'TAN WAR' REPUBLICAN NEWSPAPER - 'An tOglach' , 1918-1921.......
.......Dublin , April 1916 - the Rising was on ; British re-inforcements were on the way , 'martial law' had been imposed by Westminster and the centre of Dublin was in chaos . Francis Sheehy Skeffington , a writer and pacifist , was in the city centre trying to deter the looters who were out in force .......
On his way home (to Rathmines) that Wednesday evening , Francis Sheehy Skeffington was 'arrested' by British troops from Portobello Barracks , as were two other civilians - Dublin journalist's Patrick McIntyre , then Editor of the 'Labour' newspaper , 'Searchlight' , and Thomas Dickson , then 'Editor' of a pro-Republican weekly newspaper , 'The Eye-Opener' .
On Thursday morning , April 27th , 1916 , the three men were shot dead in the barrack square by a British Army firing squad , without any 'formal' charges having been brought against any of them . Later , the British Army Captain in charge of the firing squad , a Bowen Colthurst , was 'tried' by court-martial regarding the order he issued to the firing squad ; he was found "guilty but insane...."
But a different account re the shooting of the three men was beginning to emerge .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
SHOOTINGS.......
"....... IRA Volunteer Dannie Casey was in his house at Doire Finin , Renanirree , with his younger brother , Jeremiah , when British Auxiliaries began a raid on the village . There was a box of ammunition and gelignite in the Casey house - Dannie grabbed it , making for the door , and Jeremiah insisted that he go , too ......."
" Dannie told his younger brother that it would be foolish to risk running away without necessity , but Jeremiah replied that he had already met with the Brit Auxies and that they had beaten him with rifle butts and otherwise ill-treated him , which was perfectly true - he was shouting that he was not going to give them the chance to do so again , if he could avoid it . Seeing that he could not dissuade him , Dannie told him to go on ahead so that , if captured , it would not be in the company of a man carrying ammunition .
Jeremiah left , and Dannie with the box soon followed ; his direction was roughly north . A quarter of a mile uphill over rough ground brought him to a point where he had a view of the ground which fell away in front of him to the east and north . Here he put down the box to reconnoitre and to rest a little . Hardly had he laid the box on the ground when his brother and two other youths came down a short slope from the west . He spoke to them , pointing out the danger of thus exposing themselves on high ground , and advised them to avoid himself until he could dispose of the box . The three young lads decided to drop into the low ground to the north .
Scarcely had they gone twenty yards from him when a group of British Auxiliaries rose from the ground to the north-east and fired a volley at them ; the three immediately fell - Dannie concluded that all three had been hit . He grabbed the box ......."
(MORE LATER).
'SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE FRONT LINE' .
BY DES WILSON .
First published in ' Dublin Diary ' magazine , Vol. 1 , No. 3 , May 1989 , page 21 .
Re-published here in six parts .
(1 of 6).
One of the striking things about British military bases in Belfast is how near so many of them are to schools . In the early seventies , some of them actually were in schools , the British military seizing part of the school premises and allowing the children to do the best they could with the rest .
Charitable observers might believe that this arrangement was made in order to protect the children from the 'terrorists' in a situation where , as the world has been told , the 'terrorists' are "evil" and the 'Territorials' (a Six-County British militia) are "good" , the Irish are "violent" and the British are , as in everything else , "best" . But not so ...
Placing military installations in schools meant that the soldiers were literally being protected by the children - it would be unlikely , so the theory went , that anyone would attack a military installation if there was a danger of hitting a school . Further , if an attack was mounted , then BBC , RTE etc and all right thinking people could point out in their first bulletins that the attack was launched within yards of an adjoining school , thus showing the disregard for children's lives that the 'terrorist's' have .......
(MORE LATER).
Thursday, August 26, 2004
'TAN WAR' REPUBLICAN NEWSPAPER - 'An tOglach' , 1918-1921.......
....... a British 'Proclamation' had been posted on walls and lamp-posts etc in Dublin on Tuesday , 25th April 1916 , concerning the Rising which was then underway ; amongst other things , the British had introduced 'martial law'.......
....that British 'Proclamation' was only in circulation for a few hours when three men were 'arrested' : Francis Sheehy Skeffington , Patrick McIntyre and Thomas Dickson .
It was on this same Wednesday (26th April 1916) that 1,600 British soldiers from the 'Third Cavalry Brigade' , artillery from Athlone and the 176th and 178th Infantry Brigades of the 59th North Midland Division of the British Army were preparing themselves for the march from 'Kingstown' Harbour (Dun Laoighaire) to Dublin city centre .
Tension was high in the city ; Francis Sheehy Skeffington , a leading writer and well-known pacifist , was in Dublin city centre attempting to turn back the looters that were out in force , taking advantage of the dis-organised situation in the capital .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
SHOOTINGS.......
" .......3rd January , 1921 ; Doire Finin , Renanirree - five lorry-loads of British Auxiliaries drove into the village ......."
" ...the time selected was quite an unusual one - nine in the morning . Their method of approach was clever ; the main road from Macroom ran past the hamlet to Beal a' Ghleanna and Ballingeary . Another , the Leac Road , converged on the former and joined it when about four hundred yards past the houses . The British Army lorries could pass unnoticed on the Leac Road for , although near , it was under the level of the main road .
That was exactly what they did - then , having passed by the houses , they stopped the lorries , dismounted and came back on foot . While some converged on the houses , others crossed the main road and pushed on rapidly uphill to the north-east to gain the heights behind the houses . The Auxies approaching from the front were seen and the alarm was given ; in nearly every house there lived an IRA Volunteer , but some were absent and the few at home were unarmed . Dannie Casey , a good Volunteer , whose house stood a hundred yards back from the main road , happened to be at home . With him was his young brother , Jeremiah , seventeen years of age .
A box filled with ammunition and gelignite was now Dannie's concern : he grasped the box to take it uphill with him - Jeremiah said that he would also go ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......
Since 1947 , the CIA has been a powerful force in covertly executing American internal and foreign policy . A major book detailing the workings , methods and sometimes incompetence of the secret service - 'The Agency ; The Rise and Decline of The CIA ' , by John Ranelagh , has recently been published .
Gene Kerrigan examines the books findings and assesses the importance of 'The Agency' and the role it has played over the last 39 years .
First published in 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper , Dublin , 24th August 1986 , page 11.
Re-produced here in 21 parts .
[21 of 21].
John Ranelagh (author of this book) argues that the CIA's power declined as it grew older ; it has , he says , less influence today (ie 1986) than ever . Partly this is because of the nature of the Reagan regime - Kennedy , Johnson and Nixon wanted "plausible deniability" if covert operations screwed up ; they wanted to be able to say they did'nt know about them . This created risks for the CIA , but it also gave the Agency a measure of independence and flexibility .
But when Ronald Reagan wanted Grenada's government overthrown he did'nt involve the CIA - he sent in the Marines . And his popularity rose . Similarly , in attempting to overthrow the Nicaraguan government , Reagan is less concerned with stealth . As America went steadily to the right he could get consensus for overt action - there is now little need to slip millions of dollars 'under the counter' to guerrilla groups ; Ronald Reagan was able to get his $100 million dollar support to the Central American Contras legislated by the U S Senate . Whatever works ...
In the 1960's and 1970's the presence of the CIA on a college campus would have led to outrage and demonstrations ; today (1986) the CIA openly recruits on campus . In 1984 , they had a record 150,000 applications .......
[END of ' THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......'].
(Tomorrow - ' SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE FRONT LINE ' : From 1989 - British Army bases and schools.......).
....... a British 'Proclamation' had been posted on walls and lamp-posts etc in Dublin on Tuesday , 25th April 1916 , concerning the Rising which was then underway ; amongst other things , the British had introduced 'martial law'.......
....that British 'Proclamation' was only in circulation for a few hours when three men were 'arrested' : Francis Sheehy Skeffington , Patrick McIntyre and Thomas Dickson .
It was on this same Wednesday (26th April 1916) that 1,600 British soldiers from the 'Third Cavalry Brigade' , artillery from Athlone and the 176th and 178th Infantry Brigades of the 59th North Midland Division of the British Army were preparing themselves for the march from 'Kingstown' Harbour (Dun Laoighaire) to Dublin city centre .
Tension was high in the city ; Francis Sheehy Skeffington , a leading writer and well-known pacifist , was in Dublin city centre attempting to turn back the looters that were out in force , taking advantage of the dis-organised situation in the capital .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
SHOOTINGS.......
" .......3rd January , 1921 ; Doire Finin , Renanirree - five lorry-loads of British Auxiliaries drove into the village ......."
" ...the time selected was quite an unusual one - nine in the morning . Their method of approach was clever ; the main road from Macroom ran past the hamlet to Beal a' Ghleanna and Ballingeary . Another , the Leac Road , converged on the former and joined it when about four hundred yards past the houses . The British Army lorries could pass unnoticed on the Leac Road for , although near , it was under the level of the main road .
That was exactly what they did - then , having passed by the houses , they stopped the lorries , dismounted and came back on foot . While some converged on the houses , others crossed the main road and pushed on rapidly uphill to the north-east to gain the heights behind the houses . The Auxies approaching from the front were seen and the alarm was given ; in nearly every house there lived an IRA Volunteer , but some were absent and the few at home were unarmed . Dannie Casey , a good Volunteer , whose house stood a hundred yards back from the main road , happened to be at home . With him was his young brother , Jeremiah , seventeen years of age .
A box filled with ammunition and gelignite was now Dannie's concern : he grasped the box to take it uphill with him - Jeremiah said that he would also go ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......
Since 1947 , the CIA has been a powerful force in covertly executing American internal and foreign policy . A major book detailing the workings , methods and sometimes incompetence of the secret service - 'The Agency ; The Rise and Decline of The CIA ' , by John Ranelagh , has recently been published .
Gene Kerrigan examines the books findings and assesses the importance of 'The Agency' and the role it has played over the last 39 years .
First published in 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper , Dublin , 24th August 1986 , page 11.
Re-produced here in 21 parts .
[21 of 21].
John Ranelagh (author of this book) argues that the CIA's power declined as it grew older ; it has , he says , less influence today (ie 1986) than ever . Partly this is because of the nature of the Reagan regime - Kennedy , Johnson and Nixon wanted "plausible deniability" if covert operations screwed up ; they wanted to be able to say they did'nt know about them . This created risks for the CIA , but it also gave the Agency a measure of independence and flexibility .
But when Ronald Reagan wanted Grenada's government overthrown he did'nt involve the CIA - he sent in the Marines . And his popularity rose . Similarly , in attempting to overthrow the Nicaraguan government , Reagan is less concerned with stealth . As America went steadily to the right he could get consensus for overt action - there is now little need to slip millions of dollars 'under the counter' to guerrilla groups ; Ronald Reagan was able to get his $100 million dollar support to the Central American Contras legislated by the U S Senate . Whatever works ...
In the 1960's and 1970's the presence of the CIA on a college campus would have led to outrage and demonstrations ; today (1986) the CIA openly recruits on campus . In 1984 , they had a record 150,000 applications .......
[END of ' THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......'].
(Tomorrow - ' SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE FRONT LINE ' : From 1989 - British Army bases and schools.......).
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
'TAN WAR' REPUBLICAN NEWSPAPER - 'An tOglach' , 1918-1921.
Dublin , Tuesday , April 25 , 1916 :
' A PROCLAMATION -
WHEREAS , in the City of Dublin and County of Dublin , certain evil disposed persons and Associations , with the intention of subverting the supremacy of the Crown in Ireland , have committed diverse acts of violence , and have with deadly weapons attacked the forces of the Crown , and have resisted by armed force the lawful authority of His Majesty's Police and Military forces ; and WHEREAS by reason thereof several of His Majesty's liege subjects have been killed and many others severely injured , and much damage to property has been caused ; and WHEREAS such armed resistance to His Majesty's Authority still continues :
NOW WE , Ivor Churchill Baron Wimborne , Lord Lieutenant-General and General Governor of Ireland , by virture of all the powers thereunto enabling us , do hereby proclaim that from and after the date of this Proclamation , and for the period of one month thereafter , unless otherwise ordered , the City of Dublin and County of Dublin are under and subject to Martial Law ; and WE do hereby call on all loyal and well-affected subjects of the Crown to aid in upholding and maintaining the peace of the Realm and the supremacy , and authority of the Crown ; and WE warn all peaceable and law-abiding subjects within such area of the danger of frequenting or being in any place in or in the vicinity of which His Majesty's forces are engaged in the suppression of disorder :
AND WE do hereby enjoin upon such subjects the duty and necessity , so far as practicable , of remaining within their own homes so long as these dangerous conditions prevail ; and WE do hereby proclaim that all persons found carrying arms without lawful authority are liable to be dealt with by virture of this Proclamation.
Given at Dublin ,
This 25th day of April , 1916.
WIMBORNE.
GOD SAVE THE KING . '
The above is a British Government 'Proclamation' , circulated in Dublin (on the above-mentioned date ie Tuesday 25/4/1916) in reply to THE Proclamation previously distributed by Irish Republicans and actions taken by same to enforce said document .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
SHOOTINGS.......
" .......Christy Lucey , one of our best Volunteers , was to die at the hands of the British nine days after an innocent man , Jim Lehane , was taken from his house and shot dead by them ....... "
" As Christy Lucey descended the hill , his view of the road in the valley became more limited ; he had actually crossed the road when the British Auxiliaries arrived and , seeing him, immediately opened fire - he gained the shelter of the house , and had ill-fortune not intervened would have got away from them ...
...immediately behind the house a mass of rock rose vertically ; to provide for such an emergency , as was now Christy's , a ladder always stood in place against the rock . It had been temporarily removed and he had no option but to make a detour of the rock . This brought him again into the view of his enemies who shot him down . He was not armed - and it was a pity , for it was a remarkable fact that even a shot or two exchanged with these 'warriors' disturbed their aim unduly . A few weeks later these marauding Auxiliaries were trapped at Kilmichael , a few miles to the south of our area : seventeen of them were killed . The IRA lost three men .
On 3rd January , 1921 , five lorries of British Auxiliaries from Macroom made a descent on a cluster of houses at Doire Finin , Renanirree ; their raid was cunningly planned and viciously operated ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......
Since 1947 , the CIA has been a powerful force in covertly executing American internal and foreign policy . A major book detailing the workings , methods and sometimes incompetence of the secret service - 'The Agency ; The Rise and Decline of The CIA ' , by John Ranelagh , has recently been published .
Gene Kerrigan examines the books findings and assesses the importance of 'The Agency' and the role it has played over the last 39 years .
First published in 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper , Dublin , 24th August 1986 , page 11.
Re-produced here in 21 parts .
(20 of 21).
On the whole , the CIA came well out of Vietnam - their analysis was more realistic than that of other agencies and they were far from the most 'hawklike' . They took the heat for the 'Phoenix Programme', although it originated in the 'National Security Council' . They took the heat for making a mess of the 'Bay of Pigs' operation , although it was John Kennedy who was responsible .
In the mid-1970's , William Colby (CIA Director) attempted to clear-up the CIA's reputation by admitting it had over-stepped the mark in the past ; by then , the CIA had ceased being the 'derring-do' outfit of the 1950's and had settled into being a bureaucracy like many others near the centre of government .
John Ranelagh , Author of this book , argues that the CIA's power declined as it grew older . It has less influence today (ie 1986) than ever .......
(MORE LATER).
Dublin , Tuesday , April 25 , 1916 :
' A PROCLAMATION -
WHEREAS , in the City of Dublin and County of Dublin , certain evil disposed persons and Associations , with the intention of subverting the supremacy of the Crown in Ireland , have committed diverse acts of violence , and have with deadly weapons attacked the forces of the Crown , and have resisted by armed force the lawful authority of His Majesty's Police and Military forces ; and WHEREAS by reason thereof several of His Majesty's liege subjects have been killed and many others severely injured , and much damage to property has been caused ; and WHEREAS such armed resistance to His Majesty's Authority still continues :
NOW WE , Ivor Churchill Baron Wimborne , Lord Lieutenant-General and General Governor of Ireland , by virture of all the powers thereunto enabling us , do hereby proclaim that from and after the date of this Proclamation , and for the period of one month thereafter , unless otherwise ordered , the City of Dublin and County of Dublin are under and subject to Martial Law ; and WE do hereby call on all loyal and well-affected subjects of the Crown to aid in upholding and maintaining the peace of the Realm and the supremacy , and authority of the Crown ; and WE warn all peaceable and law-abiding subjects within such area of the danger of frequenting or being in any place in or in the vicinity of which His Majesty's forces are engaged in the suppression of disorder :
AND WE do hereby enjoin upon such subjects the duty and necessity , so far as practicable , of remaining within their own homes so long as these dangerous conditions prevail ; and WE do hereby proclaim that all persons found carrying arms without lawful authority are liable to be dealt with by virture of this Proclamation.
Given at Dublin ,
This 25th day of April , 1916.
WIMBORNE.
GOD SAVE THE KING . '
The above is a British Government 'Proclamation' , circulated in Dublin (on the above-mentioned date ie Tuesday 25/4/1916) in reply to THE Proclamation previously distributed by Irish Republicans and actions taken by same to enforce said document .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
SHOOTINGS.......
" .......Christy Lucey , one of our best Volunteers , was to die at the hands of the British nine days after an innocent man , Jim Lehane , was taken from his house and shot dead by them ....... "
" As Christy Lucey descended the hill , his view of the road in the valley became more limited ; he had actually crossed the road when the British Auxiliaries arrived and , seeing him, immediately opened fire - he gained the shelter of the house , and had ill-fortune not intervened would have got away from them ...
...immediately behind the house a mass of rock rose vertically ; to provide for such an emergency , as was now Christy's , a ladder always stood in place against the rock . It had been temporarily removed and he had no option but to make a detour of the rock . This brought him again into the view of his enemies who shot him down . He was not armed - and it was a pity , for it was a remarkable fact that even a shot or two exchanged with these 'warriors' disturbed their aim unduly . A few weeks later these marauding Auxiliaries were trapped at Kilmichael , a few miles to the south of our area : seventeen of them were killed . The IRA lost three men .
On 3rd January , 1921 , five lorries of British Auxiliaries from Macroom made a descent on a cluster of houses at Doire Finin , Renanirree ; their raid was cunningly planned and viciously operated ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......
Since 1947 , the CIA has been a powerful force in covertly executing American internal and foreign policy . A major book detailing the workings , methods and sometimes incompetence of the secret service - 'The Agency ; The Rise and Decline of The CIA ' , by John Ranelagh , has recently been published .
Gene Kerrigan examines the books findings and assesses the importance of 'The Agency' and the role it has played over the last 39 years .
First published in 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper , Dublin , 24th August 1986 , page 11.
Re-produced here in 21 parts .
(20 of 21).
On the whole , the CIA came well out of Vietnam - their analysis was more realistic than that of other agencies and they were far from the most 'hawklike' . They took the heat for the 'Phoenix Programme', although it originated in the 'National Security Council' . They took the heat for making a mess of the 'Bay of Pigs' operation , although it was John Kennedy who was responsible .
In the mid-1970's , William Colby (CIA Director) attempted to clear-up the CIA's reputation by admitting it had over-stepped the mark in the past ; by then , the CIA had ceased being the 'derring-do' outfit of the 1950's and had settled into being a bureaucracy like many others near the centre of government .
John Ranelagh , Author of this book , argues that the CIA's power declined as it grew older . It has less influence today (ie 1986) than ever .......
(MORE LATER).
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Working within British 'law' with a vow NOT to use force against the British....... :
DANIEL O'CONNELL -1843 ;
THE PROVISIONALS -1994 TO DATE .
.......Daniel O'Connell had been 'slapped-down' by the British , who had cancelled relief efforts for the Irish . As he sat , dejected , in his mansion 'Derrynane House' , overlooking Kenmare Bay in County Kerry , he must have pondered his decision to work within British 'law' and use "moral force" only .......
Today , 161 years after Daniel O'Connell and the 'Loyal National Repeal Association' made that mistake , the Provisional Sinn Fein political party (formed in 1986 when they left the Republican Movement) has done the same . They , too , will be 'slapped down' (...and not for the first time since 1986) by the Brits , who will allow them to go so far but no further . They will receive as little 'freedom' as Westminster decides to give them .
In the words of a celebrated Irish man , born in Dublin in 1854 , one Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde - " Experience was of no ethical value . It was merely the name men gave to their mistakes . " Not to admit the mistake is bad enough , but to repeat it is worse .......
[END of ' Working within British 'law' with a vow NOT to use force against the British....... :
DANIEL O'CONNELL -1843 ;
THE PROVISIONALS -1994 TO DATE ].
(Tomorrow - 'TAN WAR' REPUBLICAN NEWSPAPER : 'An tOglach' , 1918-1921.)
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
SHOOTINGS.......
" .....we buried IRA Volunteer Liam Hegarty in Kilgarvan Graveyard , Kerry ; the Brits did'nt show their face for that day . In Ballyvourney , two of our men had been taken by surprise by the British Auxies as they were attempting to burn down the Black and Tan Barracks ......."
" The two had escaped under fire from the Auxies after setting the building ablaze ; the Auxies had returned to Macroom , and now , in the twilight , they reappeared in the village . One of their number entered a house , called out a married man named Jim Lehane , a man who would not hurt a fly , and , taking him across the road , shot him dead .
Nine days later we lost Christy Lucey , one of our best men , at Tuirin Dubh , Ballingeary ; a native of Cork City , he had stayed with his friends and comrades , the Twomeys of Tuirin Dubh , during the summer months . Having taken part in all the activities of the local IRA Company , he had decided to remain and fight with them in the coming struggle . Since the house at Tuirin Dubh was practically on the roadside and well known to the enemy , he did not sleep there at night .
Instead , he had sleeping quarters at the opposite side of the road , high up the hillside . He had established a routine of coming downhill each morning , crossing the road and entering the house . An enemy agent taking note of his movements could have reported that he crossed the road at the same time each morning ; possibly no such agent existed - the coincidence of events leading to his death might have accounted for the tragedy as it happened ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......
Since 1947 , the CIA has been a powerful force in covertly executing American internal and foreign policy . A major book detailing the workings , methods and sometimes incompetence of the secret service - 'The Agency ; The Rise and Decline of The CIA ' , by John Ranelagh , has recently been published .
Gene Kerrigan examines the books findings and assesses the importance of 'The Agency' and the role it has played over the last 39 years .
First published in 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper , Dublin , 24th August 1986 , page 11.
Re-produced here in 21 parts .
(19 of 21).
The 'Phoenix Programme' was run by Robert Komer , ex-CIA agent , and while not formally a CIA operation it was supported on the ground by the CIA ; William Colby , later to be CIA Director , was seconded to 'Phoenix' by the Agency .
'Phoenix' killed 20,000 Vietnamese ; Robert Komer earned the nickname 'Blowtorch' as a result of his 'work' . 'Phoenix' was designed to root out supporters of the Viet Cong in the South - thousands were assassinated : 'Phoenix' went out of control . You could settle old vendettas by pointing a finger ...
...in Kontum Province one man was reported for 'irregular activities' ; he was assassinated . Only then did Barton Osborne , the American in charge of the 'Phoenix' programme in that area , discover that the man was 'acting irregularly' because he was a 'Phoenix' agent ....!
" When he was assassinated I had quite a problem covering that up in the paperwork , " , added Mr. Osborne ...
(MORE LATER).
DANIEL O'CONNELL -1843 ;
THE PROVISIONALS -1994 TO DATE .
.......Daniel O'Connell had been 'slapped-down' by the British , who had cancelled relief efforts for the Irish . As he sat , dejected , in his mansion 'Derrynane House' , overlooking Kenmare Bay in County Kerry , he must have pondered his decision to work within British 'law' and use "moral force" only .......
Today , 161 years after Daniel O'Connell and the 'Loyal National Repeal Association' made that mistake , the Provisional Sinn Fein political party (formed in 1986 when they left the Republican Movement) has done the same . They , too , will be 'slapped down' (...and not for the first time since 1986) by the Brits , who will allow them to go so far but no further . They will receive as little 'freedom' as Westminster decides to give them .
In the words of a celebrated Irish man , born in Dublin in 1854 , one Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde - " Experience was of no ethical value . It was merely the name men gave to their mistakes . " Not to admit the mistake is bad enough , but to repeat it is worse .......
[END of ' Working within British 'law' with a vow NOT to use force against the British....... :
DANIEL O'CONNELL -1843 ;
THE PROVISIONALS -1994 TO DATE ].
(Tomorrow - 'TAN WAR' REPUBLICAN NEWSPAPER : 'An tOglach' , 1918-1921.)
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
SHOOTINGS.......
" .....we buried IRA Volunteer Liam Hegarty in Kilgarvan Graveyard , Kerry ; the Brits did'nt show their face for that day . In Ballyvourney , two of our men had been taken by surprise by the British Auxies as they were attempting to burn down the Black and Tan Barracks ......."
" The two had escaped under fire from the Auxies after setting the building ablaze ; the Auxies had returned to Macroom , and now , in the twilight , they reappeared in the village . One of their number entered a house , called out a married man named Jim Lehane , a man who would not hurt a fly , and , taking him across the road , shot him dead .
Nine days later we lost Christy Lucey , one of our best men , at Tuirin Dubh , Ballingeary ; a native of Cork City , he had stayed with his friends and comrades , the Twomeys of Tuirin Dubh , during the summer months . Having taken part in all the activities of the local IRA Company , he had decided to remain and fight with them in the coming struggle . Since the house at Tuirin Dubh was practically on the roadside and well known to the enemy , he did not sleep there at night .
Instead , he had sleeping quarters at the opposite side of the road , high up the hillside . He had established a routine of coming downhill each morning , crossing the road and entering the house . An enemy agent taking note of his movements could have reported that he crossed the road at the same time each morning ; possibly no such agent existed - the coincidence of events leading to his death might have accounted for the tragedy as it happened ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......
Since 1947 , the CIA has been a powerful force in covertly executing American internal and foreign policy . A major book detailing the workings , methods and sometimes incompetence of the secret service - 'The Agency ; The Rise and Decline of The CIA ' , by John Ranelagh , has recently been published .
Gene Kerrigan examines the books findings and assesses the importance of 'The Agency' and the role it has played over the last 39 years .
First published in 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper , Dublin , 24th August 1986 , page 11.
Re-produced here in 21 parts .
(19 of 21).
The 'Phoenix Programme' was run by Robert Komer , ex-CIA agent , and while not formally a CIA operation it was supported on the ground by the CIA ; William Colby , later to be CIA Director , was seconded to 'Phoenix' by the Agency .
'Phoenix' killed 20,000 Vietnamese ; Robert Komer earned the nickname 'Blowtorch' as a result of his 'work' . 'Phoenix' was designed to root out supporters of the Viet Cong in the South - thousands were assassinated : 'Phoenix' went out of control . You could settle old vendettas by pointing a finger ...
...in Kontum Province one man was reported for 'irregular activities' ; he was assassinated . Only then did Barton Osborne , the American in charge of the 'Phoenix' programme in that area , discover that the man was 'acting irregularly' because he was a 'Phoenix' agent ....!
" When he was assassinated I had quite a problem covering that up in the paperwork , " , added Mr. Osborne ...
(MORE LATER).
Monday, August 23, 2004
Working within British 'law' with a vow NOT to use force against the British....... :
DANIEL O'CONNELL -1843 ;
THE PROVISIONALS -1994 TO DATE .
.......the 'new' British 'broom' in Westminster swept clean ; 'Lord' John Russell's administration , represented by British Treasury Head Charles Trevelyan , cancelled relief efforts for the Irish .......
A report from that period (possibly in 'The Freemans Journal' newspaper , around October 1846) stated that ' ...several hundred men , often carrying shovels , were marching into towns and on to landlords estates pleading for work . When several thousand called on the Marquis of Sligo at his house in Westport they were careful not to tread on his grass , and even though he had no work for them they were rewarded by being told he would not harass them for their rents. ' A generous boss , to be sure ...
A British 'Justice of the Peace' (no name given) wrote from County Mayo - " The heart sickens at the sight of so many creatures all but dead ; many , many , many are not able to work , they are so debilitated from want of food . I see hundreds of women and children going through the stubble fields striving to get an old stalk of potato ..." It was these same " debilitated creatures " that had put their faith in Daniel O'Connell to speak up for them , but the great 'Liberator' , who lived in a stand-alone mansion overlooking Kenmare Bay in County Kerry , 'Derrynane House' (where his uncle , Maurice O'Connell , used to live) failed them by his own hand .
By giving a vow to work within British 'law' and to use "moral force" only , he could only 'achieve' as much freedom as the British were willing to give him .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
SHOOTINGS.......
".......the Brits would , on occasion , 'play' even dirtier than usual - either for revenge , or just to terrorise our supporters . But it did'nt stop us , or our people ....... "
" At that time the people of Ballyvourney , and indeed of all our area , would not yield an inch to tyranny or terror . On the day of Liam Hegarty's funeral they showed their appreciation of the man who died for Ireland and their contempt for the deed of terror . Behind the marching Companies of the IRA came a mile-long procession of horsemen and vehicles . The Black and Tans in Ballyvourney , peering from behind their shutters , must have thought it interminable .
The Black and Tans in Kilgarvan , County Kerry , where we laid Liam Hegarty to rest , must have thought likewise . But whatever their thoughts , they did not come out to investigate the invasion ; the barracks and the graveyard , both in the village , were but a short distance apart . The IRA firing-party's volleys , by a coincidence , were directed over the roof of the barracks . The Tans must have heard the bullets whistle , for we used sharp ammunition .
The next shooting , the cold-blooded and deliberate murder of a civilian , took place in the village of Ballymakeera on the evening of 1st November 1920 . Elsewhere I have described how , at noon on the same day , the British Auxiliaries from Macroom had surprised two IRA men in the act of burning the Black and Tan Barrack at the Mills , Ballyvourney ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......
Since 1947 , the CIA has been a powerful force in covertly executing American internal and foreign policy . A major book detailing the workings , methods and sometimes incompetence of the secret service - 'The Agency ; The Rise and Decline of The CIA ' , by John Ranelagh , has recently been published .
Gene Kerrigan examines the books findings and assesses the importance of 'The Agency' and the role it has played over the last 39 years .
First published in 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper , Dublin , 24th August 1986 , page 11.
Re-produced here in 21 parts .
(18 of 21).
Within two years the number of American 'military advisers' in Vietnam jumped from 500 to 10,000 . Back in 1945 , Ho Chi Minh had been an informer for the American 'Office of Strategic Services' (OSS) (forerunner of the CIA) , giving them intelligence on China and Vietnam . The Americans had , however , backed the French attempts to retain control in Vietnam and when the French failed , the Americans took on the burden .
By now , with Kennedy playing macho politics , the war between Vietnamese nationalism and Western imperialism was getting into top gear .
Kennedy was dead by the time the CIA set up the 'Provincial Reconnaissance Units' (RCU) ; these units were established to use murder , kidnapping and intimidation to reduce rural support for the Viet Cong . Two years later, in 1967 , the RCU's were incorporated into the 'Phoenix Programme' .......
(MORE LATER).
DANIEL O'CONNELL -1843 ;
THE PROVISIONALS -1994 TO DATE .
.......the 'new' British 'broom' in Westminster swept clean ; 'Lord' John Russell's administration , represented by British Treasury Head Charles Trevelyan , cancelled relief efforts for the Irish .......
A report from that period (possibly in 'The Freemans Journal' newspaper , around October 1846) stated that ' ...several hundred men , often carrying shovels , were marching into towns and on to landlords estates pleading for work . When several thousand called on the Marquis of Sligo at his house in Westport they were careful not to tread on his grass , and even though he had no work for them they were rewarded by being told he would not harass them for their rents. ' A generous boss , to be sure ...
A British 'Justice of the Peace' (no name given) wrote from County Mayo - " The heart sickens at the sight of so many creatures all but dead ; many , many , many are not able to work , they are so debilitated from want of food . I see hundreds of women and children going through the stubble fields striving to get an old stalk of potato ..." It was these same " debilitated creatures " that had put their faith in Daniel O'Connell to speak up for them , but the great 'Liberator' , who lived in a stand-alone mansion overlooking Kenmare Bay in County Kerry , 'Derrynane House' (where his uncle , Maurice O'Connell , used to live) failed them by his own hand .
By giving a vow to work within British 'law' and to use "moral force" only , he could only 'achieve' as much freedom as the British were willing to give him .......
(MORE LATER).
WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :
war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.
By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.
SHOOTINGS.......
".......the Brits would , on occasion , 'play' even dirtier than usual - either for revenge , or just to terrorise our supporters . But it did'nt stop us , or our people ....... "
" At that time the people of Ballyvourney , and indeed of all our area , would not yield an inch to tyranny or terror . On the day of Liam Hegarty's funeral they showed their appreciation of the man who died for Ireland and their contempt for the deed of terror . Behind the marching Companies of the IRA came a mile-long procession of horsemen and vehicles . The Black and Tans in Ballyvourney , peering from behind their shutters , must have thought it interminable .
The Black and Tans in Kilgarvan , County Kerry , where we laid Liam Hegarty to rest , must have thought likewise . But whatever their thoughts , they did not come out to investigate the invasion ; the barracks and the graveyard , both in the village , were but a short distance apart . The IRA firing-party's volleys , by a coincidence , were directed over the roof of the barracks . The Tans must have heard the bullets whistle , for we used sharp ammunition .
The next shooting , the cold-blooded and deliberate murder of a civilian , took place in the village of Ballymakeera on the evening of 1st November 1920 . Elsewhere I have described how , at noon on the same day , the British Auxiliaries from Macroom had surprised two IRA men in the act of burning the Black and Tan Barrack at the Mills , Ballyvourney ......."
(MORE LATER).
THE CIA : REAGAN'S SECRET ARMY .......
Since 1947 , the CIA has been a powerful force in covertly executing American internal and foreign policy . A major book detailing the workings , methods and sometimes incompetence of the secret service - 'The Agency ; The Rise and Decline of The CIA ' , by John Ranelagh , has recently been published .
Gene Kerrigan examines the books findings and assesses the importance of 'The Agency' and the role it has played over the last 39 years .
First published in 'The Sunday Tribune' newspaper , Dublin , 24th August 1986 , page 11.
Re-produced here in 21 parts .
(18 of 21).
Within two years the number of American 'military advisers' in Vietnam jumped from 500 to 10,000 . Back in 1945 , Ho Chi Minh had been an informer for the American 'Office of Strategic Services' (OSS) (forerunner of the CIA) , giving them intelligence on China and Vietnam . The Americans had , however , backed the French attempts to retain control in Vietnam and when the French failed , the Americans took on the burden .
By now , with Kennedy playing macho politics , the war between Vietnamese nationalism and Western imperialism was getting into top gear .
Kennedy was dead by the time the CIA set up the 'Provincial Reconnaissance Units' (RCU) ; these units were established to use murder , kidnapping and intimidation to reduce rural support for the Viet Cong . Two years later, in 1967 , the RCU's were incorporated into the 'Phoenix Programme' .......
(MORE LATER).
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