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October 19, 2004

News 10/19/04 - Maghaberry Prison Attacked By Human Rights Body

News about Ireland & the Irish

UT 10/19/04 Maghaberry: Prison Attacked By Human Rights Body
IC 10/19/04 Maghaberry: Suicide Controversy On Agenda At Meeting
IC 10/19/04 Maghaberry: Disabled Woman Hits Visitors' Conditions
UT 10/19/04 PSNI: Police Chief Pledges Sexism Crackdown
UT 10/19/04 Residence Ban On Chinese Woman Ruled Illegal
UT 10/19/04 Euro Ruling On Chinese Woman 'Vindicates New Law'
BT 10/19/04 Decision Day Closer On Stormont Powers Return
SF 10/19/04 Sinn Féin Slams North Belfast Petrol Bomb Attack
BT 10/19/04 Unconfirmed Terror Link To Hostage Ordeal
BT 10/19/04 IMC Handling Of Blunder Boosts Its Credibility: Bell
BT 10/19/04 SDLP And DUP In 'Abuse' Exchanges
IC 10/19/04 Gun Find (Near SF Office) Mystery Deepens
TH 10/19/04 Careful Talk Saves Lives
IC 10/19/04 The Celtic Tiger Is Only Feeding The Rich

NW 10/18/04 Wexford Opera And Fringe Festivals Take Place -VO

See Wexford Opera and Fringe Festivals take place - Nationwide
brings you all the highlights from the 53rd festival in Wexford
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1018/nationwide/nationwide56_1a.smil

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http://www.utvinternet.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=51780&pt=n

Women's Prison Attacked By Human Rights Body

A damning report into the detention of women and girls in a
Northern Ireland prison was issued by the province's Human Rights
Commission today.

By:Press Association

It attacked "endemic failures" in the regime under which girls as
young as 14 were held at Mourne House inside top security
Maghaberry Prison in County Antrim.

And it said the transfer in June this year of female inmates to
accommodation at a male young offenders centre was "entirely
inappropriate".

The Commission report called for an independent public inquiry into
the regime at Mourne House, the deaths of two inmates in 2002 and
2004, and the circumstances in which prison officers were suspended
and dismissed following allegations of "inappropriate conduct" with
female inmates.

The report "The Hurt Inside - the imprisonment of women and girls
in Northern Ireland" was commissioned by the Northern Ireland Human
Rights Commission following the death in custody of a 19-year-old
female prisoner in Mourne House in 2002 and publication of a highly
critical Prisons Inspectorate report on the regime in 2003.

The authors, Professor Phil Scraton and Dr Linda Moore, said that
when they inspected the prison, far from responding to the
criticisms of the inspectors` report, the regime in Mourne House
had "deteriorated significantly".

They said their research found "a regime in operation that
neglected the identified needs of women and girl prisoners, lacked
creative or constructive programmes to assist their personal social
development, compromised their physical and mental health and that
failed to meet minimum standards of a "duty of care".

They said there was no Prison Service policy statement, or strategy
documentation addressing the particular needs of women and girls in
prison, no dedicated governor responsible solely for the management
of women in prison and no gender specific training for prison
management or officers.

Approximately 80% of prison officers allocated to Mourne House were
men and it was not uncommon for the night guard duty to be all
male, they reported.

The report accepted the Northern Ireland Prison Service, and
Maghaberry in particular, was emerging from a prolonged period of
poor industrial relations.

But it said "the stagnation of the regime, and the systemic
complacency within its operation, has caused considerable and
persistent suffering for the women and girls held in Mourne House".

The research found a regime in which women were "regularly locked
in cells for 17 hours a day, workshops were permanently closed and
education classes rarely held."

The report revealed: "For many women the regime consisted of being
locked alone in their cells with a television for extended periods
of time."

It said it found healthcare for women was "dire" and the punishment
and segregation block was an inappropriate environment for the
location of distressed and self-harming women and girls.

"The strip conditions comprised of a plinth with no mattress and no
pillow, an indestructible gown and blanket and a potty for a toilet
without access to a sink ....were degrading and inhumane and
possibly in breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human
Rights," it said.

It added: "For those under 18 these conditions constitute a serious
breach of international standards on the rights of the child."

The right of women in prison and their children to a meaningful
family life was not respected - women were restricted to brief
periods of unlock during which they could make telephone calls to
their children.

Fore nine consecutive days over Christmas, woman had no evening
unlock or association and there was an absence of appropriate
arrangements for special or enhanced family visits.

"The restrictive regime caused unnecessary suffering for women,
their children and their families," said the report.

It found the transfer of women to the Hydebank Wood young offenders
centre in the summer did not meet the recommendations of the 2002
Inspectorate report.

A facility designed for young male prisoners "is an unsuitable
environment for women and girl prisoners," the report said.

It recommended the Prison Service declare the transfer to Hydebank
to be a temporary measure and that it initiates full consultation
with all interested parties to develop an informed long term
strategy, appropriate operational policies and established "best
practice" for women`s imprisonment in Northern Ireland.

It further recommended that a discreet woman`s custody unit should
be developed, either on the site of Mourne House or at another
appropriate location.

It should be managed separately and be self-contained. It should
offer a regime based on an inclusive assessment of women prisoners`
needs met by gender-specific programmes and administered by trained
managers and staff.

The report recommended that those under the age of 18 should not be
held in Prison Service custody.

It said that given the seriousness of the research findings
regarding "the endemic failures of Mourne House and the need for
accountability" it was essential a further independent public
inquiry was held.

Its broad focus should be the deterioration in the regime and the
conditions women and children were held in following the 2002
inspection by the Chief Inspector of Prisons and her subsequent
criticisms.

Its terms of reference should include:

:: the failure of the Director General and the Governor of
Maghaberry to implement the inspectors recommendations and the
consequences for women and girl children prisoners held in Mourne
House from 2002 to 2004.

:: the circumstances surrounding the deaths in custody of two
prisoners in 2002 and 2004.

:: the use of the punishment and segregation unit as a location for
the confinement of self-harming and suicidal women, including girl
children.

:: the circumstances in which prison officers were suspended and
dismissed following allegations of inappropriate conduct.

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http://www.irelandclick.com/news/news.cfm?id=15549&CFID=63124&CFTOKEN=31738474


Jail Suicide Controversy On Agenda At Meeting

The family of a local woman who took her own life in Maghaberry
Prison have met the Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and Councillor
Chrissie McAuley, who heads the party's Equality and Human Rights
team, to discuss ongoing concerns over the case.

The meeting comes as a key report by the Human Rights Commission on
the treatment of women prisoners – thought to be critical of the
Prison Service – is due for publication this week.

34-year-old Roseanne Irvine, who had a history of mental illness,
hanged herself in Maghaberry Prison on March 3 this year.

Serious questions have been raised over the fact that Roseanne did
not see a doctor or a psychiatrist in the five days before her
death.

Moreover, she was removed from suicide watch just twenty-four hours
before the tragedy.

It is understood that the Irvine family has significant concerns
about the actions of various agencies in relation to the arrest,
detention and treatment of Roseanne.

Speaking yesterday, following his meeting with the Irvine family,
Gerry Adams said it is "a deeply disturbing case".

"Roseanne's family believe that her long history of self-harm and
personality disorder should have been taken into serious
consideration by those who assessed her when she was arrested and
that she should not have been placed in a prison.

"I, too, have serious concerns about how Roseanne Irvine ended up
in a high-security prison where she took her life; why there was no
psychiatric provision in the jail; and why, even though she was
supposed to be on a 24-hour suicide watch, she was not under
constant surveillance.

"The Prison Service and the Health Service have serious questions
to answer in respect of this case," said Mr Adams.

Last week, a Sinn Féin delegation led by Mr Adams met the Health
Minister, Angela Smith, to raise the general issue of resources
targeted at the growing problem of suicide in North and West
Belfast, as well as the specific issue of Roseanne Irvine's case.

"I specifically asked Angela Smith to investigate this case, with a
particular focus on the mental health legislation governing people
with personality disorder, as well as the particular circumstances
surrounding Roseanne Irvine's detention in a prison, as opposed to
an appropriate mental health facility.

"One of the matters I discussed with the Irvine family, and which
we are seeking legal advice on, is what should be done now to
uncover the truth and to ensure that no one else suffers as
Roseanne Irvine and her family have. I support them‚" said Mr
Adams.

"Roseanne Irvine was the third woman to kill herself in Maghaberry.
The women have now been moved to the Hydebank Wood Young Offenders
site where it is said living conditions are significantly worse
than at Maghaberry.

But it has also emerged that researchers from the Human Rights
Commission have been denied access to the women's section of
Hydebank.

"Given the fact that many of these women may be at similar risk of
self-harm and possible suicide, this is a disgraceful decision
which suggests that the Prison Service is seeking to hide from
public scrutiny conditions at Hydebank‚" he added.

Journalist:: Jarlath Kearney

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http://www.irelandclick.com/news/news.cfm?id=15550&CFID=63124&CFTOKEN=31738474


Welcome To Maghaberry

Disabled Woman Hits Out At Visitors' Conditions

A wheelchair-bound local woman has slammed Maghaberry Prison
authorities over their treatment of people with disabilities.

Allison Reid – whose partner, Liam Hannaway, has been held at the
prison for the past month – spoke out yesterday and demanded to
know whether the prison is compliant with tough new disability
discrimination legislation that came into force on October 4.

An angry Allison outlined a battery of issues which impact on her
wheelchair use, including the height of the front office counter,
the type of bus available at the prison, the so-called 'drug dog'
not being familiar with wheelchair users, the type of tables in the
visiting area, and the lack of a disabled toilet.

Allison also said that she has been subjected to disparaging
comments by prison warders on the basis of her wheelchair use.

"I am very angry at the way I have been treated. I was delighted
with the change in the disability law on October 4, since these
changes make it easier for a disabled person to enter shops, cafés
and so on.

"I am also informed that anyone not complying with these laws is
liable to a hefty fine, so you can imagine my surprise at finding
that Maghaberry Prison has very little wheelchair access available.

"On almost every visit so far, I have had some kind of problem
simply because I'm in a wheelchair," said Allison.

After being dropped off at the main prison gate, Allison has found
herself taken directly for searching on the basis that the visitor
bus is waiting outside.

However, Allison said that each time it has taken approximately
twenty minutes for her wheelchair to be manhandled on to the bus.

"As a result I only receive a half-hour of my visiting time. I have
had several visits cancelled completely and have been told the bus
is broken down on more than one occasion.

"As is the rule, I was introduced to the sniffer-dog on my first
visit and was horrified to find out that the dog was not trained to
deal with people in wheelchairs.

"Then in the visiting area itself you are seated at a table which,
because it isn't adapted for wheelchairs, I find myself seated so
far out from the table that conversation is almost impossible.

"I feel very strongly that I am being discriminated against. They
don't even have a disabled toilet."

Allison hit out, in particular, at the constant references to her
by prison warders as "the wheelchair visitor for Hannaway".

"If the government has made laws insisting that small shop-keepers
and café owners must go to the expense of having access for
disabled people, is it too much to ask that a government building
such as Maghaberry Prison is also forced to comply?" she
questioned.

With conditions for both prisoners and visitors steadily
deteriorating over recent months, Geraldine Taylor of Republican
Sinn Féin has thrown her weight behind Allison's complaints.

Journalist:: Jarlath Kearney

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http://www.utvinternet.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=51796&pt=n

Police Chief Pledges Sexism Crackdown

Sexist officers in Northern Ireland's police force will be dealt
with through a tough internal complaints system, a top female
officer pledged today.

By:Press Association

Assistant Chief Constable Judith Gillespie, who was turned down
twice before being accepted into the ranks, insisted discrimination
was not rife in the force.

But as the Police Service of Northern Ireland launched its first
Gender Action Plan to strengthen female numbers, she accepted some
officers may be guilty of derogatory remarks.

Ms Gillespie said: "Of course there are individuals who might
express sexist views but that`s reflective of society.

"It`s about dealing with them. We have a grievance procedure to
deal with issues like that and it`s very important that`s
effectively policed."

As the most senior woman in the PSNI, she described the new
strategy as an attempt to dismantle any barriers to progression.

The number of female recruits has almost doubled since 2001, taking
their quota up to 18% of the overall staff.

With the Northern Ireland Policing Board having set a target of 26%
by 2010, police chiefs said they were determined to make the
service as representative of society as possible.

Ms Gillespie, who hopes her success will inspire other women, urged
them to have the confidence needed to rise through the ranks.

"It`s about going for promotion at the earliest possible stage,"
she said.

The action plan has been developed to monitor and address emerging
issues relating to recruitment, retention and deployment of female
officers and staff.

As well as ensuring they have equal choice and opportunity, issues
identified include under- or over-representation in certain areas,
the type of work undertaken by a woman, recruitment and the
work/life balance.

Professor Desmond Rea, chairman of the Policing Board, claimed the
initiative could provide a vital breakthrough.

He said: "Historically, attracting and retaining women within
policing has proven difficult and this new Gender Action Plan
presents a number of innovative recommendations developed by the
PSNI to deal with retention issues.

"Creating a workforce which is representative of, and reflects the
diversity of, the population will not only assist the PSNI in
maximising its potential, but also demonstrates fairness, respect
and equity of treatment in dealings with the community."

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http://www.utvinternet.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=51788&pt=n

Residence Ban On Chinese Woman Ruled Illegal

Home Office refusal to allow a Chinese woman and her Belfast-born
daughter to live permanently in Britain was declared illegal under
European Union law today.

European Court judges acknowledged that the woman, Man Levette
Chen, deliberately had her child in Belfast to win UK residency
rights for herself.

But that did not entitle the UK government to refuse to let her -
or her daughter Catherine - stay.

The Luxembourg court was told that Mrs Chen was aware that giving
birth in Britain would not give her new baby automatic residency
rights because of the terms of the British Nationality Act.

But she also knew that choosing Northern Ireland guaranteed Irish
nationality, which is granted to anyone born anywhere on the island
of Ireland.

Once that was acheived, the plan was to take her Irish daughter to
live in the UK under EU rules which allow nationals of one member
state - such as Ireland - the right to settle in another.

The plan was hatched because Mrs Chen and her businessman husband
already had a son and could not have another in their own country
under China`s "one-child" rule.

So when she was six months pregnant with her second baby in mid-
2000, she moved to Belfast and gave birth to Catherine.

The child did, as anticipated, legitimately receive an Irish
passport - but the UK authorities unexpectedly challenged the right
of either mother or daughter to live in the UK at all.

The Home Office argued that as Catherine was only eight months old
at the time, she could not exercise any EU rights.

Even if she could, argued the government, Mrs Chen could not live
in the UK because the law only allowed "dependent relatives" to
join their family - and Mrs Chen was far from dependent on her
baby.

On the contrary, Catherine was totally dependent on her non-EU
mother.

The case was passed to the European Court by an immigration
tribunal after the Chens claimed their treatment was a breach of EU
rules.

Government lawyers insisted the UK is entitled to act to stop
individuals improperly taking advantage of the EU law -or using EU
law as a cover to illegally circumvent national legislation.

Government papers submitted to the court stated: "Mrs Chen`s
conduct in travelling to Belfast constitutes an attempted abuse in
that it was a scheme by which a national of a non-member state
wishing to reside within (the UK) organises her affairs so as to
give birth to a child in part of (the UK) to which (Ireland)
applies nationality rules."

The European Commission backed the UK government stand, arguing
that the family`s interests had to be balanced against the UK`s
interests in controlling immigration.

But the judges ruled today that daughter Catherine, as an EU
national, has the right to stay in the UK, and that her mother must
have that right too.

They said: "To refuse Mrs Chen a right to reside with her daughter
in the UK would render the daughter`s right of residency totally
ineffective.

"For Catherine to be able to enjoy her right of residence, she
must, as a young child, be entitled to be accompanied by her
mother, who is her carer."

The judgment said: "With regard to the fact that Mrs Chen`s move to
Ireland was expressly intended to enable the child she was
expecting to acquire Irish nationality, the Court makes clear that
the UK cannot reject Catherine`s application for a residence permit
on the sole ground that her acquisition of Irish nationality was
intended to secure a right of residence under Community law for
(her mother)."

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http://www.utvinternet.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=51802&pt=n

Euro Ruling On Chinese Woman 'Vindicates New Law'

Changes to Ireland's citizenship laws have been vindicated by a
European Court ruling on a Chinese woman who gave birth in Belfast
to gain residency, it was claimed today.

By:Press Association

The Irish government said the court`s decision to overturn
Britain`s denial of residency to Man Levette Chen showed the need
for its controversial referendum last June.

A Department of Justice spokeswoman said: "Today`s decision puts
beyond doubt the fact that there is significant advantage to be
gained by organising the birth of a child on the island of Ireland
- since Irish citizenship law can be used to circumvent the
immigration controls of the UK, or any other EU member state."

Last June, the Irish government introduced a referendum to abolish
the automatic right to citizenship for any person born on the
island.

It used Ms Chen`s case to argue that the Irish citizenship laws
would make the country a "back door" for immigrants wishing to gain
EU citizenship. The referendum was passed by a four to one
majority.

Following today`s ruling, the Coalition Against the Deportation of
Irish Children (CADIC) said the government must now halt the
deportation of the 9,500 non-national parents whose children were
born in Ireland prior to the referendum.

"It is clear Justice Minister Michael McDowell has no choice but to
halt the deportations and review the legality of what he`s doing,"
said spokeswoman Aisling Reidy.

CADIC, which represents 22 voluntary groups, said more than 300
non-national parents of Irish children had been deported since
then.

"They must all be called into question and tested against the Chen
judgment now," said Ms Reidy.

European Court judges acknowledged that Man Levette Chen
deliberately had her child in Belfast to win UK residency rights
for herself.

But that did not entitle the UK government to refuse to let her -
or her daughter Catherine - stay.

The Luxembourg court was told that Mrs Chen was aware that giving
birth in Britain would not give her new baby automatic residency
rights because of the terms of the British Nationality Act.

But she also knew that choosing Northern Ireland guaranteed Irish
nationality, which is granted to anyone born anywhere on the island
of Ireland.

Once that was achieved, the plan was to take her Irish daughter to
live in the UK under EU rules which allow nationals of one member
state - such as Ireland - the right to settle in another.

The plan was hatched because Mrs Chen and her businessman husband
already had a son and could not have another in their own country
under China`s "one-child" rule.

So when she was six months pregnant with her second baby in mid-
2000, she moved to Belfast and gave birth to Catherine.

As anticipated, the child legitimately received an Irish passport -
but the UK authorities unexpectedly challenged the right of either
mother or daughter to live in the UK.

The Home Office argued that as Catherine was only eight months old
at the time, she could not exercise any EU rights.

Even if she could, argued the government, Mrs Chen could not live
in the UK because the law only allowed "dependent relatives" to
join their family - and Mrs Chen was far from dependent on her
baby.

On the contrary, Catherine was totally dependent on her non-EU
mother.

The case was passed to the European Court by an immigration
tribunal after the Chens claimed their treatment was a breach of EU
rules.

Government lawyers insisted the UK is entitled to act to stop
individuals improperly taking advantage of the EU law - or using EU
law as a cover to illegally circumvent national legislation.

Government papers submitted to the court stated: "Mrs Chen`s
conduct in travelling to Belfast constitutes an attempted abuse in
that it was a scheme by which a national of a non-member state
wishing to reside within (the UK) organises her affairs so as to
give birth to a child in part of (the UK) to which (Ireland)
applies nationality rules."

The European Commission backed the UK Government stand, arguing
that the family`s interests had to be balanced against the UK`s
interests in controlling immigration.

But the judges ruled today that daughter Catherine, as an EU
national, has the right to stay in the UK, and that her mother must
have that right too.

They said: "To refuse Mrs Chen a right to reside with her daughter
in the UK would render the daughter`s right of residency totally
ineffective.

"For Catherine to be able to enjoy her right of residence, she
must, as a young child, be entitled to be accompanied by her
mother, who is her carer."

The judgment said: "With regard to the fact that Mrs Chen`s move to
Ireland was expressly intended to enable the child she was
expecting to acquire Irish nationality, the Court makes clear that
the UK cannot reject Catherine`s application for a residence permit
on the sole ground that her acquisition of Irish nationality was
intended to secure a right of residence under Community law for
(her mother)."

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=573759

Decision Day Closer On Stormont Powers Return

By Noel McAdam, Political Correspondent
nmcadam@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
19 October 2004

Talks on the restoration of devolution at Stormont are approaching
the point of decision.

Secretary of State Paul Murphy and the Republic's Foreign Minister
Dermot Ahern meet in Dublin tomorrow to assess the latest prospects
for progress.

A breakthrough on the terms of a deal could still prove possible in
the next few weeks.

But a breakdown could mean continuing direct rule for perhaps
another two years, it was warned.

Intensive discussions behind the scenes, which could involve a
protracted sequence including another IRA decommissioning event,
are continuing.

But other core issues, including policing and demilitarisation,
also remain in the mix with a comprehensive package tantilisingly
close.

Mr Murphy said there was now a seriousness among all the parties
now to try to ensure "we see the institutions coming back and ...
an end to paramilitary activity".

He told told a meeting of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary
Body at Chepstow in Wales yesterday: "I think if the conditions are
fulfilled and confidence can be restored, I have no doubt in my
mind that the parties are prepared to work together and
particularly the two biggest parties, Sinn Fein and the DUP."

Mr Murphy said the fundamental political change which could see
every Assembly party represented on the east-west body was within
grasp.

"The finishing line is withinin sight. But this is an unusual race
- unless everyone wins, there are no winners at all," he said.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warned that the failure to make progress in
the short term could mean a two-year delay, as the focus shifts to
next years' local government and likely Westminster elections.

"People are focusing their minds and attentions very diligently on
trying to make progress now," he said.

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/6974

Sinn Féin Slams North Belfast Petrol Bomb Attack

Published: 18 October, 2004

Sinn Féin MLA for North Belfast Gerry Kelly has slammed last nights
sectarian petrol bomb attack. The attack, which saw both a petrol
bomb and a brick thown at the family home, occurred around 11pm
last night.

Speaking today Mr Kelly said:

"This was a lucky escape for the family of six who live at their
home. If the petrol bomb had followed the brick though the front
window we could very well be dealing with the loss of life or the
destruction of a family home. This is how serious it was.

"This is not the first attack on nationalists in the past two weeks
in North Belfast. We have seen houses attacked in Newington, a
young man stabbed in the Mill Road area and an Ardoyne man
intimidated from his work by a RHD death threat.

"What is clearly absent however is any voice from the areas MP,
Nigel Dodds. He should be speaking out in defence of Catholics
under attack form loyalism. This is not the case and I am calling
on all unionist and loyalist representatives to show political
leadership and help end these attacks."

ENDS

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=573696

Terror Link To Hostage Ordeal

PO boss forced to hand over thousands

By Jonathan McCambridge
jmccambridge@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
19 October 2004

Paramilitaries were today blamed for yet another terrifying
kidnapping ordeal in which a post office boss was forced to hand
over tens of thousands of pounds of ransom money in north Belfast.

This is the latest in a series of horrifying crimes in which family
members have been taken hostage by armed gangs in the province in
recent months.

A gang of four or five masked men burst into a house in the Oldpark
area on Sunday evening.

They seized a man and two children and took them to a house in
Antrim where they were held overnight.

The children's mother, who works at the Deerpark post office, was
taken to the branch and forced to open the safe.

Once the money had been paid the other three family members were
then released on a stretch of road outside Antrim.

Police would not comment today on suggestions that splinter
republicans carried out the operation.

They also refused to speculate on any links between this incident
and other kidnappings over recent months.

The Deerpark Post Office, which is in the Co-op store on the
Oldpark Road, remained closed today with customers being referred
to neighbouring outlets.

Staff at the Co-op did not want to comment, but said the family had
run a post office in the area for many years and were well liked.

North Belfast MP, Nigel Dodds, said: "I think this is a very
sinister incident, which must have been very traumatic for the
family and especially the children.

"It was a callous act, carried out by cold-blooded criminals. It
was so well organised that I would not be surprised if there were
paramilitaries involved, although we will wait and see."

Meanwhile detectives were today making new inquiries with regard to
another kidnapping in Saul near Downpatrick last month, in which
£500,000 was stolen from a security guard who worked for Securicor.

Officers were stopping cars in the Notting Hill area of south
Belfast and Ivy Hill area of Lisburn this morning as part of their
investigation.

Securicor have offered a £100,000 reward after ten masked men
terrorised a family and took over their house in Saul on September
13.

A wife, son and daughter were taken from their home and held in a
vacant house in south Belfast. They were later released but were
left severely traumatised by their ordeal.

Only weeks ago in another separate incident terrorists carried out
a £1.2m cigarette heist at a tobacco warehouse after they held a
family hostage in the Ardoyne area.

The father was forced to go to the Gallaher plant where he worked.
Chief Constable Hugh Orde has said republican paramilitaries
carried out the raid, but refused to say if it was planned by the
IRA.

Anyone with information about last night's kidnapping or any of the
other incidents, is asked to contact detectives on 9065 0222 of the
Confidential Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111.

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=573764

IMC Handling Of Blunder Boosts Its Credibility: Bell

By Chris Thornton
cthornton@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
19 October 2004

The International Monitoring Commission's credibility has actually
been enhanced by the way it dealt with an intelligence mistake in
its first report, Alliance deputy leader Eileen Bell argued today.

Responding to a Sinn Fein attack on the ceasefire watchdog, Ms Bell
said it was rare that an organisation would go to the IMC's lengths
to set the record straight.

Her comments came as the IMC said it won't be explaining the
blunder until after it publishes its latest assessment of
paramilitary violence.

The ceasefire watchdog and the PSNI made a private apology earlier
this month for incorrectly naming a Bangor man as a paramilitary
murder victim.

On October 2, IMC member John Grieve and PSNI Assistant Chief
Constable Sam Kincaid visited the family of Michael O'Hare to
apologise for listing him as a paramilitary victim in the report
published last May.

The Bangor man died in a flat fire in the town in March 2003.
Another man was charged with his murder.

The Solicitor General had cleared that trial - which has yet to
take place - to be heard before a jury, indicating that there is
not believed to be any paramilitary involvement.

As the group prepares to issue its third report, Sinn Fein used the
mistake as an opening to attack the IMC's credibility in
independently assessing intelligence supplied by the British and
Irish governments.

Sinn Fein had been forced to pay financial penalties for an IRA
incident highlighted in the first report.

Ms Bell said Sinn Fein's attack was "as predictable as it is
disappointing.

"The reaction of the IMC, in conjunction with the police, in
addressing the problems in relation to the way they documented the
tragic murder of Mr O'Hare actually enhances the credibility," she
said.

"It is rare that an organisation goes to these lengths to deal with
mistakes and misunderstandings that have arisen. I appreciate the
steps that have occurred to engage with the family, and to give a
proper account to them, as they do, too.

"When an organisation can face up to when it is wrong, when they
then say that they are right they are likely to have even more
credibility," she said.

******************************************

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=573757

SDLP And DUP In 'Abuse' Exchanges

19 October 2004

The DUP and SDLP have clashed again over mutual claims of abusing
power at local government level.

Party secretary Nigel Dodds rejected SDLP leader Mark Durkan's
accusation that the DUP is seeking a return of majority rule.

Mr Durkan said: "Whenever the DUP have power, they abuse it."

The Foyle Assembly member said that in councils where the DUP holds
sway - Castlereagh, Ballymena, Lisburn and Coleraine - nationalists
are effectively excluded.

But Mr Dodds asked Mr Durkan to explain why in Belfast City
Council, where the DUP is the third largest party, it has not held
the Mayor's position during the current local government term.

"His own party has conspired with others to exclude the DUP and
elevate much smaller parties like the Alliance and his own," the
North Belfast MP said.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein said the Government needed to bring the work
begun at Leeds Castle to a speedy conclusion.

Martin McGuinness said: "The fundamentals of the Agreement,
including the checks and balances which

are of such crucial importance to nationalists and republicans,
will not be bartered or negotiated away by Sinn Féin.

"Demands for a unionist veto over the institutions, or a return to
unionist rule, will simply not happen."

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http://www.irelandclick.com/news/news.cfm?id=15547&CFID=63124&CFTOKEN=31738474


Gun Find Mystery Deepens

Last Wednesday the PSNI found a firearm and ammo a matter of yards
from a Sinn Féin office. But they didn't say a thing about it.
Until we asked, that is...

A local councillor has expressed concern that the PSNI kept quiet
about a weapons find near Sinn Féin offices on the Stewartstown
Road five days ago – until we asked them about it yesterday.

The PSNI last night confirmed that they found a firearm and
ammunition behind a filling station on the Stewartstown Road and
that the items had been taken away for forensic examination.

But Councillor Paul Butler says that he fears the weapon may have
been intended for use in an attack on the Sinn Féin office and
queried why the PSNI kept quiet for five days.

COPS ADMIT GUN FIND

A firearm and ammunition find near Sinn Féin offices on the
Stewartstown Road only came to light yesterday – four days after
the discovery.

And one local Sinn Féin councillor is furious with the PSNI for not
highlighting the find. Councillor Paul Butler says that only for
the fact that local people saw the PSNI with the weapon the issue
would never have come to light.

"Our main concern is that given the things that the UDA have been
saying recently about attacking Catholics, this may be linked to a
potential loyalist attack on local people, or on one of our
councillors who have been the target of numerous attacks and
threats before," said Councillor Butler.

"And it raises the question why did the PSNI not inform us of this
find?

"I heard of it myself, by accident. The PSNI didn't release details
and nor did they inform us of the forensic history of this find."

The firearm, which was found at approximately 10.40am last
Wednesday morning, is thought to have been loaded and eye-witness
reports suggest that PSNI officers removed the ammunition from the
gun while it was still at the scene.

After being contacted by the Andersonstown News a PSNI spokesperson
last night confirmed that officers came across a small firearm and
ammunition behind a filling station on the Stewartstown Road. He
said that both items had been taken away for further examination.

Journalist:: Ciara McGuigan

******************************************

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/26248-print.shtml

Careful Talk Saves Lives

IAN BELL October 19 2004

Do we try to kill them all or do we deal with them? Ian Bell says
an international forum could make everyone sit up and listen

At one point in a relentlessly fatuous career, Margaret Thatcher
dismissed Nelson Mandela as "a terrorist". Dick Cheney, currently
an unreliable heartbeat away from the presidency of the United
States, once also voted, in his own country's Congress, against any
attempt to liberate the father of the South African nation from
incarceration on hellish Robben Island. How times do change.

As arguments go, the neo-con case back then was almost theological.
The Thatcher who encouraged the sinking of the Argentine vessel
Belgrano might yet, in many basic interpretations of international
law, have a moral case to answer. Cheney, as architect and
instrument of America's latest war on Iraq, could well do a star
turn, one of these days, at a war crimes tribunal. But in the 1970s
and 1980s they took Mandela's measure without hesitation. He was a
terrorist. So who, and why, are they to talk?

A few years back, in Dublin, I had a long conversation with a
distinguished Irish educationalist. The topic was the Belfast
middle class and their fixation with A-level results. The professor
was very firm about the wastage in young talent in Northern Irish
housing schemes, a loss caused by the obsession with testing,
standards and job possibilities. Then he did what I took to be his
party piece. "So who's the best education minister Northern Ireland
has ever had?" he asked, teasing.

The distinguished chap, with no whiff of armed republicanism around
him, supplied own his answer. The best, most astute, most
adventurous and most eager minister for education the province of
Northern Ireland had ever possessed, the prof said – and there was
a real relish in the hyperbole – was Mr Martin McGuinness, "former
terrorist godfather".

The prof was right, as people of all persuasions in Belfast, Derry
and elsewhere in Northern Ireland were later happy to concede.
McGuinness once controlled the Belfast battalion of the Provos: of
that there is no serious doubt. Once upon a time, he commanded
people who killed other people, generally without a hint of mercy,
for political ends. Yet there he was, suddenly a modest but
talented regional education minister, doing the dull stuff and
doing it well.

It tends to be the fate of terrorists, or at least the fate of
those who survive their shabby trade. Sometimes they wind up as
heads of government. Sometimes they grow old and pompous in their
dotage What is persistently clear, nevertheless, is that
yesterday's psychopaths/freedom fighters have a tendency to be the
people with whom, one day, elected governments have to do business.

This demonstrable historical fact presents us with both a problem
and an idea. The problem is simple. It is summarised in the litany
offered by the democracies of the west when they face political
violence: can you, should you, ever negotiate with the practioners
of terrorism? Reverse the paradox and it amounts to a much better
question: why not?

At the human and simplistic level, you can spell it out easily: two
female Italian aid workers escaped kidnap, or worse, in Iraq
recently because their government cut a squalid deal and paid a
ransom for their release. In contrast – and there is no pretty way
of putting this – Ken Bigley was killed because Her Majesty's
government does not, allegedly, cut such deals.

But why not? In most circles, the question qualifies as stupid. You
do not deal with terrorists because, clearly, it only encourages
them. As with any form of blackmail, it is suicidal (in this case,
literally so) to succumb to a criminal's demands. Put aside the
fact that two Italian women happen to be alive and Mr Bigley
happens to be dead: what does a resolute refusal actually achieve?
The theory of conflict resolution is neither new nor complicated.
It turns on the simple idea that everyone has, to some degree, a
point of view. It may not be pleasing to imagine that the killers
of Ken Bigley have a decent opinion, a sincere credo or a cause
about which any decent person should give a damn. It may even be
intolerable to pretend that such individuals can ever occupy our
rational universe. They exist, nevertheless, and they have
grievances. Do we deal with them or do we, as current British and
American foreign policy seems to suggest, simply kill them all?

The International Criminal Court is an idea the Bush presidency has
attempted to destroy. Perhaps concerned at the thought of personal
culpability, the incumbent and his White House have scorned the
possibility that they, or their subordinates, might be judged by
their global peers. Yet as the "war on terror" unravels
unpredictably, endlessly, it begins to seem obvious that what the
world truly needs is a forum in which sheer, bloody and vicious
hatred can be addressed.

South Africa, after apartheid, made the attempt with its Truth and
Reconciliation Commission. What the world needs now is a larger
arena, controlled by the United Nations, in which anyone who needs
to can bring a case against any interest – governmental, personal
or economic – they feel has done them harm. This would involve
"sitting down with terrorists". It would also necessitate the
oxygen of publicity being given to some disagreeable people. But it
would be better, by far, than the slow, bloody wars which beset the
planet.

Granted, a Palestinian petition against the state of Israel would
involve a lot of windy rhetoric and some nasty language. Accepted,
equally, that Ken Bigley's killers would not mount much of a case,
coherently, against the unseating of Saddam and the occupation of
Iraq. The central point remains, nevertheless, that the people we
call terrorists have not taken up cruelty as a mere hobby. They
have an argument, a history and, sometimes, a point.

Clearly, the great powers will be less than keen to lend an ear to
those who devised 9/11, Bali or Madrid. Britain once said that it
would never sit down with those who bombed Brighton. On the
terrorist side, equally, there is probably no appetite for talking
to imperialists, Zionists, or "the Great Satan". But that only
makes the need for a global forum more urgent.

It becomes, with luck, a form of reverse psychology. The terrorist
who refuses the opportunity to make his case in the court of
international opinion forfeits his credibility. The government,
equally, that cannot explain an Abu Ghraib to the world without
propaganda and spin passes judgment on itself. In either case, the
point is to bring the propagandists and zealots together with no
risk to either party.

The point to realise, always, is that terrorism, bloody and grim,
is itself a form of negotiation. An act of terror is the means by
which the weak gain leverage. No Iraqi insurgent is about to
destroy the United States of America. Endless bombs inflicted on
GIs could, nevertheless, sicken the American people. Why not oblige
both parties to argue instead? It might not satisfy all concerned,
but it will keep them alive for a while longer.

Convene a court, in Switzerland or Swaziland. Give it the
imprimatur of the international community, under the protection of
a binding treaty. Let everyone with a grievance bring it forth. It
couldn't be worse, could it, than endless war?

******************************************

http://www.irelandclick.com/comment/details.cfm?id=15555&CFID=63124&CFTOKEN=31738474


Community Platform

The Celtic Tiger Is Only Feeding The Rich

Figures and facts from the UN and Europe confirm that the current
Irish political and economic model is leading western
industrialised nations with its dynamic of economic growth and
development.

They also confirm that the model is producing ever-deepening
inequality. The richest are nearly ten times wealthier than the
poorest ten per cent, and Ireland has the highest proportion of
people at risk of poverty in the EU.

This democratic dysfunction is the consequence of deliberate
political choices that regard social justice as a muzzle on the
Celtic Tiger.

Open assertions during recent elections about inequality as a
necessary prerequisite for economic growth proved to be electorally
unpopular and have now shaded into statements by the new Minister
of Social Welfare on prioritising the 'deserving and the
undeserving poor'.

There is now a wide-ranging debate on if and how much social
justice can be afforded for the comfort and competitiveness of the
tiger.

At a conference last Monday organised by inner city North Dublin
community activists, opened by the Lord Mayor, some of the 'poor'
spoke for themselves and made crystal clear that what they deserve
are standards of access and accountability to resources of health,
education, income, housing, work and environment.

They described their challenge to make justice and fairness not
humiliation and exclusion the taste of their daily lives.

The purpose of the conference was to make visible the work they are
doing to assert their right to be heard in these debates and
decisions that will shape the hope of their lives.

This work is part of an all-island project that is about finding
ways of making real the international standards on economic and
social rights, poverty reduction, and other fundamental human
rights signed up to by governments at the UN and Europe.

How to turn high-sounding words into practical tools of right
useable by those who need them in making and measuring standards of
access and accountability to resource and decision making.

It is part of a broader globalisation debate that is arguing
governments should be defining trade and competitive agreements
that govern the economy in the context of these standards.

For example, the UN Poverty Reduction guidelines spell out with
commendable clarity that standards, targets and timetables in
reducing inequality and poverty require the active and equal
involvement of those who need the change.

The European Charter on Fundamental Rights was an assertion by the
European Union that social justice was the bedrock on which to
build and integrate democratic and economic growth.

Of course, such commitments are littered with 'get out' clauses put
in by the powerful to enable them to decide the amount of right and
equality that they feel appropriate to allow in pursuit of a level
of competitive defined by their own standard of comfort. Phrases
such as 'a resources permit', 'progressive realisation', etc
abound.

This defence of turf has been reinforced in the Republic by the
somewhat confused arguments by the Minister of Justice and others
that the practice of these rights as a matter of right is Marxism
on the move and/or a plot to hand control of the elected process to
the judges.

Activists spoke of how learning about these 'well-kept secrets of
rights' was enabling them to reject decisions made on the basis
that the 'poor were the problem'.

Instead they were finding ways to tackle the serious problems
created by denial of access and accountability in the allocation
and impact of resources and none of it was easy.

They were able and imaginative on how they are involving local
people in setting their own indicators of right.

These start with the daily humiliations and in doing so thus gain
the confidence that they 'deserve better'.

The speakers were not interested in sterile elite arguments about
whether politicians or judges should control their lives.

They are busy building alliances with elected representatives,
lawyers, human rights activists, economists, international experts
as well as other activists tackling different dispossessions.

That involves local development, campaigns, alliances,
partnerships, legal cases, political interventions, whatever it
takes to change the conditions through the practice of right.

They are rejecting their role as the needed sacrifice to fuel the
fire of the tiger.

They are on a tough and difficult journey to make real their right
to a quality of life that enables them to be participants not
onlookers in the definitions of competitive and comfort.

They deserve our company and support.

info@irelandclick.com

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