - will meet at the Tower Hotel.

Willie Gallagher, of the IRSP, said today that organisers are expecting a large turnout.

He also backed Peggy O’Hara’s move to stand as an anti-PSNI candidate at the Assembly elections.

Mrs O’Hara (76), who was backed by an IRSP Ard Comhairle at the weekend, has said that her son, who died in 1981, would be angered by any Sinn Fein decision to accept policing in its current form.

Willie Gallagher said today: “We are basically bringing this policing debate to the wider community and we are expecting a big turnout.

“I would most definitely be supporting Peggy O’Hara in her decision to stand as she is very angry with the way she has been treated.

“Many families of the deceased say they have not been consulted by Sinn Fein.

“We want that party to come along, explain themselves and tell the bereaved what their intentions are,” he said.

“Sinn Fein should not be kowtowing to the DUP any longer, but it looks as if they will be jumping through even more hoops if past history is anything to go by.”

A spokesperson for Sinn Fein today welcomed all forms of dialogue on the very contentious issue.

He added that everyone is welcome to attend the party’s forthcoming meeting which is being held at the Millennium Forum on January 25.

“We hope that the public, anyone with an interest, can come to this meeting, which is part of a series across the north explaining Sinn Fein’s strategy,” he said.

While he would not confirm whether Sinn Fein would attend the meeting of disaffected republicans tomorrow, the spokesman added: “We have engaged in a process of discussion and consultation both outside and within the party, and it is obvious that we haven’t reached everybody.”