20.4.04
News Letter
GROUP WITH REAL IRA LINKS TO OPEN CENTRE
Monday 19th April 2004
The News Letter
A POLITICAL group linked to the Real IRA are to open a centre in Derry.
Only days after the 32 County Sovereignty Movement angered relatives
of those murdered in the Omagh bomb atrocity by staging an illegal
Easter commemoration march in Londonderry, it was revealed yesterday
that they are to open an advice centre in the city's Bogside.
As well as being responsible for Northern Ireland's worst terrorist
atrocity in 1998 in Omagh the dissident RIRA were also blamed for
the booby-trap murder of Protestant construction worker David
Caldwell in the Waterside.
A spokesman for the 32 County Sovereignty Movement confirmed
yesterday that their centre, which will be shared with the Irish
Republican Prisoners Welfare Association, who look after the
interests of Real IRA prisoners, will be open within the next couple
of months.
He said: "Such is our support in this city that we consider it
appropriate to invest the resources into a centre which can act as
an office for the 32 CSM to continue its political development work
on the ground, as well as a focal point for the families of
prisoners."
The group indicated that they were delighted at the turn-out at
their Easter rally in the Creggan, where the guest speaker was Old
Bailey bomber Marian Price.
* Nationalist sources in Londonderry yesterday said that an INLA
gang, brought in from outside the city, were responsible for the
assault of a 17-year-old youth in Galliagh over the weekend.
The victim is recovering in hospital after being beaten with sticks,
with nails protruding, and baseball bats.
--------------------------------------------
IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST
Subject: PRISONERS' ILL MOTHER REFUSED VISIT
Date: Monday, April 19, 2004
The Irish Freedom Committee has learned that yesterday Sunday April
18th the mother of republican prisoner JOHN JAMES CONNOLLY was refused a
visit to see her son, when the sniffer dog in the visitors' holding
center sat down at Mrs. Connolly's feet. Mrs. Connolly is in ill
health and must travel over 200 miles to have a visit with her son.
Quite understandably this ordeal has severely upset her son John
Connolly who witnessed his ill mother being manhandled by guards and
physically removed from the visiting area and told to leave without
a visit despite her pleas to "please just let me see my son".
The three other women Mrs. Connolly had traveled with, who were to
have a visit with their brother CONOR CASEY, were also refused their
visit when they protested the treatment being given to Mrs. Connolly.
This mass refusal of groups of particular visitors has been used by
Maghaberry prison before, and indicates an unwritten prison policy
in the use of sniffer dogs of "guilt by association" – all of a group
of visitors traveling together in an instance where a dog sits down
have been considered "guilty" as well and have been refused their visits
en mass.
Sniffer dogs are ostensibly used by their prison handlers to sniff
out drugs on the person of a visitor—although it is well known that no
Republican prisoner, nor anyone visiting them, has ever been found
with drugs in their possession. In reality sniffer dogs are often used
as a form of psychological intimidation of Republican family members,
including small children. In many instances the same visitors to
particular Republican prisoners have been repeatedly refused a visit
when the dog handler openly yanked on the dog's lead, forcing it to
sit down, canceling the visit for all members of the family group.
We ask our supporters and Members to please stay vigilant as the
weekend incident may indicate an escalation in harassment to family visitors
of Republican prisoners at Maghaberry, in the weeks to come. This
incident follows a steady increase of harassment of Republican prisoners by
Maghaberry prison guards in recent weeks, and it is seen as no
accident that the mother of John James Connolly, the Republican prisoners'
spokesman at Maghaberry, was singled out for this abusive and
degrading treatment. The last incident of a group of family members being
refused a visit was over a year ago, the interim respite due in no small
part to firm and outspoken protest by prisoners' welfare representatives on
the outside.
------------------------------------------
Irelandclick.com
UTV REPLY TO SF OVER LISBURN AD
Sinn Féin councillors in Lisburn have reacted angrily to a UTV decision to continue showing an advertisement for Lisburn which uses the slogan “Lisburn A City For Everyone.”
Sinn Féin’s leader on Lisburn City Council, Paul Butler, had written to UTV expressing his concerns about the advertisements commissioned by Lisburn City Council and asked the television company to withdraw the advertisements.
Councillor Butler said that the exclusion of Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance from holding senior positions in the Council is an act of blatant discrimination.
“There appears to be no willingness by unionists in Lisburn to share power with nationalists and others,” said Councillor Butler.
“Lisburn Council are using ratepayers’ money to pay for these advertisements yet Catholics and non-Unionist political representatives on Lisburn Council are being discriminated against,” said Councillor Butler.
In response to Councillor Butler’s request, UTV Director of Television Alan Bremner replied: “Whilst I fully understand the position that you are taking, it is essentially a matter which is for Lisburn City Council to decide upon.
“We do not feel that there is a need to change any aspect of the commercial or to remove it. “The decision to purchase airtime on TV is a matter for the Council and its officers.”
Councillor Butler says that he won’t stop there and that he now intends to make a complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency.
“I intend to make a complaint on the grounds that Lisburn Council is discriminatory and Lisburn is not a City For Everyone.
“I don’t object to advertisements telling people to come to Lisburn City but I do object when they promote Lisburn as a city for everyone when it is clearly not.”
Journalist::Staff Reporter
------------------------------
Irelandclick.com
NEW HOMES TO BE BUILT ON NOTORIOUS TORTURE CENTRE
The SDLP has welcomed news that the site of the infamous Springfield barracks is to be given over to social housing.
SDLP policing spokesperson Alex Attwood welcomed the news, saying: “The SDLP pressed for the closing down of the Springfield Road police station. It is a real measure of the change in the whole policing situation that police lands are being returned to community use.
“Andersonstown barracks is next. New houses and new community facilities will stand as permanent testimony to what can be achieved by a positive, engaged approach to the new realities of policing.”
The Policing Board announced this week that it had sold the substantial plot of land to the North and West Housing Association.
Springfield barracks was closed in September 2002, but the Policing Board’s Finance and General Purposes Committee were required to approve the conveyancing of the land before the sale could be completed.
The committee announced this week that the land would now be sold for social housing.
However, Sinn Féin councillor Tom Hartley says he is concerned that the area will be starved of facilities.
“It is important that a portion of the site is given over to the community. There is a need for new homes in the Springfield area, but there also need to be facilities to cater for the increase in the population.
“Ideally part of the site should be used for the benefit of the local community.
“In a densely populated area where play parks and green spaces are at a premium, this is an opportunity to bring something positive to the area that should not be allowed to pass,” added Cllr Hartley.
Journalist::Allison Morris
----------------------------------------
Irish Examiner
LETTER BOMBS SENT TO ROBINSON AND ATTWOOD
19/04/2004 - 6:05:01 PM
A bomb has been sent to the Belfast offices of Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader Peter Robinson, he revealed tonight.
A parcel believed to be packed with explosives and ball-bearings was opened by his daughter as she dealt with mail. It failed to detonate.
A second parcel-type device was also delivered to the headquarters of the Northern Ireland Policing Board in the city’s Clarendon Docks area.
It is believed to have been addressed to Alex Attwood - one of the nationalist SDLP representatives on the body which holds Chief Constable Hugh Orde to account - and was described as primitive by security sources.
A Board spokeswoman said: “I cannot confirm or deny who it was sent to.”
British army experts were called in to defuse the parcel bomb at Mr Robinson’s headquarters.
Although the East Belfast MP was unclear about who had targeted him, he hit out at the bombers for launching an indiscriminate attack.
He said: “It’s particularly despicable because anybody who sends that kind of device would know that it would not be opened by the member of parliament himself but by a member of his staff.
“For someone to attempt to kill a member of staff because they disagree with me indicates the kind of mind we are dealing with.”
The alert began when Mr Robinson’s daughter Rebecca, who works for him and his wife and fellow DUP MP Iris, was sorting through post at the constituency offices on Belmont Avenue today.
When she opened a jiffy-type bag and discovered suspicious contents, Mr Robinson’s bodyguard urged her to take it out and leave it in a nearby entry.
Police and military explosives personnel were called to the scene and spent several hours dealing with the package.
A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokeswoman confirmed that a viable device had been dealt with at Belmont Avenue. With dissident republican terrorists the most likely grouping behind the attack, Mr Robinson remained defiant. He declared: “Clearly it will not change by one iota any position I have been adopting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Immediate Release
19 April 2004
Mc Bride family renew legal challenge over killer soldiers
PAT FINUCANE CENTER
The family of murdered Belfast teenager Peter Mc Bride return to
Belfast High Court tomorrow morning (Tuesday 20.4.2004) to
judicially review the refusal of the Ministry of Defence to dismiss
two soldiers, Mark Wright and James Fisher, who were convicted of
the 1992 murder. In June 2003 the Court of Appeal ruled that there
were no exceptional circumstances justifying retention of the two.
According to internal British Army regulations soldiers sentenced in
a civilian court must be dismissed unless there are `exceptional
reasons' for not doing so.
The refusal to dismiss the convicted murderers of the teenager has
caused widespread anger in Ireland and abroad and has led to a
boycott of NIO Minister John Spellar who was involved in the
decision to retain the Guardsmen. Recently the Mc Bride family
raised the case at a meeting with German consular officials. Wright
and Fisher had been based in Gemany.
For further info contact 07989323418 or see the PFC
----------------------------------------------
http://www.iais.org
ALL-PARTY DISCUSSIONS POSTPONED
04/19/04 14:49 EST
Political talks planned for London next week involving all the Northern Ireland parties have been postponed.
British Government sources said today that they still hoped to hold the discussions before the European elections in June. They added that more work was required.
It had been planned that three days of proximity talks involving Northern Ireland's politicians would be hosted by the British and Irish premiers.
The discussions were due to follow the publication tomorrow of the Independent Monitoring Commission's first report on allegations of continuing paramilitary activity.
---------------------------------------------
GROUP WITH REAL IRA LINKS TO OPEN CENTRE
Monday 19th April 2004
The News Letter
A POLITICAL group linked to the Real IRA are to open a centre in Derry.
Only days after the 32 County Sovereignty Movement angered relatives
of those murdered in the Omagh bomb atrocity by staging an illegal
Easter commemoration march in Londonderry, it was revealed yesterday
that they are to open an advice centre in the city's Bogside.
As well as being responsible for Northern Ireland's worst terrorist
atrocity in 1998 in Omagh the dissident RIRA were also blamed for
the booby-trap murder of Protestant construction worker David
Caldwell in the Waterside.
A spokesman for the 32 County Sovereignty Movement confirmed
yesterday that their centre, which will be shared with the Irish
Republican Prisoners Welfare Association, who look after the
interests of Real IRA prisoners, will be open within the next couple
of months.
He said: "Such is our support in this city that we consider it
appropriate to invest the resources into a centre which can act as
an office for the 32 CSM to continue its political development work
on the ground, as well as a focal point for the families of
prisoners."
The group indicated that they were delighted at the turn-out at
their Easter rally in the Creggan, where the guest speaker was Old
Bailey bomber Marian Price.
* Nationalist sources in Londonderry yesterday said that an INLA
gang, brought in from outside the city, were responsible for the
assault of a 17-year-old youth in Galliagh over the weekend.
The victim is recovering in hospital after being beaten with sticks,
with nails protruding, and baseball bats.
--------------------------------------------
IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST
Subject: PRISONERS' ILL MOTHER REFUSED VISIT
Date: Monday, April 19, 2004
The Irish Freedom Committee has learned that yesterday Sunday April
18th the mother of republican prisoner JOHN JAMES CONNOLLY was refused a
visit to see her son, when the sniffer dog in the visitors' holding
center sat down at Mrs. Connolly's feet. Mrs. Connolly is in ill
health and must travel over 200 miles to have a visit with her son.
Quite understandably this ordeal has severely upset her son John
Connolly who witnessed his ill mother being manhandled by guards and
physically removed from the visiting area and told to leave without
a visit despite her pleas to "please just let me see my son".
The three other women Mrs. Connolly had traveled with, who were to
have a visit with their brother CONOR CASEY, were also refused their
visit when they protested the treatment being given to Mrs. Connolly.
This mass refusal of groups of particular visitors has been used by
Maghaberry prison before, and indicates an unwritten prison policy
in the use of sniffer dogs of "guilt by association" – all of a group
of visitors traveling together in an instance where a dog sits down
have been considered "guilty" as well and have been refused their visits
en mass.
Sniffer dogs are ostensibly used by their prison handlers to sniff
out drugs on the person of a visitor—although it is well known that no
Republican prisoner, nor anyone visiting them, has ever been found
with drugs in their possession. In reality sniffer dogs are often used
as a form of psychological intimidation of Republican family members,
including small children. In many instances the same visitors to
particular Republican prisoners have been repeatedly refused a visit
when the dog handler openly yanked on the dog's lead, forcing it to
sit down, canceling the visit for all members of the family group.
We ask our supporters and Members to please stay vigilant as the
weekend incident may indicate an escalation in harassment to family visitors
of Republican prisoners at Maghaberry, in the weeks to come. This
incident follows a steady increase of harassment of Republican prisoners by
Maghaberry prison guards in recent weeks, and it is seen as no
accident that the mother of John James Connolly, the Republican prisoners'
spokesman at Maghaberry, was singled out for this abusive and
degrading treatment. The last incident of a group of family members being
refused a visit was over a year ago, the interim respite due in no small
part to firm and outspoken protest by prisoners' welfare representatives on
the outside.
------------------------------------------
Irelandclick.com
UTV REPLY TO SF OVER LISBURN AD
Sinn Féin councillors in Lisburn have reacted angrily to a UTV decision to continue showing an advertisement for Lisburn which uses the slogan “Lisburn A City For Everyone.”
Sinn Féin’s leader on Lisburn City Council, Paul Butler, had written to UTV expressing his concerns about the advertisements commissioned by Lisburn City Council and asked the television company to withdraw the advertisements.
Councillor Butler said that the exclusion of Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance from holding senior positions in the Council is an act of blatant discrimination.
“There appears to be no willingness by unionists in Lisburn to share power with nationalists and others,” said Councillor Butler.
“Lisburn Council are using ratepayers’ money to pay for these advertisements yet Catholics and non-Unionist political representatives on Lisburn Council are being discriminated against,” said Councillor Butler.
In response to Councillor Butler’s request, UTV Director of Television Alan Bremner replied: “Whilst I fully understand the position that you are taking, it is essentially a matter which is for Lisburn City Council to decide upon.
“We do not feel that there is a need to change any aspect of the commercial or to remove it. “The decision to purchase airtime on TV is a matter for the Council and its officers.”
Councillor Butler says that he won’t stop there and that he now intends to make a complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency.
“I intend to make a complaint on the grounds that Lisburn Council is discriminatory and Lisburn is not a City For Everyone.
“I don’t object to advertisements telling people to come to Lisburn City but I do object when they promote Lisburn as a city for everyone when it is clearly not.”
Journalist::Staff Reporter
------------------------------
Irelandclick.com
NEW HOMES TO BE BUILT ON NOTORIOUS TORTURE CENTRE
The SDLP has welcomed news that the site of the infamous Springfield barracks is to be given over to social housing.
SDLP policing spokesperson Alex Attwood welcomed the news, saying: “The SDLP pressed for the closing down of the Springfield Road police station. It is a real measure of the change in the whole policing situation that police lands are being returned to community use.
“Andersonstown barracks is next. New houses and new community facilities will stand as permanent testimony to what can be achieved by a positive, engaged approach to the new realities of policing.”
The Policing Board announced this week that it had sold the substantial plot of land to the North and West Housing Association.
Springfield barracks was closed in September 2002, but the Policing Board’s Finance and General Purposes Committee were required to approve the conveyancing of the land before the sale could be completed.
The committee announced this week that the land would now be sold for social housing.
However, Sinn Féin councillor Tom Hartley says he is concerned that the area will be starved of facilities.
“It is important that a portion of the site is given over to the community. There is a need for new homes in the Springfield area, but there also need to be facilities to cater for the increase in the population.
“Ideally part of the site should be used for the benefit of the local community.
“In a densely populated area where play parks and green spaces are at a premium, this is an opportunity to bring something positive to the area that should not be allowed to pass,” added Cllr Hartley.
Journalist::Allison Morris
----------------------------------------
Irish Examiner
LETTER BOMBS SENT TO ROBINSON AND ATTWOOD
19/04/2004 - 6:05:01 PM
A bomb has been sent to the Belfast offices of Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader Peter Robinson, he revealed tonight.
A parcel believed to be packed with explosives and ball-bearings was opened by his daughter as she dealt with mail. It failed to detonate.
A second parcel-type device was also delivered to the headquarters of the Northern Ireland Policing Board in the city’s Clarendon Docks area.
It is believed to have been addressed to Alex Attwood - one of the nationalist SDLP representatives on the body which holds Chief Constable Hugh Orde to account - and was described as primitive by security sources.
A Board spokeswoman said: “I cannot confirm or deny who it was sent to.”
British army experts were called in to defuse the parcel bomb at Mr Robinson’s headquarters.
Although the East Belfast MP was unclear about who had targeted him, he hit out at the bombers for launching an indiscriminate attack.
He said: “It’s particularly despicable because anybody who sends that kind of device would know that it would not be opened by the member of parliament himself but by a member of his staff.
“For someone to attempt to kill a member of staff because they disagree with me indicates the kind of mind we are dealing with.”
The alert began when Mr Robinson’s daughter Rebecca, who works for him and his wife and fellow DUP MP Iris, was sorting through post at the constituency offices on Belmont Avenue today.
When she opened a jiffy-type bag and discovered suspicious contents, Mr Robinson’s bodyguard urged her to take it out and leave it in a nearby entry.
Police and military explosives personnel were called to the scene and spent several hours dealing with the package.
A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokeswoman confirmed that a viable device had been dealt with at Belmont Avenue. With dissident republican terrorists the most likely grouping behind the attack, Mr Robinson remained defiant. He declared: “Clearly it will not change by one iota any position I have been adopting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Immediate Release
19 April 2004
Mc Bride family renew legal challenge over killer soldiers
PAT FINUCANE CENTER
The family of murdered Belfast teenager Peter Mc Bride return to
Belfast High Court tomorrow morning (Tuesday 20.4.2004) to
judicially review the refusal of the Ministry of Defence to dismiss
two soldiers, Mark Wright and James Fisher, who were convicted of
the 1992 murder. In June 2003 the Court of Appeal ruled that there
were no exceptional circumstances justifying retention of the two.
According to internal British Army regulations soldiers sentenced in
a civilian court must be dismissed unless there are `exceptional
reasons' for not doing so.
The refusal to dismiss the convicted murderers of the teenager has
caused widespread anger in Ireland and abroad and has led to a
boycott of NIO Minister John Spellar who was involved in the
decision to retain the Guardsmen. Recently the Mc Bride family
raised the case at a meeting with German consular officials. Wright
and Fisher had been based in Gemany.
For further info contact 07989323418 or see the PFC
----------------------------------------------
http://www.iais.org
ALL-PARTY DISCUSSIONS POSTPONED
04/19/04 14:49 EST
Political talks planned for London next week involving all the Northern Ireland parties have been postponed.
British Government sources said today that they still hoped to hold the discussions before the European elections in June. They added that more work was required.
It had been planned that three days of proximity talks involving Northern Ireland's politicians would be hosted by the British and Irish premiers.
The discussions were due to follow the publication tomorrow of the Independent Monitoring Commission's first report on allegations of continuing paramilitary activity.
---------------------------------------------
