Posted by Jim on March 28, 2014
To: Patrick Brian Boru Murphy From: Cornelius McSclawvey,
NY St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee Teernagoogh.
New York. Republic of Ireland.
20th March 2014.
Re. invitation to PSNI to march in NY Parade
Dear Patrick Brian Boru Murphy,
I’m so sorry to hear of all the abuse you had to endure over your Committee’s decision to invite the Police Service of Northern Ireland to participate in the NY City’s Parade this year. To be honest, it was an overdue decision – even Sinn Fein accepted the PSNI years ago! And of course urged your Committee to stand by the invitation — fair play to them although I’ve never liked them, I have to say.
But just who do these yobbos think they are? Those Irish-Americans who objected are living behind the times. And the gall of them to remind you of Peter King, selected Grand Marshall for the 1985 NY Parade, visiting IRA man Joe Doherty when he was in NY jail fighting extradition back to the UK! And the Philadelphia Parade committee making the same Joe Doherty Grand Marshall of their Parade back in 1989. Sure are we not all permitted a mistake or two in our lives?
Of course it was from the Irish Consulate that the suggestion first came to invite the PSNI. Some people, like that Larry Kirwan (of “Black ’47” musical notoriety), accused the Consulate of catering only for the rich Irish-Americans, the lace-curtain crowd. Yes, he did – he even put it in one of his books! Or so I’ve been told – I wouldn’t waste my time reading any of his rubbish. What’s wrong with lace curtains anyway? They let in light and keep your nosy neighbours’ eyes out – not that any neighbours live on our couple of acres of garden anyway, but still …
The cheek of that Wexford blow-in! And even if it were true, aren’t the successful Irish-Americans the ones who really matter? The likes of the Kennedys, O’Neill and even Republicans like Reagan (I mean the US political party), the ones who made — and keep on making – the USA great! Sure you couldn’t expect a country’s consulate to be looking out for the likes of building workers, bar and hotel staff, nurses and nannies! And even computer programming is pretty run of the mill these days.
Anyway, the Consulate lobbies for more green cards for Irish migrants, allowing them to emigrate to the USA legally, helping to sustain the economy back home through relieving us of paying them social welfare benefits and allowing them to earn money to send back home instead. Of course we know there are not enough green cards and a lot will still be illegal migrants but what can one do? And no doubt that helps keep the wages down … and stops them going on demonstrations and the like ….
Sorry, I’ve been drifting off topic. Your critics have been saying that the PSNI are just the RUC under a different name – that they are the same repressive and sectarian force as always. Well, maybe, but some things we have to just grin and bear, don’t we? And as for repression, sure they’re only persecuting dissidents, people who don’t agree with the Good Friday Agreement. The dissidents say that they’re being persecuted because of their legal political activities and not for breaking any laws. But if you stand against the tide, you must expect a good soaking, I always say.
Anyway, I just wanted to say “well done!” to you and to the rest of the Parade Committee. Hopefully next year you can not only invite the PSNI again but the Ulster Defence Regiment as well! As you know, they were formed from the B-Specials, much as the PSNI were from the RUC. It’s healthy to change the name of organisations every once in a while …. And maybe the year after that, you can invite the British Parachute Regiment! They will probably never change their name but they are so colourful, with their red berets and wing badges … Fág an Balaugh!
Yours most sincerely,
Cornelius Mc Sclawvey
Posted by Jim on
Below is an article by SF MLA Gerry Kelly on “the new beginning to policing…fair and impartial, free from partisan political control”. Interesting, Mr Kelly, since the majority of arrests, incarcerations and interments without trial has been due to the PSNI/RUC’s relentless pursuit of republicans on alleged offences dating back to the troubles post Good Friday Agreement. Mr. Kelly goes on to say…”with the PSNI replacing the RUC in 2001”. Did you say, “Replacing the RUC”? Don’t you mean replacing the RUC’s name with the name PSNI in order to protect the guilty? This may be an old cliché, but it still holds true – ‘a rose by any other name is still a rose’ Mr. Kelly.
“The GFA, which created the political architecture to facilitate a peaceful and democratic path to the re-unification of our country”…Mr. Kelly, there is nothing “democratic” about republicans still being pursued, arrested and interned without trial. The illegal detention of Marian Price, Martin Corey, Stephen Murney and the highly publicized arrest, trial and incarceration of Gerry McGeough on 32 year old charges to name a few, was far from democratic. In fact, it was down right undemocratic and it happened on Sinn Fein’s watch, as they were now part of the “new policing structures and accountability in the last 6 years”.
While Mr. Kelly’s article below practically applauds the PSNI/RUC and suggest we here in America should embrace them with open arms, the PSNI/RUC continue their relentlessly pursuit of republicans while the security forces are left unscathed, unprosecuted and protected by the British government, DUP and Sinn Fein in spite of the part they played in the murder of innocent Catholics through acts of collusion with loyalist death squads during the same time period as those republicans who have been or are being arrested right now on alleged offenses dating as far back as 1972.
Mr. Kelly says that “Given such a scenario, protests against joint PSNI-GARDA participation in an event such as the St. Patrick’s Day parade-a manifestation of Irishness and Irish culture-is unwarranted and has been met with a degree of surprise and nonchalance by the nationalist and republican community in the North of Ireland. Oh, really? If that was truly the case, Mr. Kelly, you wouldn’t have taken the time out of your busy day to write this article and have it distributed throughout America by Friends of Sinn Fein USA if you really believed that. Secondly, no one protested the GARDA. They protested the PSNI/RUC.
In reading this article over a few times, I believe I am starting to understand the real reason behind why Mr. Kelly wrote this article in the first place. It certainly wasn’t to tell us that “the protests were met with a degree of nonchalance in the north”. No, there is more to it. Reasoning tells me that the PSNI/RUC invite by the parade committee and the tweets by Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness supporting the PSNI/RUC marching in the New York St. Patrick’s Day parade ignited a rather large flame under the majority of Irish-Americans who support the cause of Ireland’s self-determination and were outraged by this stunt.
You see, prior to the PSNI/RUC marching in the St. Patrick’s Day parade and post GFA, the media, the British government, and now Sinn Fein, have been able to demonize those who think and speak outside the box. Good people, with good intentions, who have been involved in the cause of Irish freedom and the re-unification of Ireland for more than 20-30 years, who dare to question, criticize or challenge some of Sinn Fein’s policies are labeled “dissidents”. A buzz word deliberately used to most likely alienate them from the heard. However, this time, Sinn Fein can’t label us ALL dissidents because too many of us, from all different Irish-American groups, including solid supporters of Sinn Fein, spoke out in protest against the PSNI/RUC marching in an Irish Catholic parade. Therefore, Sinn Fein is now trying to explain away why they supported the invite to begin with and I see this article as nothing more than a form of “damage-control” and trying to keep us Irish-Americans in our place.
Helen McClafferty
Posted by Jim on
In observing the dispute over the PSNI joining the GARDA in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York, one wonders what all the fuss is about! Policing, like politics in general is in transition mode in the 6-counties, since the emergence of the Good Friday Agreement almost 16 years ago.
The GFA, which created the political architecture to facilitate a peaceful and democratic path to the re-unification of our country, also promised a new beginning to policing…..fair and impartial; free from partisan political control. This remains a work in progress, with the PSNI replacing the RUC in 2001 and Sinn Fein entering the new policing structures and accountability mechanisms 6 years later. In 2010 with the signing of the Hillsborough Agreement, policing and justice powers were subsequently transferred from Westminster to the local political institutions.
Nationalists and Republicans now populate and in some areas control, the local accountability mechanisms, PCSP’s (Policing & Community Safety Partnership’s) across the 6-counties. They also occupy key positions on the Policing Board which has the power to hold the Chief Constable of the PSNI to account on a continuous basis, either as representatives of Sinn Fein or the SDLP or as ‘independent’ members.
Nationalists and Republicans also sit on the Justice Committee in the Assembly which exercises oversight over all decisions taken by the Justice Minister in addition to any draft justice bills. Raymond McCartney of Sinn Fein, an ex-pow, is vice chair of this committee. In effect the PSNI is not a continuum of the RUC and participation in the oversight mechanisms outlined represent the best guarantee against any potential for the current policing and justice agencies to return to partisan political control. Our active participation on these mechanisms will also prevent any potential emergence of a Unionist militia as the bulwark against the realization of Nationalist and Republican aspirations.
We clearly recognize that elements of the old policing and justice regime are still active within the new structures and ‘anti-republican’ mind-sets and practices have emerged on occasion around different issues. But the strength of the accountability mechanisms and the tenacity of its incumbents have ensured that they have been isolated and confronted over time. Again we emphasize that it is still a work in progress, within which much has been achieved but much remains to be done!
Given such a scenario, protests against joint PSNI-GARDA participation in an event such as the St. Patrick’s Day parade- a manifestation of Irishness and Irish culture-is unwarranted and has been met with a degree of surprise and nonchalance by the nationalist and republican community in the North of Ireland.
Gerry Kelly
MLA
Member of the Policing Board
Posted by Jim on
The Dublin government is in crisis and the 26 County judicial system on
the point of collapse following revelations that illegal recordings
have been made of telephone conversations to and from police stations
for some three decades.
The news first emerged shortly after Garda police commissioner Martin
Callinan resigned (officially, ‘retired’) amid an ongoing scandal over
the force’s handling of motoring offences and accusations of corruption
by two Garda whistleblowers. He was also accused of spying earlier this
year when it emerged that a sweep of the Garda Siochana Ombudsman
Commission (GSOC) had found evidence of high-tech electronic
surveillance.
But the new scandal has the potential to overshadow such events, and
could see hundreds of trials aborted, judgements overturned, and
prisoners set free.
Following a Cabinet meeting yesterday, the Fine Gael-Labour government
announced the setting up of a Commission of Investigation into the
recordings. Taoiseach Enda Kenny denied opposition claims that he
“sacked” Callinan as a result of the crisis.
As the coalition government appeared to descend into chaos, denials
were issued on behalf of Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, Attorney
General Maire Whelan and senior civil servants.
A key issue is whether client-lawyer privilege was abused by the
recordings. The nature and number of which remain unknown, but they
are understood to include every landline phone call at every major
Garda station from the 1980s. More than 2,500 tapes have already come
to light — some of which may be “mouldy”, according to Minister for
Finance Michael Noonan — but since 2008, the calls were recorded
electronically.
While it is clear that previous administrations will face their share
of blame for the fiasco, the current government’s handling of the
situation has brought the crisis to a climax as court cases were being
halted today until more information on the spying is forthcoming.
INACTION
Public records indicate the issue of recorded telephone conversations
arose in the courts as far back as 2011. Concerns was also raised by a
report of the Ombudsman’s office in June of last year. At that time the
Ombudsman said that the ‘Garda Commissioner may wish to re-evaluate his
practise regarding the recording of such calls.’ The Ombudsman’s report
was subsequently sent to the Garda Commissioner and to the Department
of Justice.
The issue is also at the heart of legal proceedings in November
surrounding a very high profile murder case in County Cork, the 1996
death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in 1996. It is understood this is
the case which first brought the matter to the attention of the
Attorney General, but she inexplicably failed to raise the matter
before Cabinet. She also refused to discuss the matter over the phone,
the Taoiseach said today.
Minister Shatter has attempted to sidestep criticism by insisting that
he only became aware of the secret recordings yesterday, although
admitting his department received a letter from Callinan two weeks ago
detailing the situation.
The audacious Minister for Justice eft journalists slack-jawed today
when by blamed the delay partly on his involvement on behalf of the
government in the St Patrick’s Day festivities in Mexico.
“I don’t think that any reasonable person could claim with any
credibility that there has been any inaction on my part or the part of
the government to what has undoubtedly been a series of disturbing
issues,” he said.
“Rather, we have been unflinching in our determination to face up to
past difficulties.”
COURTS IN CRISIS
As the blame game continued and pressure on Minister Shatter reached
unprecedented levels, the adjournment of an IRA trial added to sense of
disarray.
Lawyers for two men accused of IRA membership successfully applied to
the juryless Special Criminal Court today to have their trial halted
“in light of recent events”.
Barristers for the two men told the court that their clients had
telephone calls with their lawyer while in garda custody and before
they were subsequently interviewed by the gardai.
The barristers sought disclosure of any records of the phone calls that
might exist. Prosecuting counsel insisted that gardai were “completely
unaware” of any recordings.
Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams said that it was not credible that Minister
Shatter was unaware of last June’s Ombudsman’s report.
“This is the latest in a series of debacles around An Garda Siochana,
the administration of justice and the Minister for Justice,” he said.
“Minister Shatter has on every occasion sought to protect the Garda
Commissioner who has now resigned; he tried to discredit the Garda
whistle-blowers Sergeant Maurice McCabe and former Garda John Wilson,
and he undermined the office of the Garda Ombudsman over the bugging
allegations.
“The Taoiseach has said he will not ask Minister Shatter to resign.
That is a mistake”.
Posted by admin on March 22, 2014
Veteran republican Ivor Bell has been charged this Friday night with
IRA membership and “aiding and abetting” the execution of informer Jean
McConville in 1972.
The arrest of the well-known 77-year-old on Tuesday came as a shock to
the republican community. On Thursday the PSNI were granted permission
to interrogate the pensioner for a fourth day, despite his advanced
years and frail health. There were fears among his friends and
colleagues that he was being treated vindictively.
Mr Bell is expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court
tomorrow [Saturday]. A white-tine picket has been organised to call
for Mr Bell’s immediate release. The picket will be held at the top of
Castle Street in Belfast at 1.30pm.
The senior figure is alleged to have been a commander in the Belfast
brigade of the IRA throughout the 1970s. In 1972, he was among a group
of top republicans, including the current Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams,
who were flown to London in 1972 for ceasefire talks with the British
government.
Regarded as a militant, he was ousted from the IRA in 1985 for opposing
the political direction advocated by Adams.
There had been speculation in the mainstream media that the arrest came
in response to the PSNI securing the tapes of an interview with former
IRA Volunteer Dolours Price. There have also been claims that Mr Bell’s
arrest may impact on Mr Adams, who has long denied widespread
allegations that he was involved in or even ordered the kidnapping of
McConville.
Between 2001 and 2006 a Boston College project conducted ‘confidential’
interviews with prominent members of the Provisional IRA. While the
university quickly submitted to a court challenge to hand over the files
in question to the PSNI in 2011, two researchers employed by it took a
Supreme Court challenge against their release in 2012, but ultimately
lost.
Earlier this week, a Six-County government council candidate spole of
his concern over the arrest Mr Bell, who is his election manager. Ciaran
Mulholland, who is standing as an independent republican socialist
candidate in west Belfast in this year’s local elections, said Mr Bell’s
arrest was an example of “political policing”.
Mr Mulholland called on the Stormont administration parties to condemn
the situation.
“This is an attack on all our human rights and a threat to democracy,”
he said.
“Let it be known to those who support the idea of political policing,
that this will not deter the hard work or voice of the working class and
the will of our people will only be strengthened by such actions. We are
confident and determined to succeed.”
Mr Bell’s arrest has also reopened the question of the letters issued to
some of those ‘On the Run’ (OTR) from prosecution for past IRA actions
which were seen to grant a form of immunity.
One such letter was cited by an Old Bailey judge in releasing Donegal
man John Downey as his trial was due to get underway in London late last
month.
Davy Hyland, an independent local election candidate in Newry, said he
had recently been subjected to a politically motivated arrest and
questioned for two days by the PSNI in connection with the 1999 death of
another IRA informer, Eamon Collins.
“During the interrogations, not one iota of evidence to link me to his
murder was found,” he said.
“The entire episode smacks of overt political policing and the police
being influenced by the current OTR debacle. By this I mean you’re fair
game if you are not in an establishment, constitutional party.”