THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION , 1921-1925 .......
A British 'sleight-of-hand' which caused a mutiny within British forces in Ireland.......
....... the 1921 Treaty of Surrender was lodged as a legal document with the 'League Of Nations' organisation in Geneva ; the Brits 'broke' that Treaty on 9th October 1924 when they took it on themselves to change Article 12 ('Boundary Commission' clause) of that Treaty . The Free Staters in Leinster House (being , of course , Free Staters !) failed to take Westminster to task for that illegal move .......
The earlier 1920 'Government of Ireland Act' (ie - two 'Home Rule Parliaments' for Ireland) was not referred to , or lodged with , the 'League Of Nations' in Geneva as " it never purported to be an agreement between two nations ... " , that is , the Brits refused to recognise the island of Ireland as a separate entity and considered that 1920 Act to be an " internal arrangement ... " .
However - there was , at the time (ie when the agreed version of the Boundary Commission clause was broke , by the Brits, on 9th October 1924) a legal (if not moral) obligation and/or opportunity (and reason) for the then Free State Administration to state that the then 3 year-old Treaty of Surrender had been broken by the Brits and was therefore invalid . That they did not do so spoke volumes of their future intentions - ie ' lets be grateful we got 26 Counties back and not push our luck with the Brits .....'
Anyway - the 1921 Treaty was changed by the Brits on the 9th October 1924 and , on the 24th October 1924 , J.R. Fisher was put in place , by Westminster , to do its bidding on the Boundary Commission which , as stated here previously , held its first meeting on 6th November 1924 , in London .......
(MORE LATER).
WE FIGHT ON , SAY IRA CHIEFS .......
... and Maggie is still on their hit list .
Twenty years into their campaign against the British Army , the IRA is still as far from victory , or defeat , as ever . Now , its leaders talk exclusinely about their plans .
Margaret Thatcher is still a target , so are some members of the British Royal family , while attacks on British forces in continental Europe will continue . Peace is out , says a spokesman , there is nothing to be gained from a ceasefire .
By Derek Dunne .
First published in 'NOW' magazine , volume 1 , No. 4 , October 1989 , pages 5 and 6 .
Re-published here in 10 parts .
( 7 of 10).
Speaking about informers , the IRA spokesperson stated - " There are so many opportunities for people to avoid the web before they get caught up in it and to extricate themselves ; there is no excuse in a life and death struggle for people to enter into a lengthy and dangerous relationship with the British forces ; we've had occasions where weapons have been bugged and IRA Volunteers have lost their lives , ambushed by the SAS in Dunloy , County Antrim ,in 1983 , for example .
Informers are not acting for the good of the people . We have a responsibility to protect our members , their morale , our organisations , the weapons of the struggle and the welfare of the people generally . " ('1169....' Comment - " Protect ... the weapons of the struggle .... " : the PIRA leadership are now preparing , for the fourth time , to hand over weapons to the Brits - a shameful act which the Provo suits promote as "progress" !)
However , despite adverse publicity surrounding the shooting of informers , the IRA described as " ridiculous " any suggestion that bad publicity would be a deciding factor in a decision on whether to kill an informer or not . The IRA spokesperson said that it is bad for the Movement to have to shoot one of its own members , or shoot someone who originates from the community on whose behalf that Movement is fighting .
Because IRA activity in the 26 Counties is low profile , the problem does not arise so much , said the spokesperson . On top of all that is the added difficulty of coming into conflict with the Dublin Government and its forces , and the media .......
(MORE LATER).
NORAID'S UNTOLD MILLIONS .......
Irish-Americans have long had complex and contradictory relations with Ireland and the 'Irish Question' . On Saint Patrick's Day , all the ambiguities are apparent .
This year (ie 1987) , on Saint Patrick's Day , the latest book by Irish writer , Jack Holland was published in New York , exploring the tangled web of links between Irish-Americans and the Irish in Ireland , the IRA and the Irish government .
' The American Connection ' describes the activities of leading Irish-American politicians , of romanticising writers and of gun-runners .
In this edited extract , the author tells how Noraid was set up and how it has resisted pressures to disclose all the sources and uses of its funds .
First published in 'MAGILL' magazine , April 1987 .
Re-published here in 31 parts .
(15 of 31).
In early July 1973 , a United States interagency meeting was held to " co-ordinate these investigations in alleviating the Irish problem in the U.S. ." Officials from the U.S. State Department , the Justice Department , the FBI and the Treasury , as well as Brian Ahearn , Counsel for the Registration Unit Administrating F.A.R.A. , discussed the " Irish problems in the U.S. ... "
Among the topics touched on were illegal arms shipments and also " the flow of money ... " from Irish-Americans to Ireland . It is also apparent from memos around this period that the U.S. State Department was not the only agency to ask for and receive information on the INAC collected during the FARA investigation ; the British and Irish police and their 'diplomatic services' were given documents on the FBI's inquiry into the INAC and Irish people on a regular basis .......
(MORE LATER).
