SAOIRSE32

Breaking News.ie
30/08/2008

The North’s first minister, Peter Robinson, said he will not take legal action against Sinn Féin, provided a policy document is changed and all references to “the North” - as opposed to “Northern Ireland” - are re-instated.

The row blew up when some references were changed after the report had been approved by the power-sharing executive.

Mr Robinson said once a document is agreed, it cannot be changed.

By Ronan McSherry
Ulster Herald
**Via Newshound
28 August 2008

Fears expressed by many relatives of the Omagh bomb victims that the monument to their loved ones may become the target of vandals appear to be well founded following an attack on the memorial at the weekend. The attack has been strongly condemned by local representatives across the political divide.

While there have been conflicting reports whether it was eggs or tomato sauce was smeared on the glass plinth, a spokesperson for Omagh District council has confirmed that ‘debris was thrown at the memorial monument on Market Street.’

She said, “Immediate action was taken by Council staff to remove the debris and clean the glass pillar and ascertain that no damage was caused to the monument. The matter has been reported to the PSNI.”

The monument was unveiled two weeks ago to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the Real IRA atrocity that claimed the lives of 31 people on August 15, 1998.

Council chairman Martin McColgan of Sinn Féin said that there should be no interference with the monument and called for young people to be respectful of those who died.

“Even though it may have been kids that did this there needs to be respect shown for the monument. I heard there may have been tomato sauce smeared on it by a child. While it was wrong it has been cleaned up. People should leave it alone. It is there to mark the tragic event that happened and people should have some respect. Throwing eggs or sauce or debris at it is mindless. This is something that marks what happened in this town. The town is going to move on but we have to remember what happened in the past and be respectful of those who died. These people need to have a bit of sense and show respect.”

Echoing these sentiments Council vice-chair Jo Deehan called on those responsible to think about the significance of the memorial and come to realise they are ‘offending and hurting a lot of people.’

The SDLP councillor added, “Like any monument or piece of art work it can always be a target for vandals. It is obviously something that will need to be monitored and meanwhile I would be asking the PSNI to be to be vigilant in respect of the memorial and the memorial garden. I would appeal to all people out there to respect the monument and the memorial garden reflecting on what it means and symbolises and to treat it with the respect that it deserves.

On hearing of the malicious attack on the monument UUP councillor Ross Hussey said that his reaction ‘could not be put in print.’

He said, “It shows what sort of morons they are. I don’t object to anyone having fun but this is a memorial to people who lost their lives in a terror attack and I think some respect should have been shown by those who were at it. It is moronic and certainly I would call for this to stop.”

A PSNI spokesman said they are investigating the incident and will be trying to establish if there is any CCTV footage that could help identify those responsible. They have also appealed to the public for any information about the attack.

32CSM Message Board
28 August 2008

Hardline republicans in Derry have vowed to continue to oppose the presence of the PSNI in nationalist areas.
At a commemoration held in the City Cemetery on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the death of hunger striker Micky Devine, the IRSP called on republicans to unite to prevent the PSNI from mounting a ‘hearts and minds’ campaign.

Around 100 republican socialists gathered in the cemetery to lay wreaths at the INLA memorial during the commemoration. Members of the Devine family attended the commemoration, as well as the mother of Derry INLA hungerstriker, Patsy O’Hara.

At the event, wreaths were laid on behalf of the IRSP, the Derry Brigade of the INLA, the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, and Óglaigh na h’Éireann.

The main oration was delivered by local IRSP member, Paul O’Hagan, who said: “We believe there is a real opportunity for radical republicanism to grow and to prevail. Working class people feel let down by the partitionist governments on both sides of the border and the downturn in the economic climate coupled with rapidly rising prices, rising crime and sectarian and racist attacks.”

He also said protests would continue against plans to hold PSNI events on local community halls.

The commemoration ended with the playing of the National Anthem by the Seamus Costello Flute Band.

Belfast Telegrpah
Thursday, 28 August 2008

An American immigration appeals court has upheld Maze escapee Pol Brennan’s bail denial, just weeks after three US Congressman wrote to the Department of Homeland Security calling for the Ballymurphy native be freed on bond.

In its ruling this week, the Board of Immigration Appeals in Falls Church, Virginia, agreed with a Texan judge’s April ruling that Brennan is a danger to society.

The court said his 1984 entry into America using an alias, and his subsequent purchase of a targeting pistol using the alias, proved that he has criminal tendencies. The court also cited his 2005 misdemeanor assault conviction after a builder allegedly refused to pay Brennan $1,000 in back wages.

Brennan insists the contractor attacked him. He was found guilty and had to pay a $1,500 fine and performed 500 hours of community service.

Unlike the judge who’s been handling Brennan’s case since he was detained for having a lapsed US work permit in Texas in January, the Board of Immigration Appeals court didn’t deem Brennan a flight risk.

In a letter sent to Department of Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff in July, three Congressmen — New York Republicans Peter King and Jim Walsh, and Massachusetts Democrat Richard Neal — insisted that Brennan’s honoring of bail terms when he was twice freed from US jails while Britain sought his extradition in the 1990s proves that he isn’t a flight risk.

In 1977, Brennan was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being caught moving explosives through Belfast. In September 1983, he was among 38 IRA prisoners who escaped the Maze. A decade later, he was arrested by the FBI living in Berkeley, California.

In 2000, Britain dropped its extradition case against him. US authorities then gave him permission to work in the San Francisco area pending resolution of his residency status.

On January 27, as Brennan and his American wife were driving to visit friends in Texas, he was detained over the lapsed work permit.

Although he’d applied to renew his permit, US authorities hadn’t yet sent it to him.

Department of Homeland Security prosecutors now want him deported for entering the US illegally in 1984.

Brennan was held at the Port Isabel Detention Center in Los Fresnos, Texas until late July. On July 22, a day before Hurricane Dolly slammed into Texas, he and hundreds of others were evacuated. Over the next 18 days, he endured three long-distance prison relocations, traversing nearly 2,000 miles of Texas and New Mexico in the process.

He’s now at the Willacy County Processing Center (WCPC) in Raymondville, Texas.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph by phone from WCPC on Tuesday, Brennan said he’s frustrated that the misdemeanor assault conviction continues to dog him because, “it was self-defence. The guy got aggressive with me first”, he claimed.

He added: “I’m disappointed with the ruling, but I’m not surprised.

“I wasn’t expecting anything different. But now we’ll take (the bail appeal) to the federal level.”

Brennan’s next deportation hearing is on September 24.

From Irish News
Posted at 32CSM Message Board
29 August 2008

A former leading IRA man has said attacks on police officers in Lurgan this week were a “symptom” of nationalists’ refusal to accept the PSNI.

Colin Duffy was speaking after two days of serious rioting in Lurgan which saw separate gun, blast and petrol- bomb attacks on police.

In 1995 Duffy was jailed for life for the murder of retired UDR member John Lyness but was later acquitted when it emerged that the main prosecution witness, who had been allowed to give evidence behind screens, was self-confessed UVF gun runner Lindsay Robb.

Two years later Duffy was charged with the murder of two RUC men in Lurgan town centre but the charges were later dropped.

Since then the 41-year-old has become a leading figure in Eirigi, a group of republicans opposed to Sinn Fein’s support for the PSNI.

Eirigi was founded in Dublin in 2006 and campaigns for a 32-county socialist republic.

Insisting that the Lurgan violence was a “symptom” of nationalist opposition to the PSNI, Duffy said: “Certain parties may have made their deals at St Andrews and at Stormont to support the PSNI but the reality on the ground is that they aren’t acceptable to ordinary nationalists.

“Eirigi is gathering more and more support among ordinary nationalists.

“Certain political parties claim that they’re making the PSNI accountable by taking up places on the Policing Board but people on the ground will never accept them.

“There are still 5,000 British troops here, while MI5 is building its headquarters at Palace Barracks.”

Accusing police of being responsible for this week’s violence, he said: “I witnessed first-hand when the PSNI came onto the Tullygally and Drumbeg estates and assaulted women and children.

“The resistance that followed was a symptom of the fact that people are not prepared to accept the British occupation in Ireland in the shape of the PSNI/RUC.”

Denying that Eirigi was linked to any dissident group, Duffy said: “We are not linked to any group. We’re a purely political organisation.

“The only threat we pose is to the British occupation of Ireland. While that British

occupation continues there will always be people willing to resist.”

However, SDLP assembly member Dolores Kelly last night hit back, claiming that the biggest threat to nationalism came from dissidents.

“As a public representative who has been working with the police and other statutory agencies to improve conditions in nationalist areas I find these kind of remarks galling,” she said.

“We have recently introduced neighbourhood policing teams in Lurgan and it is proving to be a success.

“People want good policing. It is the dissidents they are rejecting.”

Independent.ie
29 August 2008

The DUP and Sinn Fein are involved in a new row - this time over whether the words of a policy document can be changed once they’ve been approved by the power-sharing executive.

Conor Murphy of Sinn Fein changed references in a document from “Northern Ireland” to “the North” and Peter Robinson is understood to be furious.

Sinn Fein says the wording changes in the document by the minister responsible, Conor Murphy, were first noticed by the anti-power sharing former DUP MEP, Jim Allister.

The party says the DUP should not be dancing to his tune and, in any case, Mr. Robinson should not have written to Mr. Murphy complaining without consulting the deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness.

Sinn Fein’s John O’Dowd, said it was a storm in a tea cup.

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