Friday, June 26, 2009

Not 'Terrorist Sympathisers' or 'Dissidents' , but "Protesters" !

The above picture is from the British 'Sunday Times' newspaper , issue dated June 21st , 2009 , and it was used to accompany an article on the on-going political unrest in Iran. The caption on the photograph reads - "Protesters set fires in Tehran yesterday, where a young woman, inset, was filmed dying of gunshot wounds. Far left, a battered and bruised masked man."
When that same newspaper covers stories of political unrest in Ireland in which Irish Republicans are involved , it 'slants' the story and any photographs to suit its own political agenda : an article like the above would be titled something along the lines of 'CLASHES : LAST THROW OF THE DISSIDENTS' and a photograph like the above would be captioned - 'Terrorist sympathisers riot and loot yesterday in Belfast/Dublin/Derry/Kerry etc as a female dissident lies dying , having been injured by her own side . Far left ,a Republican thug got more than he bargained for when he failed to make good his escape , having attacked the security forces'.
The 'Sunday Times' article goes on to highlight how the authorities in Iran are manipulating and 'spinning' reportage of the unrest , and how they are censoring and attempting to censor the output from journalists covering the story. Pot , kettle = sickening hypocrisy from that particular source.
As
Oscar Wilde stated - "There is much to be said in favour of modern journalism . By giving us the opinion of the uneducated , it keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community."
In the case of this and other articles in the 'Sunday Times' , the printed opinion of the journalists in question keeps us in touch with "the ignorance" ('attempted spin') of the"community" they work for - the political 'establishment' .
Sharon.






Wednesday, June 24, 2009

THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY.
Twenty-six men were convicted on the word of Harry Kirkpatrick. On their appeal against those convictions could well rest the future of the 'Anglo-Irish Agreement'
('The Hillsborough Treaty')
. Based on a full transcript of the Kirkpatrick trials , the story of how these convictions were obtained shows why the 'Supergrass System' is a pale shadow of justice.
By Derek Dunne. From 'MAGILL' magazine, February 1986.

Life in the annex of Crumlin Road Prison wasn't too bad for Henry 'Harry' Kirkpatrick . It was here that he was serving five life sentences for murder and over seventy other offences. There was a black and white television and a record player in the room and , just down the hallway from his room , there was a colour television set which he could avail of . And he had a guitar , which he played when he sang a song he had composed about 'Supergrasses' . He had company in that high security annex - on and off nine or ten 'grasses' had spent time there .

Just now , William 'Budgie' Allen and James Crockard (see piece dated 'Thu 21st Feb 1985') were there , two loyalist 'supergrasses' . The food wasn't too bad either , as the annex had it's own kitchen , separate from the main jail , as the inmates were afraid that they would be poisoned otherwise.

For almost two years , Henry 'Harry' Kirkpatrick had 'lived' there . The only times he had been out was when he had gone to Castlereagh Interrogation Centre to make statements , or to court . Between the time the 'trial' of the twenty-seven men he named had started and Kirkpatrick took the 'witness' stand , British Crown counsel had spent over forty hours with him in Castlereagh over a perion of seven days . An adjournment was sought and granted to him on the basis of 'ill health' . When he got on the stand , it was the first time the defence knew that he had all those 'visits'.......
(MORE LATER).



THE HOWARD MARKS AFFAIR.
Customs Officers in England have arrested a man who could blow the lid off an embarrassing British Intelligence operation against the Provisional IRA , when he answers drug smuggling charges in London later this year.
From 'MAGILL' magazine, July 1980.
By James Curtis.

Customs Officers in England have arrested a man who could blow the lid off an embarrassing British Intelligence operation against the Provisional IRA , when he answers drug smuggling charges in London later this year .

The man is Howard Marks, 34, an Oxford University graduate and a former agent of MI6 , Britain's external intelligence gathering department . He is also a former associate of the 'Irish Pimpernel' , James McCann.

Howard Marks was picked up in the bar of a quiet country hotel in Lavenham , Suffolk , in England , on Friday May 16th 1980 , during a series of customs raids in Britain which netted cannabis allegedly worth £10 million on the street market . During the swoop , a 50 ft yacht , 'The Bagherra', was detained and searched at Oban in Scotland ; four tons of cannabis were found at a farm building near Fort William , in Scotland , two tons of cannabis were impounded at a house in Kettering in Northampshire and a further four tons were seized at a farmhouse near Basildon in Essex . Customs investigators describe the drugs as a record haul and pulled in twelve people for questioning , seven of whom , including Howard Marks , were charged with dealing and conspiracy to smuggle drugs.......
(MORE LATER).



A BATTLE FOR HEARTS AND MINDS.......
A look at issues raised by Liz Curtis' recent book.
From 'IRIS' magazine, August 1984.
Review by Trisha Fox.

Liz Curtis , a member of the 'Information On Ireland' group , sees it as essential that people like herself are not only engaged in writing academic books , but work on all fronts of the cultural struggle to challenge the British propaganda machine . The 'Information On Ireland' group has been involved in producing booklets on the British media , plastic bullets and arguing for a British withdrawal .

Recently the group took part in an event organised by the GLC's media working group as part of the London ' Anti-Racist Year' campaign - they spoke at a conference entitled 'British Media and British Imperialism' , which was addressed by two members of Belfast Sinn Féin as well as by speakers from black , third world and anti-imperialist organisations , and the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom . At present , 'Information On Ireland' is producing a short book on anti-Irish racism in Britain.......
(MORE LATER).







Monday, June 22, 2009

STREET ATTACK BY POLITICAL POLICE .

Injury sustained by RSF member after attack by members of the political police.

On Saturday , June 13th 2009 , members and supporters of Republican Sinn Féin in Lucan , County Dublin , were replacing posters for the 2009 Bodenstown/Wolfe Tone Commemoration in Sallins , County Kildare , which was due to be held the following day , Sunday 14th June 2009 . Whilst those Republicans were going about their business , a car containing three members of the State political police - the 'Special Branch' - pulled up and two men got out of the car and approached a relatively new member of RSF . They asked this young man what he was doing , told him who they were and demanded his name and address , which he gave them. They then attempted to question him further on his personal details , to which he replied , again, with his name and address . The 'Special Branch' agents turned aggressive and threatened the young man with arrest if he did not comply . He repeated his name and address and was then made to 'spread his arms on the car and stand with legs apart' whilst the State representatives searched him in a rough manner.
One of the members of the political police grabbed the young mans mobile 'phone from his pocket and when he attempted to retrieve it he was attacked by them on the side of the street - the photograph , above , shows the worst injury he received in this attack.
This unprovoked and vicious assault , which would have left an older , less healthy victim in hospital , was roundly condemned by local Republicans who have noted a marked increase in the level of harassment by those State thugs . We have been asked to record that attack and are glad to do so , and we are happy to acknowledge that the young man , the victim, intends to continue his work for Republican Sinn Féin and will not be cowed by this State sponsored intimidation.

Sharon.