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September 04, 2005

Ireland Counts Dead & Missing in NO

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News about Ireland & the Irish

ST 09/04/05 Ireland Counts Dead And Missing In New Orleans
UT 09/04/05 Sergeant Saved Irish Students In US
SL 09/04/05 'Spy File' Targets UVF Chiefs
SL 09/04/05 UDA Boss Dismisses Feud Claim
SL 09/04/05 Gray's 'Canary Revenge' Fears
SL 09/04/05 Loyalist Bonfire Deal Up In Flames
SL 09/04/05 Loyalist Fails To Aid Ex As She's Forced Out
BB 09/04/05 DUP Meet Minister Over City March
SL 09/04/05 Match Day Orders For Banned Thugs
BB 09/04/05 Bishop Support After Town Attacks
SL 09/04/05 Adams And McGuinness 'on IRA Council By Proxy'
SL 09/04/05 Twelfth Riots Prompt Plastic Bullet Review
SL 09/04/05 Squaddie Car Bomb: Man Due In Court
SL 09/04/05 Family Is Furious Over Video By Tube Bomber
SL 09/04/05 Ulster Unionist Party Shocked At £200k Debt
ST 09/04/05 Feature: Whisky Galore

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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-1764162,00.html

Ireland Counts Dead And Missing In New Orleans

Dearbhail McDonald and Richard Oakley

ONE Irishman is feared dead and another 10 Irish people are
unaccounted for in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The man, in his twenties, was travelling in Biloxi, one of
the areas worst affected by the disaster. Officials at the
Department of Foreign Affairs, who are trying to locate
him, say severe communication problems are hampering their
efforts.

"It is not a stable situation. The numbers of missing
people are fluctuating and we have been inundated with
calls," a department official said.

Forty-five families contacted the department following the
hurricane, but most Irish nationals now have been located
and tourists trapped in the region will be flown home
within days.

Una Ni Dhubhghaill, the Irish vice-consul general in
Chicago, has travelled to Dallas to assist Irish citizens
caught up in the disaster. In Houston, Texas, the Irish
Society is asking volunteers to walk the streets with Irish
tricolours in order to attract evacuees from the republic
who may be stranded in "the mass of humanity" of refugees
filing into the city.

Last night Dermot Ahern, the minister for foreign affairs,
contacted the parents of three Irish students and told them
their sons — the first of the Irish survivors to be rescued
— would arrive back in Dublin today.

Conor Lally, 20, Patrick Clarke, 21, and Tomas McLoughlin,
all from Blackrock, Co Louth, had gone to Myrtle Beach on
J1 visas for the summer. When Katrina swept into New
Orleans they sought refuge in the Superdome stadium, but
later sent texts home to say they had witnessed rapes, gang
warfare and fighting among looters.

"It is every parent's worst nightmare,"said Jim Lally,
Conor's father. "My son went away as a 20-year-old boy and
will probably return with the life experience of a 50-year-
old man. This has been the worst week of our life, it was
horrendous, but I just got a text from Dermot Ahern to say
that the boys will be in Dublin at 8.30 in the morning.

"The boys are in great form, they laughed when they heard
they were all over the headlines and their friends are
calling them the Blackrock Three. But it has been a
harrowing experience and they may need counselling when
they got home."

Newlyweds Jean Wheatfield and Michael Leyden from
Dromahair, Leitrim, who went to New Orleans for their
honeymoon, were missing for five days before being
airlifted to safety by the American military.

Married three weeks ago, their honeymoon was cut short when
their hotel in the Latin Quarter was flooded. The couple
say they were caught up in gun battles, threatened by
gangs, witnessed a massive explosion and tried
unsuccessfully to flee on foot.

"I honestly thought we were going to die, it was
terrifying," said Wheatfield, who is from Dublin. "We
became prisoners in our hotel as the waters rose. Outside
we could hear gunfire and explosions but we knew we had to
try to escape because the situation was getting more and
more dangerous."

The couple, who were stranded at Baton Rouge airport with
more than 5,000 tourists, flew last night to Newark, New
Jersey, and will return to Ireland later this week.

"I won't rest until I actually see them and wrap my arms
around them," said Terry Leyden, Michael's father. "We are
in bits, and so are Jean's family. One minute we were
sharing a day of joy at their wedding and the next it is
absolute gloom."

Yesterday families of young travellers stranded in the
Superdome stadium said the response of American authorities
had been chaotic. The Britons and Irish, many of them
recent graduates, were herded into the stadium along with
around 25,000 other people unable to flee the city. The
building was later declared unsafe but evacuation was
halted after rescue workers came under sniper fire.

The girlfriend of one Briton was threatened with rape, and
another reported that people trapped inside were so
desperate that one leapt to her death.

Will Nelson, 21, of Epsom, Surrey, sent an impassioned e-
mail to his family on Friday pleading for help. He wrote:
"Please can you try and contact the embassy, tell them that
we really need their help with getting out of here — it's
turning into a war zone."

Yesterday he said troops in the Superdome had told
foreigners to use sharp objects like scissors or tweezers
to protect themselves from gangs. "At one point we had to
carry a US national guard on a stretcher after he was shot
by looters," he said.

Louis Lohan, from Newbridge, Galway, the parish priest at
St Thomas the Apostle's church in Long Beach, Biloxi, is
believed to be cycling around comforting parishioners.

Joe Lohan, his brother and a teacher in Ballygar secondary
school, said the church had been destroyed along with a
newly built community centre and a nearby school. Lohan,
who has two brothers and four sisters all living in
Ireland, was due to travel home today for a brief holiday.

Joe said: "We were worried from Tuesday on, because we
couldn't get in contact with him. By Thursday we were very
anxious, but then we heard that he was in a house and he
was safe. We don't know where this is, but we believe he
was staying with a friend. We have been assured that he has
food and clothes and that the house has a generator."

There are nearly 80 Irish priests and nuns working in the
Mississippi area. According to Tommy Conway, a priest from
Galway, most have now been accounted for. "We can't make
any calls here. We are in the middle of it, but everyone on
the outside knows more than us," he said.

The 43-year-old priest has spent the past few days driving
around in his pick-up trying to get ice and water for
parishioners and checking if he can hold a mass in his
church, St Thomas Aquinas near the Southern Mississippi
university.

"When you stop and take in what has happened, you want to
cry," he said. "But you have to think positively and there
are people worse off than us."

Patrick McDermott, a priest from Glenties, Donegal, who is
in Ireland on vacation, said his parish is decimated.
McDermott, the administrator of Our Lady of Victories
parish church in Pascagoula, Mississippi, said 90% of his
parish had been demolished by Katrina.

"Our church is submerged in 9ft of water; we've lost
everything," he said. "I feel terrible. All the priests and
nuns in our community are Irish and we are strong people,
we will just have to help each other."

Irish diplomatic staff have been sent to Texas and other
Irish American hubs, including San Antonio, to help
evacuees.

Yesterday Irish people were told to stop panic-buying
petrol. There had been warnings that the price of unleaded
petrol could rise above €1.30 as a result of the "Katrina
factor" but the AA said it was more likely that prices
would rise by about 5c a litre, to an average of €1.13 a
litre.

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http://www.utvlive.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=64596&pt=n

Sergeant Saved Irish Students In US

A Sergeant with the American National Guard defied orders
to save three Irish students from street gangs wreaking
havoc in a makeshift refugee camp in New Orleans.

By:Press Association

The boyhood friends from Blackrock, County Louth who
returned home today told how a burly officer named Sgt
Ogden took them under his wing and guaranteed their safety.

Tomas McLaughlin, Conor Lally and Patrick Clarke, who were
left stranded after Hurricane Katrina hit land, described
the officer as "a lifesaver".

The trio were ordered to take shelter in the city`s
Superdome on Sunday night. They said police officers warned
them about riots and fights between gangs and that a number
of rapes had occurred.

Inside the dome, paramedics warned them that a soldier had
been overpowered in the toilets and shot in a leg with his
own rifle.

Patrick, a 20-year-old photography student, said city
streets strewn with bodies and the mayhem of the dome left
New Orleans looking more like a war zone.

"As time went on, because the National Guard didn`t have
enough troops there to take control of the situation,
tempers were beginning to fray. The situation is just
getting worse," he said.

"New Orleans is a war zone at the moment. Now we only
experienced this very briefly but the American Government,
I mean really, have to get in their now, quickly."

Patrick said by working as a group with many other
travellers they managed to get the help of Sgt Ogden.

After a tearful reunion with family and friends, the
students told how they fled the mayhem in the dome.

The trio said 103 foreigners were taken out of the dome
under the orders of National Guardsman Sgt Ogden. The
students said he ignored initial commands to keep everyone
inside and told troops to bring them to safety.

With little food or water for three nights the group were
taken to a nearby medical centre. Facing a barrage of
verbal, and some physical, abuse from those left behind,
Sgt Ogden ensured the students were not harmed, they said.

"We had to be escorted by the National Guard out, there was
a lot of people coming up to us, saying are you leaving and
just shouting abuse at us just basically because we were
getting out. They just felt trapped," Conor said.

A day and a half later the three set off on a 10 hour bus
journey to Dallas, Texas to be flown home.

"The people that looked after us are doing such a
phenomenal job and I cannot have enough praise for these
soldiers for these medical staff who took care of us and
are still there," Patrick said.

"After we were safe they went back in and did what they
could and are still doing what they could."
----

Tomas, a 20-year-old student at the National University of
Ireland in Galway told how the week`s events unfolded.

"We decided to go to the Superdome on Sunday evening and
the hurricane occurred that night, early Monday morning,
and we were there until Wednesday morning," he said.

"It was just a scary, scary place. We were just so grateful
to get out. It was just dangerous.

"The corridors were packed, it was very over populated, no
electricity, no running water, no flushing water which was
a big one, no hygiene. We were on army rations.

"There wasn`t enough water to go around. A lot of people
there were poor. The standard of living was very low
therefore the conditions were just horrific."

The students, who travelled to the United States for a
working holiday on J1 visas and spent a number of weeks at
Myrtle Beach in North Carolina, had harsh words for the US
government`s relief operation.

Conor, a 20-year-old student at Queen`s University, Belfast
said people`s thoughts should be with the poor and homeless
in the southern states.

"We are the lucky ones, It`s the people in New Orleans that
are still left there," Conor said.

"America, everyone thinks it must be a rich country, but
people really have to try and give as much help and aid
across the world as they can because the government
certainly are not getting it to the people of New Orleans."

The trio, from the seaside village of Blackrock, Co Louth,
paid tribute to the soldiers from the National Guard who
escorted them from the Superdome and onto safety.

Patrick Clark, who is studying photography in Dun
Laoghaire, Dublin, said complete strangers took the lads
under their wing in a bid to return them to their families.

"We got out just from the infinite kindness of complete
strangers. The American government did nothing to help us,"
the 21-year-old said.

"When we were there we bonded together with a group of
other international students, travellers in general,
English, Australian, Canadian, people from all over the
world and we got together in an attempt to try and get in
contact with our embassies.

"Through that we got in contact with a lifesaver called
Sergeant Ogden and through him he brought us out of the
dome, brought us to a safe place, and from there we were
able to get in contact with our embassies."

The students were taken to a nearby temporary medical
centre before travelling 10 hours to Dallas, Texas where
Irish Consular staff were on hand to assist their return.

The families of the trio paid tribute to the work of
embassy staff in America and Irish Foreign Affairs minister
Dermot Ahern, in whose Louth constituency they live.

Pat Clark, father of photography student Patrick, said
staff in the Department of Foreign Affairs were brilliant.

"They were terrific, Dermot Ahern and the Department of
Foreign Affairs were just brilliant, the Consul in Chicago
they all worked full time," Mr Clark said.

As the three students emerged from the arrivals terminal at
Dublin airport they were greeted with cheers, applause and
floods of tears from family and friends.

Josephine Clark said it was brilliant to have her son and
his friends back in Ireland and looking so well.

"It`s just brilliant to have them back again. I`m just so
grateful to everybody helping out there and everybody who
was so kind to us here. Good wishes and good thoughts from
everybody," she said.

She said she had been worried sick for the last seven days
panicking over how the boys would return home.

"It was horrific, absolutely horrific. I just don`t know
what to say, it`s brilliant to have the three of them home
again and looking so well," she said.

"It`s unbelievable. I`m just so happy we really are so
lucky because there`s a lot of families who are not as
happy as we are this morning.

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

http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660025

'Spy File' Targets UVF Chiefs

Informants activities come under PPS scrutiny

By Alan Murray
04 September 2005

A POTENTIALLY bombshell file on the police handling of top
agents inside the UVF, is being sent to the Public
Prosecutions Service.

The file, detailing the criminal activities of some the
leading figures in the loyalist terror group, has been
compiled by Police Ombudsman's Office investigators.

It is believed it could lead to prosecutions against senior
UVF figures and possibly their handlers.

The Ombudsman's office refused to comment on the
development yesterday.

But, reliable sources have confirmed that Nuala O'Loan's
investigation into the handling of UVF police informants,
and their criminal activities, will be passed to the PPS
Office shortly.

The move follows the completion of inquiries by Mrs
O'Loan's office into the murder of north Belfast man,
Raymond McCord, eight years ago by the UVF, and the
examination of records compiled by Special Branch officers,
who handled police agents inside the loyalist gang.

The activities of M15 agents within the UVF are also
understood to have been examined, as a full picture of the
network of spies and their terrorist activities was
painstakingly assembled.

Some of the organisation's most senior members have come
under close scrutiny, during the two-year probe to examine
the role of police informers in the murder of Raymond
McCord and others, over the last two decades.

One police informant, who is currently facing serious
criminal charges, is believed to be linked to 13 murders,
while other senior UVF police informers are understood to
have planned or known of plans to kill, which were not
thwarted by the security forces.

Senior former Special Branch officers have been quizzed
about their knowledge of the activities of the UVF figures,
who acted inside the organisation for the RUC, M15 and, the
police service.

It's understood that investigators asked officers if there
was an "unwritten policy" to set rival paramilitary groups
against each other to remove key republicans and loyalists,
who couldn't be brought before the courts because of
insufficient evidence.

Raymond McCord snr, who has campaigned tirelessly to have
his son's killers brought to justice, would only say that
he believed the Ombudsman's report would confirm the claims
he has made about the UVF leadership.

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http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660016

UDA Boss Dismisses Feud Claim

04 September 2005

LEADING loyalist Jackie McDonald has dismissed claims that
the UDA could be on the brink of an internal feud.

The south Belfast loyalist rubbished claims that the group
was discussing "going away" or decommissioning weapons.

McDonald hit out, after a disgruntled UDA man contacted
Sunday Life, claiming there was unease within three of the
organisation's five brigades over the UDA's future.

He claimed UDA men are prepared to stage a coup and bring a
bloody halt to any plans to disband it.

"Two brigades are on the brink and a third is sitting on
the fence over this, and it is a potential blood-letting
situation," he claimed.

"There is a concern that someone wants to be the 'supreme
commander' of the UDA. Despite denials, the feeling is that
this is all tied in to a plan by the Republic's government
and the NIO to break up the UDA - possibly after weapons
have been decommissioned," the man said.

Sunday Life met the UDA man at a location outside Belfast,
but he declined to indicate which brigade he belonged to,
or which two brigades were on the brink of taking action to
halt what he claimed was a plan to destroy the
organisation.

But McDonald dismissed the man's claims as nonsense.

"He is obviously an ex-member who is out of the loop on
current UDA thinking. The UDA, as I understand current
thinking, has no intention of going away or decommissioning
weapons. If he was a regular attender at meetings of any
brigade, he would know that."

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http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660015

Gray's 'Canary Revenge' Fears

By Stephen Breen

04 September 2005

FORMER pals of caged loyalist Jim 'Doris Day' Gray were
last night in hiding, amid growing fears that he was set to
spill the beans on their terrorist careers.

A senior loyalist source told Sunday Life a number of
Gray's old associates fear he is on the verge of providing
cops with crucial evidence, relating to unsolved UDA
murders and armed robberies.

The source claims the murder which Gray could hold the key
to is that of former UDA boss Geordie Legge.

The heavily tattooed body of the east Belfast loyalist was
found in a shallow grave in the south of city, in 2001. He
had been beaten, stabbed and his throat cut.

No one has been convicted of the killing, but sources claim
the brutal murder was carried out by one of Gray's former
henchmen.

But now that Gray has been expelled from the UDA, the
killer fears the former east Belfast 'brigadier' will turn
against him, and has now gone to ground.

It is also believed Gray may have knowledge of the murder
of Scots-born Catholic John McIver who was knifed to death
in the toilets of the Liverpool Supporters' Club, in east
Belfast, in 1992.

Some of Gray's other ex-associates, who stood by him when
Sunday Life revealed in January that he was coming under
pressure from the UDA leadership, are also worried about
the jailed loyalist's plans.

Sources claim they are the same men who previously lived in
fear of Gray and carried out armed robberies during his
reign as the UDA brigadier in east Belfast, but later
turned against him.

The latest development comes after it emerged Gray was
quizzed by cops about "serious crime".

Said a source: "It was rumoured before about Gray, but the
word at the minute is that he's going to tell everything to
save his own skin.

"Gray was not present when some of these very serious
crimes were committed - including murder - but he certainly
has knowledge of them.

"The men who have turned their back on him have gone to
ground, because they think they could be in serious
trouble.

"The only friend Gray has now is an ex-poluce officer who
has agreed to give him a home when he is released from
prison.

"His empire may have crumbled, but Gray is certainly
determined to get revenge on the men who moved against him,
when he was expelled from the UDA."

sbreen@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

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http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660003

Bonfire Deal Up In Flames

04 September 2005

A REPORT has slammed loyalist paramilitaries for failing to
keep their part of a £40,000 bargain over this year's
Twelfth bonfires.

Council chiefs in Belfast had targeted the money in eight
districts of the city, in the hope that bonfires would be
more environmentally friendly.

They wanted to see tyres and plastic banned from the pyres
- and hoped progress could also be made on the display of
paramilitary flags and emblems.

But the plans - and a charter agreement with residents -
were shattered by a terror group's show of strength in one
of the areas on the 11th night.

A preliminary report on the bonfire, at Pitt Park, in east
Belfast, noted: "This display included the erecting of
paramilitary flags and emblems.

"It also involved the reading of a statement by members of
a paramilitary organisation, and the discharge of firearms.

"This display undermined the discussions we have had with
local representatives, and the goodwill that we had
attempted to establish with the local community."

It added: "It is disappointing. However, it must be
realised that this is something over which there is little
control.

"Information suggests that this show was a consequence of
the increased tensions that exist between a number of the
loyalist paramilitary groups."

The report said it was "encouraging" there had been no
similar display at Westland, in the north of the city.

Again, however, it was "disappointing" that most bonfires
had some display of flags and emblems.

Councillors were forced to address the spiralling problem
of bonfires, because of mounting criticism over the cost to
the environment.

Many any areas have been blighted because of out-of-control
blazes, which cost ratepayers thousands to clean up or
repair.

However, the council and Groundwork NI, who were appointed
to support the pilot project, believe there was a degree of
success over a reduction in the period of time over which
materials were collected.

Said a source: "Assurances were received from paramilitary
groups that they would back the project, but in one or two
cases we were clearly let down.

"That will have to be looked at to see if there is enough
support to fund a similar initiative next year."

slnews@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

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http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660026

Terror Boss Fails To Aid Ex As She's Forced Out Of Home

By Sunday Life Reporter
04 September 2005

THE former girlfriend of a top UVF boss has fled her north
Belfast home, after a death-threat from the loyalist terror
group.

The woman and her young child quit the Mount Vernon estate
last week - and her 'ex' didn't lift a finger to help.

The chilling UVF threat followed what was described as an
"internal squabble that got way out of hand".

But, according to sources, it highlighted growing divisions
among the UVF on the estate.

One loyalist source told Sunday Life: "No one seems to know
what sparked this - and those who do are keeping it to
themselves.

"But, there was a serious bust-up over something in the
past, and the upshot was that this girl and her kid were
told to get out - or else."

Added the source: "This girl's former boyfriend could
easily have stepped in, because his word his law in Mount
Vernon, but he didn't lift a finger to help her.

"This is just the latest in a series of incidents that is
causing major problems for the UVF in the area.

"Younger elements seem to be out of control, there's the
feud with the LVF and, for some reason, the cops are taking
a keener interest in developments than they ever did the
past.

"The only man some of the younger members listen to is the
commander - and he doesn't seem to give a damn."

A number of men linked to the UVF in Mount Vernon were
recently questioned following the sectarian knife-murder of
15-year-old schoolboy, Thomas Devlin.

The UVF commander, whose territory also includes Monkstown
and Carrickfergus, once worked in a bogus business run by
the former UVF boss in the district, Mark Haddock. Haddock,
a suspected Special Branch informer, is behind bars
awaiting trial on an attempted murder charge.

He is also suspected of ordering the brutal slaying of RAF
operator, Raymond McCord, eight years ago.

An ex-member of the Mount Vernon UVF gang is currently
helping a police 'cold case' team reviewing the McCord
murder file.

slnews@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4213242.stm

DUP Meet Minister Over City March

A delegation from the DUP has met NI Security Minister
Shaun Woodward to discuss the Parades Commission's ruling
on an Orange Order parade in Belfast.

The Order postponed its Whiterock parade in June in protest
at putting it through the former Mackies site instead of
allowing it through Workman Avenue.

The Order had applied to restage the parade next Saturday,
but the commission has again diverted marchers.

DUP MP Nigel Dodds described the talks on Saturday as
"intense".

"We left him in no doubt whatsoever about the serious
implications of this misguided decision; the impact it will
have on community relations and the prospect for any
possibility for future dialogue and the fact that it has
been seen to reward violence," he said.

Nationalist Springfield Road residents had opposed the
parade.

In its determination on the parade the commission cited "a
possible adverse effect on community relations" if the
march was allowed on the Order's preferred route.

The Parades Commission was set up in 1997 to make decisions
on whether or not restrictions should be imposed on
controversial parades during Northern Ireland's marching
season.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2005/09/04 12:26:16 GMT
© BBC MMV

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http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660040

Match Day Orders For Banned Thugs

Hooligans to attend local police station on Wednesday

By Stephen Breen
04 September 2005

SOME of the UK's most notorious football hooligans have
been banned from travelling to Belfast this week for the
World Cup clash between Northern Ireland and England.

Sunday Life has learned the Home Office has ordered more
than 3,000 English fans - who are banned from travelling to
international away fixtures - to attend their local police
station on Wednesday.

It had been feared that some banned thugs would attempt to
travel to Northern Ireland via local ports.

It is understood the list includes thugs who have links to
loyalist paramilitaries and members of fascist groups.

The Home Office, the English FA and the football hooligan
unit of the UK's Criminal Intelligence Service have working
closely with local police on security arrangements for the
big game.

Information on banned supporters who do not attend their
local police stations will be immediately passed to cops in
Belfast.

Said a Home Office spokesman: "The 3,000 or so people with
banning orders who may have thought that they could have
travelled to Northern Ireland without a passport will have
to attend their local police station on the day of the
game.

"This tactic is designed to limit their movements, because
we take the threat of disorder very seriously.

"Security in Belfast is ultimately a PSNI operation, but
there has also been a multi-agency approach to this game."

Although England fans only received 1,000 tickets for the
game at Windsor Park, up to 5,000 supporters are expected
to converge on Belfast.

Cops do not believe there will be any trouble at the
eagerly-awaited game.

Jim Rainey, of the Amalgamation of Official Northern
Ireland Supporters Clubs, is looking forward to the game.

"This will be a great occasion and we have been speaking
with the FA and they are happy with the arrangements.

"I don't know how many England fans will be in Belfast.

"There was no trouble during the game at Old Trafford and
we have spoken to England fans who are excited about coming
to Belfast and we have given them maps to help them during
their visit," he said.

A police spokeswoman added: "Extensive plans have already
been put in place and discussions will continue between
police and the FA in the run-up to the game."

sbreen@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4212840.stm

Bishop Support After Town Attacks

A Church of Ireland bishop has been speaking at Masses in
Ballymena to show his support for Catholics following a
recent spate of sectarian attacks.

Bishop of Connor Alan Harper said words of condemnation
over the attacks in the County Antrim town were not enough.

The chief constable has said young people are at the centre
of an upsurge in attacks. Extra officers have been drafted
in to protect property.

Catholic-owned properties, schools and churches have all
been targeted.

Bishop Harper told the BBC's Sunday Sequence programme: "I
would very much like to see churchmen and political
leaders, people who have status in the community, who are
perhaps elected by the community to represent them, to find
ways of modelling a respect for collaborative solidarity
with one another.

"It doesn't require any surrender of principle, what it
requires is for people to stand together but to be seen to
stand together."
----

SECTARIAN ATTACKS IN BALLYMENA 1 MARCH - 31 AUGUST

5 arson attacks, all on Catholics (2 considered as
attempted murder)
4 petrol bombs: 2 Catholic, 2 Protestant
5 sectarian assaults: 2 Catholic, 3 Protestant
8 paint attacks: 7 Catholic, 1 Protestant
13 criminal damage: 9 Catholic, 4 Protestant
7 intimidation: 3 Catholic, 4 Protestant

Total incidents: 42. Catholic: 28; Protestant: 14
----

Thirty police officers have been involved in the fresh
security operation to prevent sectarian attacks.

Operation Striker covered 50 Catholic-owned properties,
churches, schools and GAA sports grounds last week.

Vehicle checkpoints were set up in Ballymena, Ahoghill and
Portglenone whilst mobile patrols covered other locations.

Chief Constable Sir Huge Orde told a meeting of the
Policing Board on Friday that sectarianism "was a problem
far wider and more complicated than a simple policing
solution".

Ballymena district commander Chief Superintendent Terry
Shevlin told the same meeting that police had identified a
problem with sectarian violence in the area as far back as
March.

The Policing Board holds the Police Service of Northern
Ireland to account.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2005/09/04 12:35:06 GMT
© BBC MMV

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http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660031

Adams And McGuinness 'on IRA Council By Proxy'

04 September 2005

BRITISH intelligence analysts don't believe Gerry Adams and
Martin McGuinness have quit the IRA's Army Council.

Irish Premier Bertie Ahern and Justice Minister Michael
McDowell recently stated they had been informed by the
Garda that the pair had stepped down from the seven-member
ruling body.

But police and MI5 believe they have nominated proxy
figures to keep their place on the council in what is
termed a "tactical absence".

They claim there has been no indication that an Army
Convention has been held on either side of the border to
approve crucial changes to the composition of the Army
Council.

"The Garda has monitored meetings of the IRA's Army Council
very closely over the last five years," said a source.

"Adams and McGuinness know that and might suspect there has
been audio coverage of some of these meetings.

"They'd be wary their voices could be picked up, so it
would be prudent for them to keep a distance for political
reasons."

But while the two senior Sinn Fein figures may be staying
away from Army Council meetings, there is no doubt in the
intelligence community that both men are retain a
significant influence on the decision-making of the IRA's
controlling body.

"These two men are shrewd strategists and will not
relinquish control and the two governments wouldn't want
that to happen anyway.

"They may not be physically present at Army Council
meetings in the near future, but their presence at the
meetings will be felt," the source said.

It is thought Adams and McGuinness have convinced members
on the Army Council to support the expected major
decommissioning exercise.

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

http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660032

Twelfth Riots Prompt Plastic Bullet Review

By Alan Murray
04 September 2005

CHIEF Constable Hugh Orde has ordered a review into
regulations governing the firing of plastic bullets by his
officers.

Sir Hugh told members of the Policing Board last week that
the large numbers of officers injured in rioting in
Belfast's Ardoyne area on July 12 prompted the review.

It's understood that 105 officers sustained injuries during
the disturbances, when nationalist youths hurled missiles
at Orangemen and supporters returning from the Field, past
Ardoyne shops.

On that occasion, 40 minutes elapsed from the first request
to fire baton rounds to their deployment.

Unionists claim that permission to fire was not given from
headquarters until eight requests from officers on the
ground.

DUP Policing Board member Sammy Wilson welcomed the Chief
Constable's announcement and said he hoped changes would be
made to the current regulations.

He said: "Obviously, 105 officers injured is an
unacceptable situation in operational and health and safety
terms.

"The rules currently in place dictate that life must be
preserved, officers must take cover if they can and
identifiable targets must be ascertained before an AEP
(baton round) can be fired.

"But that means that officers have to dodge projectiles and
scramble behind vehicles - instead of dealing with the
troublemakers."

A total of 22 baton rounds were eventually fired to quell
the rioting - the first fired by police in three years.

Police casualties accounted for almost 20pc of all officers
on duty at Ardoyne that day.

One officer present told Sunday Life: "You accept hits with
bricks and stones when you arrive in the area and are in
the process of setting up your lines.

"But to stand there for half-an-hour or more and see
colleagues fall like flies while the thugs take over the
streets is absolutely demoralising.

"We should have been allowed to clear the streets, as they
do in the United States.

"Carrying off 100 injured colleagues on an evening is an
operational calamity."

Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly said he was "outraged" at the
number of baton rounds fired and said they should be
banned.

He added: "They should have no part in policing these type
of riot situations."

slnews@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

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

http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660036

Squaddie Car Bomb: Man Due In Court

04 September 2005

A MAN is due in court tomorrow charged with the attempted
murder of a former soldier.

It's understood the charge relates to a booby trap bomb
attack on a former squaddie in Sion Mills more than three
years ago.

The intended victim of the attack, a former Royal Irish
Regiment soldier, had a miraculous escape after driving up
to 30 miles without realising the device was under his car.

Police later revealed the device contained two pounds of
Semtex and a mercury tilt switch, similar to devices used
by the pre-ceasefire IRA.

The attack took place on the fourth anniversary of the Good
Friday Agreement.

The man, who will appear before magistrates in Enniskillen,
has also been charged with possession of explosives with
intent to endanger life.

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

http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660027

Family Is Furious Over Video By Tube Bomber

04 September 2005

THE parents of a young Irishman killed in the London Tube
bombings have reacted angrily to the video made by suicide
terrorist Mohammad Sidique Khan.

Enniskillen-born Veronica Cassidy and her husband Sean lost
their son Ciaran (22) in the horrific July 7 attacks
carried out by Islamic extremists.

Mr Cassidy (57), from Cavan, said yesterday he didn't even
want to read about the ringleader's justification as to why
52 people lost their lives.

He feels it should not have been publicised by the media in
the first place.

"Why give such an idiot so much space and time?

"I am bloody angry about it. It should not have been
publicised," he said.

Veronica, who is originally from Fermanagh, said Khan's
claims made no difference to the depth of her grief.

She said: "I don't think of these people. It's not going to
bring my son back."

Ciaran, a shopworker, was killed while travelling to work
on the Piccadilly Line near King's Cross station.

Intelligence experts were last night continuing to analyse
the video message from Khan, of Dewsbury, Yorkshire, to
find out when and where it was recorded.

They were also hoping the tape will provide clues as to the
existence of a wider terror network behind the bombers.

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

http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=660013

Red fright... and blue

Ulster Unionist Party Shocked At £200k Debt

By Joe Oliver
04 September 2005

BELEAGUERED Ulster Unionists are reeling from another shock
setback - after learning that the party is in the red to
the tune of more than £200,000.

The disclosure - in the party's centenary year - follows a
walloping at the hands of the DUP in the general and local
government elections, last May.

The UUP lost 40 council seats, and are down to just one MP
- Lady Sylvia Hermon in North Down.

This was despite the fact that the UUP spent more than
£250,000 on the Westminster campaign, compared to the
£91,000 spent by the DUP.

The party's dire financial position was revealed at a
meeting attended by representatives of all 18 constituency
associations.

We have also learned that honorary treasurer, Jack Allen,
tendered his resignation on health grounds. And Tim Lemon,
the party's campaign director, will also quit when his
contract runs out in a matter of days.

New leader Sir Reg Empey recently called for an urgent
shake-up to save the party from being wiped out.

He demanded a fundamental re-examination of the officer
team, party management and party finances.

One source told Sunday Life: "We had been assured at
earlier meetings that the party was on a reasonably sound
financial footing.

"To learn we are £200,000 in debt and are paying a mortgage
on Cunningham House came as quite a surprise.

"Many feel it is now time for the entire officer team to
resign."

A number of staff have also departed from the organisation,
while UUP associations are being urged to pay outstanding
dues.

The party may even be forced to ask MLAs and councillors to
increase the amount they give towards party funds.

"Party president Lord Rogan and also Lord Maginnis are
endeavouring to get some money in," said one association
member.

"But it's going to be an uphill struggle that will require
a lot more than just rattling the tins.

"If a new start is to be made under Sir Reg, then we will
have to look closely at those people responsible for our
past failures," he added.

slnews@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

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

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-1763523,00.html

Feature: Whisky Galore

Two drinks giants with competing spirits to promote —
expect the market to explode, writes Mark Paul

ONE OF the regulars at Fergie's, a bar in downtown
Philadelphia, always likes to order an Irish whiskey after
a few beers. This particular customer doesn't fit the
profile of what many still perceive to be the stereotypical
Irish whiskey drinker — an ageing Irishman with a pipe and
cloth cap. "He's a 45-year-old Indian scientist," said
Fergus Carey, the Dubliner who co-owns three other bars in
the American city.

"Lots of regular joes, young and old, drink Irish whiskey
on a night out. Some because they want an 'Oirish' drink
and some because they like it," said Carey. "If it's your
drink, it's your drink."

That level of loyalty will be music to the ears of
executives at Pernod-Ricard and Diageo, the multinational
drinks giants who now control Jameson and Bushmills —
respectively, the two biggest-selling Irish whiskies on the
international market.

Until last month, Pernod-Ricard owned both brands,
inherited as part of the package when it acquired Irish
Distillers in 1989. The French-based company, now run by
Richard Burrows, the former head of Irish Distillers, has
spent millions on international marketing campaigns trying
to expand the whiskey market beyond the traditional image
with which it is still saddled in Ireland.

"People always ask for their whiskey by brand. The big two
were always Jameson and Bushmills, and there was always the
usual slagging about one being for Catholics (Jameson) and
the other one being for Protestants (Bushmills)," said
Carey of the traditional sectarian rivalry between the two
drinks.

"Then Tullamore Dew (owned by C&C) came along in a fancy
'crock' and for a while it became the drink at the bar.
Even though they have since put it in normal bottles and it
is probably outselling the other two," he said. That
situation might not last much longer once the powerhouse
marketing teams at Diageo and Allied Domecq bring out their
guns.

BUSHMILLS was the pawn sacrificed by Pernod-Ricard when it
offered Diageo an incentive to keep it from bidding for
Allied Domecq. That deal, which also gave Diageo the option
to purchase Pernod-Ricard's New Zealand wine business, did
just enough to smooth the path of the €10.95 billion
merger, which cleared the final regulatory hurdles last
week. It also leaves Paul Walsh, the Diageo chief
executive, with something that his company always coveted —
an established Irish whiskey brand to partner its other
Irish-based success stories, Baileys and Guinness.

The Co Antrim-based Bushmills distillery has an
international market share of 15%. That's a long way behind
the 47% share controlled by Pernod's Jameson. Bushmills,
analysts maintain, always played second fiddle to Jameson
when it was part of the Pernod-Ricard stable, but now it
will finally get the chance to realise its full potential.
Market watchers are united in the view that, at €293m, the
acquisition is a bargain for Diageo. More importantly for
the industry, they expect it to herald a boost for the
sector as Diageo pumps new resources into aggressive
marketing designed to eat into Jameson's dominance.

While the market is growing at a steady rate, doubling in
the past 10 years, Irish whiskey has always trailed behind
Scotch in the export stakes. Scotch exports topped £2.4
billion (€3.5 billion) last year, while Irish whiskey
exports reached less than 4% (€140m) of that figure. The
Scots sold 80m cases worldwide in comparison to the Irish
performance of about 4m. With Diageo getting in on the
Irish act, the potential for improvement is enormous.

That there is room for more improvement is patently
obvious, especially given the profile Pernod-Ricard has
given Jameson over the past 15 years.

"We would see it as a strategic acquisition for us," said
Michael Patten, Diageo Ireland's head of group corporate
relations. "Scotch is by far the biggest whisky segment,
but Irish whiskey is currently exhibiting growth of about
6% per annum, or 3.8% on a compound basis since 1998."

Diageo is tight-lipped on its plans for the Bushmills
portfolio, which includes Bushmills Original, 10-year-old,
16-year-old and 21-year-old malts, and the premium Black
Bush. "There is a review ongoing. We expect this to last a
couple of months," said Patten.

Industry sources, however, expect Diageo to spend up to
€20m next year trying to boost Bushmills' market share,
which is targeted to increase to 25% in four years and 30%
over a five-to-seven year period.

What we have said is that we are aiming to have the
investment EP (economic profit, which takes into account
the investment in the brand) positive by year four," said
Patten.

America is the main growth market for Irish whiskey outside
Ireland, with sales up more than 10% last year, having
doubled over the past six years. Diageo has set its sights
higher, however. "America will remain a key market going
forward, but we also see huge opportunities in Asian
markets. We won't just be focusing on traditional markets,"
said Patten.

Diageo group finance director Nick Rose was also reported
last week as saying that the company would lift its overall
marketing spend in China by 50%. "We will be shifting some
marketing spend away from Europe and reallocating it to the
emerging BRIC regions (Brazil, Russia, India and China),"
Rose said. Only last week Diageo highlighted the poor state
of the drinks market in Europe, where its promotional
budget was slashed by 7% last year. Whiskey sales in
France, traditionally the second strongest export market,
have stuttered in line with the country's creaking economy.

One potential problem for Diageo in its quest to boost
Bushmills is lack of production capacity. This could
seriously hamper growth. Patten confirmed that overtaking
its rival "would be an objective", albeit a long-term one.
Given that some of its whiskies take 21 years to produce,
there are concerns that Diageo will not be able to produce
enough product to meet its ambitious targets.

"You can't just turn the tap on or off and decide 'we'll
sell more'," said Campbell Evans of the Scotch Whisky
Association (SWA). "There are already some malts that are
on allocation because of a growth in demand. You've got to
balance it," he said.

John Teeling, the chairman of the Louth-based Cooley
distillery — the only Irish-owned whiskey producer and a
minnow in the market — is also sceptical. "I don't think
the actual production capacity for Bushmills to meet those
kind of targets exists. They'll have to increase capacity
and there is nobody left for them to buy out. Diageo will
have to build a new grain distillery," he said.

"We are taking time to look at how to increase production
within the review," said Patten. "The current stocks are
sufficient to begin our marketing drive. The distillery has
actually been under-utilised. We have already moved towards
a 24/5 production cycle and the staff are happy with this."

But might Diageo eventually raze the current distillery to
the ground and build a new one? "There has been no
decisions yet, but there is sufficient space for expansion
on site. By November we will have a clearer idea," he said.

Irish Distillers Limited (IDL), Pernod-Ricard's Irish-based
operation and producer of Jameson, dismisses the analysts'
view that it was foolish to sell Bushmills as a bargain.
"We don't see it that way," said Kieran Tobin, IDL's head
of communications and corporate affairs. "This provides us
with an opportunity to redouble our efforts on Jameson," he
said. "Jameson sales grew last year by 10% to 1.75m cases.
That's 22.5m bottles. In the first half of this year that
growth has accelerated to 13%. That's very encouraging for
us."

Pernod-Ricard has quadrupled Jameson's sales since taking
control of the brand in 1989. IDL has targeted 2m cases for
the brand this year and 3m by the end of the decade.

Neither does Tobin see it as inevitable that its 47% market
share will be eroded by a newly invigorated Bushmills under
Diageo. "We won't accept that fact. The biggest market is
America and the industry bible there, Impact, has had us on
its yearly list of 'Hot Brands' for the past five years,"
said Tobin. To bolster its position, Jameson is due to
launch a new global advertising campaign within the next
two months.

Tobin also pointed out that more than 200,000 visitors pass
through the Jameson distillery in Dublin's Smithfield.
"They take a knowledge of the brand back home with them,"
he said. Diageo has already spotted the marketing
opportunities provided by tourists and is expected to
redevelop Bushmills' current visitor facilities. Patten
described the Antrim distillery as being "striking" and
"imbued with heritage".

Tullamore Dew, the third- bestseller, has suffered as a
result of the Allied/Pernod deal, losing the distribution
deal previously managed by Allied. "We are looking (for new
distributors) nonstop," said Brian Walsh, the managing
director of C&C's international division. "We've seen all
the presentations apart from one and we expect to start
making appointments in the first two weeks of October," he
confirmed. Fortune Brands, Bacardi and LVMH are all
competing.

Fortune Brands controls Jim Beam and Courvoisier cognac.
LVMH has a number of brands in the luxury goods market and
an extensive drinks portfolio led by champagne and cognac.

Even though Tullamore Dew trails its two big rivals in the
export stakes, the brand is growing at a quicker rate,
principally because it is coming off a lower base. "We sold
360,000 cases last year and we are expecting double-digit
growth to continue. We are not in the least bit intimidated
by the big two," said Walsh. Over at Diageo, the feeling is
mutual, with Patten insisting that nobody is "losing sleep"
over the potential threat from Tullamore Dew..

"Super-premium brands are the real growth areas. With Irish
whiskey as the only dark spirit holding its own — a real
achievement given the current spirits climate — it's easy
to see why Diageo was so eager to acquire Bushmills," said
Nigel Tynan, editor of Licensing World, the drinks-industry
magazine. "The likelihood is that, with Bushmills, Diageo
will seek to copy the way Jameson has marketed itself
abroad as a super-premium Irish whiskey.

" Diageo is expected to promote the "mixability" of
Bushmills, opening it up for use in cocktails and mixed
drinks, a sector that dark spirits have traditionally
struggled to break into.

Other industry insiders agree that Jameson has raised the
bar to a level that will have a positive spin-off for all
Irish whiskies. "Jameson has been the star of the show. The
rate of growth it has achieved in the US has opened a
pipeline that will eventually put a bottle of Irish on
every shelf," said Teeling, whose own brand portfolio
includes Kilbeggan, Tyrconnell and Connemara.

"All the excitement is in America, where people were raised
on sweet drinks. Beer is bland and full of carbs. The next
generation is saying, 'Hey, this stuff (whiskey) has a
taste'. Just look at JD (Jack Daniel's, an American
whiskey) and Coke. Sweetness is what people want," he said.

Teeling said that Cooley is close to securing a deal that
will give it better distribution in America. "I hope to
have something for the shareholders' meeting, hopefully by
mid-November. We are also looking at revamping our
distribution in the UK and France." A deal can't come soon
enough. "We've been to the trough before and never drunk,"
said Teeling, which has identified South America, China,
Japan and India as long-term growth markets .

BACK at Fergie's, the proprietor says his suppliers keep
suggesting his bars promote whiskey with Coke or soda. So
far Carey has resisted. "My father always used to say,
'They spend years perfecting the stuff, so why would you
want to put anything else into it?'" "In America more
people probably choose whiskey for Irish pride, waving the
flag of their ancestors, as opposed to reasons of taste,"
he said.

Some 44m Americans claim Irish heritage — that gives Diageo
something to aim at.

----
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