POLITICOS AND PARAMILITARIES .......
Fionnuala O'Connor on the struggle for the Loyalist leadership as the politicians and their paramilitary allies gear up for a strike .
From 'MAGILL' magazine , March 1986 .
The 'Ulster' Clubs are already providing 'flying pickets' for ' Northern Ireland (sic) Office' Ministers , and look forward to harassing British - imposed Commissioners , urging a boycott of goods made in the twenty-six county State , picketing shops which do not comply , and local government bodies which continue to meet .
Generally , in the words of one of their most prominent members , they will continue to "... persuade people to hold firm .. " and in the words of another - "...remind the police (sic - RUC) which community they live in .. " ( ' 1169... ' Comment - ...and you can judge for yourself just how the loyalists in the 'Clubs' would carry-through on those two quotes !)
The betting is on a couple of weeks of political bickering after the leaders' meeting with Margaret Thatcher - during which the Clubs' eyes will be on the politicians - and then "...things will move quite quickly into a different phase .. " ( ' 1169.... ' Comment - ...again - you can use your own judgement on that quote .. )
If a moderate Unionist leadership ( ' 1169 ..... ' Comment - is there such a beast .. ? ) is to emerge it probably has to do so over the next few weeks , openly , unequivocally , and with dynamism , or take to the streets with the rest .
[END of ' POLITICOS AND PARAMILITARIES ' .]
(TOMORROW - ' Preparing The Defence Of Ulster (sic) Loyalism ' : From 1984.)
FIRE AND BRIMSTONE .......
The Democratic Unionist Party would prefer a Civil War to acquiescence in a role for the Dublin Government in the affairs of the North of Ireland after the Anglo-Irish summit .
FINTAN O'TOOLE spoke to DUP activists about the depth of their opposition to the Anglo-Irish deal and their willingness to resort to violence .
From 'MAGILL' magazine , November 1985 .
Sammy Wilson (DUP) is prepared for what he terms "...extra-parliamentary actions .. " (ie killing Catholics) if the (1985) Hillsborough Treaty is not withdrawn : " I would'nt be a very good General , so I would hardly imagine that they (ie the Loyalist paramilitaries) would sign me up for that , but I'm sure there would be something I could do in a situation like that . I would'nt relish it , but I would imagine there are other people and that's their forte .
I can imagine that there are people from the border areas , political representatives who have been going to a funeral a week at times , who might not be as restrained as I would be .. " ( ' 1169 ... ' Comment - goad others into violence ....then , later , condemn their actions . )
One man from the border area is Ivan Foster ; as a (religious) [!] 'Minister' , his theology does not prevent him from wielding a gun : " Modernism has equated Christianity with pacifism , which is a load of rubbish . It is useful to throw in here that title which is given to the Lord in the bible where it says of him that he is a man of war . These Anglo-Irish talks are entering a phase where it is very possible that the State will become a tyrant and say to me as a British citizen that I am going to lose a part of my citizenship because a foreign State is going to be given a role in the running of a part of the United Kingdom (sic) .
It is a Presbyterian doctrine , ground out in the hard mill of the days of persecution in Scotland , that when the (British) government , or the King as it then was , forsakes his lawful role and begins to enforce his will on the people , contrary to the contract that exists between him and the people , then the King is no longer the lawful Head of State - he has become a tyrant . And it is a Christian's duty to resist a tyrant . I would have no hesitation . I would not be joining the army of Ulster (sic) as a chaplain ; I would be joining it as 'Joe Blogs' , an ordinary foot soldier . I would not be infringing my conscience or the word of God , but acting in complete obedience to both .
I would have no compunction , not in the least . I know how to use a gun . There's no good carrying a gun if you don't know how to use it . There's no good carrying a gun if you don't intend to use it . And if I am ambushed , I have one prayer : ' Lord , let him miss the first time ...' "
[END of ' FIRE AND BRIMSTONE ' .]
(TOMORROW - ' The IRA Has To Do What The IRA Has To Do ' : from 1984 .)
CHAOS IN THE GARDAI .......
The Evelyn Glenholmes affair not only involved unlawful activity by gardai , it stemmed from the chaotic condition of the force which has resulted from ignoring the warning signs of the past decade .
By Gene Kerrigan.
First published in ' MAGILL ' magazine , April 1986 .
It was at the climax of these proceedings that the garda , Christy Power of the 'Task Force' , began shooting - there were at least five gardai , uniformed and detective , within a few feet of him as he continued to wave his gun around . It was at this stage that a leading member of the Provisionals did the gardai's work for them ( ' 1169....' Comment - how history repeats itself ; the Provisionals are , once more , preparing to do the gardai's work for them ... ! ) and prevailed on Detective Christy Power to put his gun away .
3 . The Road To Prince's Street .
The gardai involved in the Glenholmes affair are not habitual criminals , nor are they evil or lunatic ; they are conscientious gardai going about the business assigned to them by the State (' 1169 ... ' Comment - ... as was proved years later by their conduct in Donegal .. !) . Perhaps the best explanation of their conduct came in an article by John Dickinson in 'The Irish Independent' newspaper in which the gardai were lauded for their activities - '... for what is seen as their intention to uphold the Hillsborough Agreement in the spirit as well as the letter .. ' (' 1169 ... ' Comment - the so-called 'Independent -group of newspaper is anything but ; it is a loyal servant of the State . ) .
The gardai had no personal motivation for committing offences (' 1169 .... ' Comment - again , as can be judged from their behaviour in Donegal !) - they had no professional motivation in that Evelyn Glenholmes was not wanted for any offence within their jurisdiction and had just been ordered free by a judge . But the British wanted Glenholmes and the Irish (sic) government had been loud and clear in its stated intention that British wishes on extradition would be granted . The gardai knew that if Glenholmes could be unlawfully detained , by whatever means necessary , there was a good chance that the (FS) government wishes would be fulfilled . They were apparently unaware that their activities would involve serious crimes , that they too are subject to the law . (' 1169 .... ' Comment - which should mean that it is not permittable for a garda member to plant explosives , 'find' them later , and hope for promotion for doing so ... !)
From the mid-1970's there has been clear evidence that increasingly wider sections of the garda force have been indulging in unprofessional activity ; This began with the Cosgrave Coalition's pressure on the garda force to "...get results.." . There was ample evidence of physical beatings delivered to suspects ; an increasing number of serious crimes was being 'solved' by the extraction of confessions . At no stage did the political or garda authorities accept that there was a problem ....... (' 1169 .... ' Comment - once again , any similarities with Donegal..... are intended !)
(MORE LATER).
