THE INEVITABILITY OF SECTARIAN COLLISION .......
GEORGE SEAWRIGHT , the tough-talking Scotsman and self-proclaimed "honest bigot" from the Shankill Road , is a DUP member of both Belfast City Council and the Northern Assembly . He is also the politician most closely associated with the Loyalist paramilitaries .
He believes that the rise of Sinn Fein has made an armed confrontation between the forces of Loyalism and Republicanism inevitable .
From 'FORTNIGHT' magazine , May 1984 .
George Seawright (DUP) says that for a Loyalist politician to have any role (with the Loyalist paramilitaries ) he would have to be similar to Gerry Adams - " There is no contradiction between Adams being a political leader , which he is - much as I'd like to see him put out of the way - and also saying that in some ways he's the spokesman or representative of an armed force . "
He also warns against underestimating the strength of Provisional Republicanism - " The Protestants have to approach the situation keeping in mind that they're dealing with people who are well geared up , people who , if they have any sense at all , one must reasonably assume have become an armed camp in the Republican ghettoes over the last 14 or 15 years . We know that they can hold areas but for how long we don't know . The idea of running over them , wiping them out , realistically , is'nt on anymore .
That was something that prevailed in the 1970's - it was the 1969 mentality - ' ...if only the (British) army had'nt come in ... if only the (British) army would get out ...we'd fix them , we'd run over the top of them and wipe them out ... ' . It's a load of old nonsense . "
George Seawright scares himself when he talks like that . He foresees the North ending up like the Lebanon ... "...with armed camps within the present partitioned boundary , people holding areas for generations to come and holding areas unless someone moves in and takes them . The only person who would want what I have just said as a possible eventuality is some kind of psychopath , someone devoid of humanitarian feelings . But what I am saying is that these two irreconcilable forces in the North of Ireland have now reached a peak , a situation where such things could possibly be unavoidable ....... "
(MORE LATER).
THE IRA HAS TO DO WHAT THE IRA HAS TO DO .......
The Sinn Fein electoral wagon is slowing down . As a result , the IRA is likely to begin stepping up its war against the Northern State . GENE KERRIGAN reports from Belfast and also interviews Sinn Fein's DANNY MORRISON on the party's recent successes and failures .
From ' MAGILL ' magazine , September 1984.
' MAGILL ' Magazine : " Ostensibly , there has been a change from left to right in Sinn Fein , yet you say there is no conflict , no disagreement , and the main effect seems to be a more enthusiastic approach to electoral politics . Have there really been any political changes , then ? "
Danny Morrison : " There is a change , of course . There's been a change in the politics and a lot of people have been given their head and the Movement is more open to discussion and debate and to persuasion . For example , we were opposed to the Amendment campaign in the Free State last year ...."
' MAGILL ' Magazine : "....but some of your members campaigned for it .. "
Danny Morrison : "...but , sure , you have to allow that ... you can't over-rule people's personal beliefs , even in a revolutionary organisation . But the point about it is ... the Movement's open political position , for example on divorce , is that there should be divorce allowed in the 26 counties , there should be contraception in the 26 counties .
In terms of ten years ago - in January 1974 on the front page of 'Republican News' there was an article against contraception , right ? Front page article , England was trying to corrupt the morals of the Irish people , right ? I mean ...that has been a big change .
But what the Sinn Fein electoral intervention has done has been to create a network , an organisation , of all these advice centres , of people who are'nt sitting on the sidelines . It's not a question of if you can't join the IRA you're just an observer . "
(MORE LATER).
THE INTERROGATION OF STEPHEN MOORE ....... .
On 11 July 1986 , Stephen Moore , from Clones in County Monaghan , accepted £25,000 plus costs to settle an action out of court .
He had sued 'Ireland' and the Attorney General for injuries he had received in garda custody in Monaghan Garda Station in March 1983 .
In that same year , John Milne received £51,900 for injuries sustained at the hands of two named gardai in that same garda station . He was also awarded costs .
Despite the fact that more than £75,000 has been paid out as a result of garda activity in Monaghan Garda Station , no garda has been charged with a criminal offence . In fact , some of the gardai who were accused have been promoted .
Stephen Moore ; two Detectives : in his own words , this is what happened .....
... " One of the Detectives would continuously rub the back of my neck and the sides of my face until it got red and sore . The taller of the two told me that if he ever seen me with a stick in my hand he would shoot first and ask questions later .
Then the two fellows went into all sorts of humiliation . They tried to humiliate me in various ways . They slapped me around the back of the head . That went on for a couple of hours . They threw water in my face to sort of wake me up . I was ignoring them . In the 'Doctor's Room' there was a sink and a tap . They would hand me a cup of water and say 'here drink that' and then they would flick the top of it into my face .
Plunkett Taaffe , the Solicitor , called sometime in the afternoon . I made a complaint to him about the way they were treating me . I made a statement in the presence of the two Detectives , exactly the same statement that I had made on Saturday night . That was , that I did not wish to make a statement now or in the near future . I found out who the gardai were at that point . Plunkett Taaffe called for a doctor to be called to examine me . I had a cut on my lip . I can't remember how I got it .
Doctor Caraher arrived . She examined me and found no marks except a small cut on my lip . She left after about ten or fifteen minutes . I told her there was nothing wrong with me ....... "
(MORE LATER).
