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 what little element of accommodation there had been in the Sinn Fein programme - a federal Ireland - had now "...been wiped right off the sheet of their philosophy in one go . Now when they speak of 'Brits Out!' they can't seriously be referring to the soldiers who came here in 1969 - Protestants would construe it as meaning them . "
And he concludes with a grim warning to his fellow Loyalists : " Provisionalism has its act together . Republicanism is going the direct road , it's got a clear-cut objective one way or the other . Facing that situation , if Protestants dither - and there is an element of confusion among Protestants - if they remain confused and don't get their act together in this generation , then they'll have to face defeat and have to get out of Northern Ireland (sic) . I believe that when they're faced with the enormity of this situation that will be enough to motivate them to get their act together . "
(' 1169 ... ' Comment - this , again , was propaganda from Seawright : the Irish Struggle is not about 'forcing Unionists/Loyalists out ' of the Six Counties - it is about obtaining an end to Westminster's jurisdictional claim over that part of Ireland and the withdrawal of British Army troops from the island . If those , in the Six Counties , that consider themselves 'British' do not want to stay then they will not be forced to . It is their choice . )
[END of 'THE INEVITABILITY OF SECTARIAN COLLISION' .]
(Tomorrow - '17 Victims Of British Justice' : from 1984 .)
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 : " Is'nt one major reason for the lack of development of Sinn Fein in the South its ambiguity towards the State , whether the State has to be removed ? "
Danny Morrison : " Owen Carron was badly misquoted in a speech he made in London two years ago , about how republicans have to destabilise the 26 counties . The Free State government has on occasion since then berated us over that statement , which Owen Carron did not make . (' 1169 ... ' Comment - this corrupt State needs not only to be 'destabilised' , but tore asunder and re-built . The career politicians in Leinster House are living beyond the means of the people ; was Morrison of the opinion that the then Sinn Fein leadership would be content simply to 'tweak' the existing system .. ?)
What Sinn Fein has to recognise and I think is recognising is that the vast majority of people in the 26 counties consider the institutions of the State as being legitimate . Now , I don't . But it is not legitimate to attempt to bring down the 26 counties through armed struggle . ( '1169...' Comment - by this definition , then , was the Republican campaign against the Free State in the early 1920's not a 'legitimate' struggle ?) Fianna Fail and Fine Gael , they're trying to change the 26 counties . Fianna Fail would argue for a unitary state - if there is a unitary state the 26 counties ceases to exist , the institutions of the state become new institutions . Fine Gael say they would favour a federal or confederal arrangement - in which case it has to be new institutions .
What I'm saying is that in the course of achieving a united Ireland the 26 counties will naturally change . And it will have to at some stage cease to exist . Now , that's not the same as getting up waving a red flag and saying "We're out to blow youse away " . The ordinary people in the 26 counties will remove the people who are presently in government and in opposition - because of their failures . They will have to go , they will be removed , quite naturally , by the people . It's got nothing to do with Sinn Fein , it's got nothing to do with the IRA .
Having said that , I recognise that the vast majority of people in the 26 counties consider the State and its institutions to be legitimate . I still say that I don't consider it to be legitimate . ( ' 1169 ... ' Comment - that is not now the position of Provisional Sinn Fein , nor has it been since 1986 . Since that year they have been a constitutionally-registered 'political party' in the Free State .) I consider that the Free State was created by Britain and is still defending what was defended in the civil war ....... "
(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 ....
... " The Detectives forced me into a metal filing cabinet . They locked the doors . They started banging it and shaking it . It fell to the floor , with me inside . That went on for a few minutes - it was only a few minutes . They opened the doors and I got out . There was a table in the room . The older of the two Detectives continued shouting abuse and the younger one was fiddling about with a piece of paper . I was more or less looking at the fellow who was shouting at me . I felt the younger one putting a piece of paper in my left ear . I know myself that it was a piece of paper that he had rolled up . I honestly thought he was only messing about . I thought he was only playing a trick .
He lit the paper . The moment it was lit , he flicked it out . He did'nt think it would catch alight so quick but at that stage it had burned my hair . The two of them had threatened to throw me out the window . They brought me over and had me at it . There was wire mesh at the front , they could'nt have thrown me out . I knew myself . They continued to hit into my stomach and kicking me in the groin . I called for a doctor continually over the one and a half hour period that I was in there . At that stage they got frightened - I was short of breath . I had bronchitis as a child . I'd been in hospital about a year or two before that . I had pains in my chest . One of the Detectives went out and brought in tea and chicken sandwiches . " You'll be OK ... " , this was the type of shit they were going on with .
They stayed for a few minutes , did'nt do anything to me , and they left then . Next thing , two more Detectives came in - one that I knew very well and the other I'd never seen before . They continued the interrogation . The one that I knew shouted at me and the other slapped me about the back of the head . That went on for about half an hour or so . The next thing I knew my solicitor was there and they asked me if I wanted to see him . 'Course , I said yes . They brought me downstairs and I met Plunkett Taaffe . Broke down . Broke down in front of him . It was'nt the pain of what happened ; it was the relief of knowing that when Plunkett was there at that stage there was a chance that I would'nt be hit again . He immediately called for a doctor ....... "
(MORE LATER).
