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November 13, 2006

Adams Not Deflected by Threats

News About Ireland & The Irish

BB 11/13/06 Adams 'Not Deflected' By Threats
BT 11/13/06 Republicans Must Win Battle On Policing
BN 11/13/06 Govt Knew Of Threats To SF Leaders - Ahern
RT 11/13/06 Sinn Féin Committed To Peace: Hain
GU 11/13/06 Sticking Points Remain As Ulster Deadline Looms
BB 11/13/06 PSNI Plans For Civilian Officers
BT 11/13/06 Hain Inquiry Decision To Be Decided By Hain
IN 11/13/06 Photographer Covered Worst Of Derry Troubles
IN 11/13/06 Killing Of Teenagers Had Impact On Future MP
IN 11/13/06 Bogside A War Zone When Shootings Happened
IN 11/13/06 Sr SF Leader’s IRA Role No Secret Says Party
BN 11/13/06 Survey: Irish Motorists Guilty Of Tailgating

(Poster’s Note: See ‘Killing of Teenagers’ story for 1972 picture
of Martin McGuinness in IRA Uniform. Jay)

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6142470.stm

Adams 'Not Deflected' By Threats

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has said his party will not
be deflected from "doing the right thing", even if members'
lives are under threat.

There are concerns that senior members of Sinn Fein could
be attacked by dissident republicans.

Police have already warned of a major attack by dissidents
to try and derail efforts to restore the NI devolution.

Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Gerry Kelly have now
increased their security, republican sources have said.

The Real and Continuity IRA have branded Sinn Fein as
traitors, as both dissident groups are against republicans
supporting the police.

Mr Adams said party members would continue to work to
achieve progress despite the threats.

"I won't allow it, and none of us will allow it, to deflect
ourselves from continuing the work we were elected to do,"
he said.

"This is disturbing for our families and for those who are
close to us. But we have a task to do and we will prevail."

'Nothing to offer'

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said those who made
the threats had nothing to offer society.

"We have seen fire bomb attacks and other incidents and
threats of this kind," he said.

"Those committed to the path of stability, peace and
democracy as the Sinn Fein leaders are - and as they have
shown they are determined to be to take Northern Ireland
into permanent stability with peace locked in - are
obviously, like the rest of us, the targets for
dissidents."

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2006/11/13 08:47:58 GMT
© BBC MMVI

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=714171

Republican Top Brass Must Win Battle On Policing

Security writer Brian Rowan assesses the Sinn Fein
leadership death threat.

13 November 2006

It is a threat assessment that seems to be based on
republican intelligence – not something that has come from
the police.

The story began to emerge last night – a story of increased
republican security around Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness
and Gerry Kelly – increased security because of a concern
that there is a threat to their lives.

And what is the fear? That republican dissidents or
disaffected members of the mainstream IRA could use the
policing issue to target the Sinn Fein leadership.

But would they dare?

When the chief constable warned recently of an increased
dissident threat, this is not what was on his mind.

We have seen the type of dissident activity Sir Hugh Orde
was thinking and talking about – incendiary attacks on
stores, a shoot-and-run attack on a police station, the
bomb at the roadside that was abandoned when it failed to
explode.

The Special Branch knows much about the dissident groups.
They have their informers inside them – but there is no
police information on this suggested threat to the most
senior figures in the Sinn Fein leadership.

"We haven't served anything on them," a security source
told the Belfast Telegraph, meaning the PSNI have not
delivered any written warnings – something they must do if
they have any information relating to any threat.

"This is a Sinn Fein assessment of the threat," the source
continued.

That is what it seems to be – something that the republican
radar has picked up, something that we are told is being
treated "seriously".

Part of the telling of this story is that the British and
Irish governments are aware of how serious the situation
is.

They know because Sinn Fein has told them. There is no
other information in the system on the suggested threat to
the Adams-McGuinness-Kelly leadership.

But because there is no information, does that mean there
is no threat? No it doesn't.

After revealing himself as a British Agent, Denis Donaldson
clearly believed it was safe to live in Ireland. It was
not. Someone decided to take his life. So, there is still a
threat of some description out there.

Writing in this newspaper recently, I said that the
policing issue within republicanism presented the
dissidents with a last chance to raise a rallying flag of
sorts.

This is the most difficult issue of all for republicans –
the issue of support for and participation in policing.

It is so difficult because for the period of the "war" the
police were the enemy.

Now, in the politics of the peace that Adams-McGuinness-
Kelly leadership is being asked to create a situation in
which Sinn Fein joins the various policing boards and young
republicans join the PSNI.

"I think they are getting a rough ride," a security source
observed.

I think he is right, and right too in his assessment that
republicans will "lose" people on this issue. Indeed,
already, there are suggestions of some resignations from
the IRA.

But what does all of this add up to? It adds up to what we
expected. A difficult debate within republicanism – on a
bigger issue than ceasefires, and decommissioning and
ending the armed campaign, and an issue that has been
further complicated by the introduction of MI5 and national
security.

Will republicans get through it? The simple answer is they
have to. There is no way through to the political endpoint
suggested in the St Andrews Agreement unless republicans
first settle the policing question – settle it first in the
negotiations that are continuing with the Government and
then settle it within and across the republican movement.

We know this is going to be an issue for a special Sinn
Fein ard fheis or party conference, but we don't yet know
when that will happen.

My assessment hasn't changed. I believe the Adams-
McGuinness-Kelly leadership will win the debate, but I have
always said that they need to win it convincingly.

The margin of victory is what is important, because if it
is achieved with significant support then that last
rallying flag of the dissidents will fall.

I still believe the dissident "war" ended in Omagh. Yes, of
course, they are capable of doing the things we have seen
in recent days and weeks – burning stores, shooting at
police stations and trying to get a bomb to explode, but
for what purpose?

Unless the policing issue splits the republican movement,
and unless the dissidents can produce a credible
alternative leadership to Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness
and Gerry Kelly, then they are going nowhere.

And the Sinn Fein president won't allow policing to split
the movement. That is why he is taking his time on this
issue. It is why the special ard fheis has not yet been
called. The leadership is still assessing the mood.

The most senior figures in the IRA are with the Sinn Fein
leadership in this peace project. They may lose people, but
they will not lose the debate or the vote when it comes.

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http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/11/13/story284937.html?rss=yes

Govt Knew Of Threats To Sinn Féin Leaders - Ahern

13/11/2006 - 10:37:41

The Taoiseach has confirmed that the government is aware of
threats to Sinn Féin leaders over the party’s likely change
in policy on policing in the North.

Bertie Ahern has said there are always certain factions who
will try to destabilise processes to which they are
opposed.

Such threats are not unusual according to Mr Ahern.

"Those who are against political progress, people who are
against seeing resolution to intractable problems
invariably look to how they can destabilise it in one way
or the other.

"I’m afraid the small groups of militant dissidents who
just have a difficulty with moving on from the past
obviously have been contemplating that here too", said the
Taoiseach.

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http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1113/northpolitics.html?rss

Sinn Féin Committed To Peace: Hain

13 November 2006 11:30

Dissident republicans are trying to undermine plans for
power sharing in Northern Ireland, according to Northern
Ireland Secretary Peter Hain.

After it emerged that senior Sinn Féin leaders have had to
enhance their personal security measures after dissident
republican threats, Mr Hain said he was certain the party's
leadership was committed to achieving peace and stability.

'They (the dissident republicans) do not want a power-
sharing executive running with all parties committed to
supporting police and the rule of law,' he said.

'That is where the dissidents are at. We have seen firebomb
attacks and other incidents and threats of this kind.

'I do not know the specifics of this, but what I do know is
that there are those committed to the path of stability and
peace and democracy as Sinn Féin's leaders are.'

The first important deadline facing the parties will be on
24 November, when DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin's
Martin McGuiness are due to be appointed in the Northern
Ireland Assembly as Shadow of First and Deputy First
Ministers.

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http://politics.guardian.co.uk/northernirelandassembly/story/0,,1946704,00.html&cid=0&ei=UmVYRbaTIrLsae2xzeQM

Sticking Points Remain As Ulster Deadline Looms

Staff and agencies
Monday November 13, 2006
Guardian Unlimited

Officials in London and Dublin are wrestling with the exact
formula of words to be used as a swearing-in oath to enable
Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness to take up their posts as
first minister and deputy first minister of Northern
Ireland next week.

The sticking point is policing - the issue which bedevilled
the recent peace talks in St Andrews - with next Friday's
date for an oath ceremony at risk of slipping.

In the final stages of the intricate process for power-
sharing set out by the St Andrews agreement, the Democratic
Unionists are insisting the oath includes commitments to
support the police and the rule of law, while Sinn Féin is
demanding a definite date be set for the future handover of
policing powers from Westminster to Stormont.

The behind-the-scenes row comes in the wake of reports at
the weekend that Mr Adams and other senior Sinn Féin
figures had to boost their personal security measures after
threats from hardline dissident republicans over the
party's likely acceptance of the new Police Service of
Northern Ireland.

Dr Paisley's son, Ian Paisley Junior, who is on the DUP's
policing board, warned the timetable for devolution was
being adversely altered because of the failure of Sinn Féin
to call on its members and supporters to endorse and
embrace the Police Service of Northern Ireland like other
parties in the assembly.

"There is nowhere left to run on this issue," he warned.

"If they expect to convince people in Northern Ireland they
are no longer engaged in a subversive campaign designed to
destroy the state and have instead turned to the pursuit of
their agenda through exclusively peaceful and democratic
means then support for and working with the police will be
evident from Sinn Féin.

"Decision time for republicans has arrived."

Sinn Féin has been alarmed by comments emanating from the
DUP's North Belfast MP, Nigel Dodds, that the transfer of
policing powers to the devolved assembly may take "a
generation".

Mr Adams said that Sinn Féin had "no problem" signing up to
"accountable civic depoliticised policing".

But he added he was still not in a position to recommend to
his national executive that there should be a special party
conference to debate changes to its policing policy.

"We are still working very hard and over the weekend I was
involved in further efforts to achieve delivery," the West
Belfast MP confirmed.

"When it is very clear that we have delivery on the
outstanding issues of policing I intend to go to the ard
chomhairle (national executive) to recommend that we call a
special ard fheis (party conference) on policing."

Sinn Féin wants a definite date for the transfer of
policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont
and they also want the DUP to agree to the type of
departmental model which will exercise those powers.

Next Friday's oath ceremony is the first step towards a
hoped-for power-sharing executive to be in place by next
March.

Both the London and Irish government's have threatened to
pull the plug on Stormont if the DUP and Sinn Féin cannot
agree terms on which to share power.

Under the original structure of the Good Friday agreement,
the largest unionist party and the largest nationalist
party are expected to take the roles of first minister and
deputy first minister.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6141798.stm

PSNI Plans For Civilian Officers

Police could soon be accompanied by civilian officers on
Northern Ireland's streets in an attempt to curb low-level
crime and anti-social behaviour.

The PSNI plans that uniformed Police Community Support
Officers (PCSOs) will be introduced following a public
consultation on policing issues.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Leighton said although they
would have limited powers, they would still be effective.

He said they were not intended to be a replacement for
reserve officers.

"It is envisaged that PCSOs will become part of our
Neighbourhood Policing Teams across Northern Ireland.

----
COMMUNITY SUPPORT OFFICERS
:: Salary up to £25,000
:: Role to support patrols, tackle anti-social behaviour; in
London to combat terrorism and reassure public
:: Uniformed, with a flat hat
:: Powers include issuing fixed penalties and ability to
detain people for 30 minutes
:: But no power of arrest
:: Three weeks training
----

"They will assist in the delivery of a first-class service
to the people of Northern Ireland, thereby helping to make
communities safer and reducing fear of crime."

DCC Leighton said prospective PSCOs would be subject to the
same vetting procedures as police officers.

"They will be managed by and fully accountable to district
commanders - they will work closely with neighbourhood
sergeants and constables who will determine their day-to-
day deployment," he said.

He was speaking as a delegation of PSCOs from Merseyside
and Lancashire Constabularies were in Northern Ireland for
a two-day visit.

He said he hoped to gain "a valuable insight into how they
are integrated into the police environment and the benefit
they bring to local communities".

Such schemes were introduced in England and Wales in late
2000. Earning up to £25,000 a year, PSCOs can issue fixed
penalties and can detain people for 30 minutes but have no
powers of arrest.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2006/11/13 06:46:28 GMT
© BBC MMVI

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=714167

Peter Hain Inquiry Decision To Be Decided By Peter Hain

By Chris Thornton
13 November 2006

Whitehall has washed its hands of an inquiry into how the
NIO misled the High Court - saying it's up to Peter Hain to
decide if there should be an investigation into Peter Hain.

The Cabinet Office said it won't be taking up a senior
judge's demand for an "immediate and searching inquiry at a
high level" into attempts to cover up the reasons for the
victims commissioner's appointment.

But SDLP Justice spokesman, MLA Alban Maginness, said it
was "ridiculous" to expect Mr Hain to judge whether the
case should go to an inquiry.

Mr Justice Girvan made the call for an inquiry last week
after finding that the two most senior civil servants in
Northern Ireland made "misleading" affidavits to a High
Court case.

He noted that Mr Hain had "read and sanctioned" the two
misleading statements, meaning his conduct during the
appointment of Victims Commissioner Bertha McDougall would
be a central concern for any inquiry.

The judge found that Mrs McDougall's appointment had been
an improper political concession to the DUP.

He also attacked the NIO's conduct during the case, saying
there had been a deliberate attempt to cover up the DUP's
role in the appointment, although he indicated the NIO's
actions should not be a reflection on Mrs McDougall's work.

Mr Justice Girvan said Mr Hain, as the respondent in the
case, "failed in his duty of candour to the court" and had
tried "to divert attention from the true course of events".

But after reviewing the judgment, the Cabinet Office said
it would institute an inquiry.

"It is for the Secretary of State to decide how to address
issues raised in the judgment," a spokeswoman said.

"That's ridiculous," said Mr Maginness, a barrister. "He
would be a judge in his own cause, which goes against one
of the basic rules of natural justice.

"The judge in this case decided that NIO had behaved
improperly in the affidavits it provided to the court and
took great exception to that.

"He was very scathing. It should be up to the Government
generally to decide on an inquiry. If Peter Hain was going
to make a decision, would he take one in his own
interests?"

Mr Hain ruled out suspensions for the two civil servants,
NIO Permanent Secretary Jonathan Philips and the top civil
servant, Nigel Hamilton

His statement came in for particular criticism from the
judge, but he noted that Mr Hain "put him forward as the
proper person to explain the factual background" to the
appointment.

"One would have expected the Secretary of State who read
and sanctioned the affidavit to have taken steps to ensure
that it fully and accurately explained the situation," the
judge said.

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http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=540766

Photographer Covered Worst Days Of The Troubles In Derry

By Seamus McKinney

The family of the late Derry photographer Willie Carson is
to publish a new collection of their father’s work to
commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death from cancer.
Seamus McKinney reports

Now living in London with his wife and three children
Willie’s son, William, has been working on the new
collection, Derry Through the Lens: Refocus, for the past
four years.

The musician and freelance marketing specialist – who plays
bass guitar with Peter Cunah, whose song Things Can Only
Get Better topped the charts in 1994 – said the seeds for
the book were sown when his father was still alive.

The book goes on sale in bookshops from Thursday.

“[My father] did five or six local books but he always felt
they were a little bit small in scale and what he really
wanted was a large-format photographic book so the seeds of
this book were planted even back then,” Mr Carson jnr said.

In the last 10 years Mr Carson has been archiving the vast
numbers of photographs that his father took, many of which
were never published.

It was while preparing for an exhibition of his father’s
work in the mid 1990s that he found a photograph of Martin
McGuinness in full paramilitary uniform.

“I was always aware of them. We always knew those images
were there. They were ones we were very familiar with all
our lives really.

“The de facto ruling, if you like, on his part was given to
myself and Mary [William’s sister] in 1994. We were looking
at photographs for a new exhibition of his work.

“He saw us going through some images and he just said: ‘I
don’t want that one used.’ He felt it was just unhelpful
and served no positive purpose at a time when, in his own
words, everyone else had moved on,” he recalled.

Mr Carson said his father felt uncomfortable about using
the picture. But when the family decided to publish a new
collection of their father’s work this year, the subject
came up again.

“I felt I needed an update and that the only way I could
get that was by getting an update from the man himself
[Martin McGuinness] and that happened in August.

“He said it was not the case of provision as the photograph
belonged to my father’s estate but he acknowledged that he
was grateful for the opportunity to give a view on it. His
view was that it did not add any more to his clarification
in 2003 to the Saville Inquiry.”

The book includes a mixture of published and unpublished
pictures presented in chronological order from a banned
Civil Rights’ march in Derry in November 1968 right up
until shortly before Mr Carson snr passed away.

Text has been provided by the Carson family, who give
recollections of their father, as well as a preface by
retired bishop of Derry, Dr Edward Daly.

Derry songwriter Phil Coulter, a friend of the late
photographer, also provides his memories while author and
former journalist Garbhan Downey recalls his time working
with Willie.

Willie Carson

ONE of Northern Ireland’s best-known photographers, Willie
Carson died after a short battle with cancer on October 6
1996.

In the years immediately preceding his death, Mr Carson
worked as a photographer with The Irish News but previous
to that had worked with a variety of news outlets. His
weekly column in the Sunday World, ‘Wullie Wuz Here’ was
one of the most popular photo-columns of the day.

A native of Derry’s Brandywell area, he joined the Derry
Journal as a young man in 1945, eventually working his way
through the ranks to become head of sales and advertising.

Throughout his career he had a passionate interest in image
and photography and in 1968 decided to leave the permanent
job and start a career as a photographer. His new career
could not have come at a more significant time as 1968 also
marked the start of the Troubles.

In the years that followed Mr Carson gained a reputation
throughout the world of journalism for his professionalism
and ability as a press photographer. He covered every major
story in Derry from 1968 until his death just under 30
years later.

Always the complete professional, Willie’s approach to his
work was admired on both sides of the political divide and
he was able to move from nationalist to loyalist areas
without hindrance.

His son William said his father took great pride in his
work but some aspects left a lasting trace on his life. In
particular, he was greatly pained by having to cover
funerals of children killed in the Troubles.

“That was the downside. He told me the funerals of young
people almost made him give up photography but he believed
it was necessary that they be covered,” Mr Carson jnr said.

Willie Carson is survived by his wife, Oonagh and children
William, Mary, Catherine and Oonagh.

• Derry Through the Lens: Refocus will be published by
Guildhall Press priced £14.95 (softback) and £19.95
(hardback) at Derry’s Tower Museum at 7.30pm on Thursday.

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http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=540771

Killing Of Two Teenagers Had Deep Impact On Future MP

Willie Carson - Derry through the lens: Refocus

By Staff Reporter




• uniform: Martin McGuinness, right, pictured in 1972 when
he was 21, dressed in an IRA uniform at the funeral of
fellow IRA member and close friend Colm Keenan PICTURE:
William Carson, reproduced by permission of the Carson
family

THE Willie Carson picture of Martin McGuinness in military
uniform was taken at the funeral of two Derry teenagers
shot dead by the British army on March 14 1972.

Colm Keenan (19) and Eugene McGillan (18) were shot close
to Dove Gardens in Derry’s Bogside on the night that the
first Widgery Inquiry into Bloody Sunday ended.

Colm Keenan was a particularly close friend of the young
Martin McGuinness.

The future Sinn Fein MP was in the Bogside at the time and
has talked in the past about the deep impact the double
shooting had on him.

He helped lift Mr McGillan into an ambulance and then saw
his close friend Mr Keenan lying with a bullet wound to the
head.

While the teenagers were members of the IRA, mystery still
surrounds the exact circumstances of their deaths. They
were shot during an IRA gun battle but both the IRA and the
dead men’s families have always insisted that they were not
involved in the shooting.

In September 2002 former British army information officer
Colin Wallace gave details of the gun battle to the Saville
Inquiry sitting in London.

He claimed that on the last day of the inquiry a number of
lawyers and military who had been representing British
interests at the tribunal decided to go to the Bogside.

While it was denied by the witnesses, there were claims
that the group decided to go into the Bogside while at a
dinner marking the end of the inquiry.

On entering the Bogside they came under machine gun fire
close to Stanley’s Walk.

In the ensuing gun battle one of the party was shot in the
arm and subsequently had the limb amputated.

A month after the Wallace evidence, Soldier 1872 told
Saville he was the officer who was shot during the gun
battle.

While he was based in London at the time, the soldier said
he was sent to Coleraine for the Widgery Inquiry as part of
the British army’s legal team. The major said he went on
foot patrol with the Royal Green Jackets.

“The patrol I accompanied went to Stanley’s Walk where we
were ambushed and fired upon by a machine gun. The corporal
with us was badly wounded,” he told the Saville Inquiry.

“The patrol commander bashed down the door to a house and
took him inside. I recall the lady of the house being
initially upset at the intrusion but then tried to help.”

The former major said they took the injured corporal out of
the house to open ground where they again came under fire.

“I returned fire but was shot myself in my right arm.”

He said he was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital and on to Mill
Bank military hospital where efforts were made to save his
hand but it was amputated in November that year.

Soldier 1872 denied a claim by Colin Wallace that Mr
McGuinness was present during the gun battle. He said he
only saw “gun flashes and dim shadows”.

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http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=540778

Bogside Resembled A War Zone When Fatal Shootings Happened

By Staff Reporter

THE shooting of Colm Keenan and Eugene McGillan were the
20th and 21st deaths in Derry in 1972. Following Bloody
Sunday just two months earlier, Derry’s Bogside and Creggan
were very much the front line of a war being waged at his
height.

Both areas were still semi-no-go areas to British rule.
Police and army did make moves into the Bogside after
Bloody Sunday but the patrols were invariably met with
resistance.

The majority of those killed in the first three months of
1972 were Catholic civilians although the dead also
numbered two RUC men, a British army officer, a serving

UDR soldier, a former UDR soldier and a 16-year-old member
of the Official IRA, as well as Colm Keenan, immediate
right, and Eugene McGillan.

In the months after Bloody Sunday, Derry was at its
darkest. There appeared to be no moves to end the
spiralling violence as the city centre took on a landscape
which more resembled the war torn Middle East than it did a
provincial Irish city.

It is a matter of public record that Bloody Sunday proved a
huge recruitment incentive for the IRA. Hundreds of young
men joined the ranks of the Provos following the shooting
dead of 13 people in the Bogside.

In the two months following Bloody Sunday, support for the
IRA in Derry was perhaps at its highest.

Those two months saw daily military activity on the streets
of the city and throughout Northern Ireland.

Ulster Unionist John Taylor survived an assassination
attempt by the Official IRA.

By the end of March 1972, direct rule had been imposed and
the unionist-led Stormont government was prorogued.

It was against this background that the photograph of the
then 21-year-old Martin McGuinness was taken as a member of
a colour party providing a guard of honour at the funeral
of his friend Colm Keenan.

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http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=540781

Senior SF Leader’s IRA Role No Secret Says Party

By Staff Reporter

SINN Fein chief negotiator Martin McGuinness first openly
declared his membership of the Provisional IRA in 2001 when
he submitted his draft statement to the Saville Inquiry
into Bloody Sunday.

In the same year, at a private meeting, he also informed
the Bloody Sunday families that he intended revealing his
position in the IRA in 1972.

Mr McGuinness said in his draft statement: “On Bloody
Sunday I was the adjutant [second in command] of the Derry
command of the IRA.”

When he came to deliver his evidence in person at Derry’s
Guildhall in November 2003, the Derry man elaborated on his
role, telling Lord Saville that within two weeks of Bloody
Sunday he became leader of the IRA in Derry.

He told the inquiry that he initially joined the Official
IRA but after a few weeks switched to the Provisionals. He
said he joined the Provos approximately nine months before
the introduction of internment in August 1971.

In a supplementary statement, he said: “I have been

asked what the role and responsibilities of adjutant were.
Frankly I was not sure what an adjutant did.

“I was only 21 at the time and found myself in a position
and role that was not defined. In practice the role was to
maintain the integrity, discipline and structure of the
organisation.

“This was not a conventional army. A lot of the volunteers
were younger than me. There were very few older men. We
were inexperienced. My role was to ensure that the units
met regularly, that the organisation was properly
structured and that discipline was maintained.”

While unionist politicians consistently claimed Mr
McGuinness was an IRA member it was not until his evidence
to the Saville Inquiry that this was confirmed by the Sinn
Fein member.

He also told the Bloody Sunday Inquiry that he had left the
IRA in the mid 1970s.

Commenting on the release of the Willie Carson photograph,
a Sinn Fein spokesman said: “Martin McGuinness was a close
friend of Colm Keenan and indeed the Keenan family.

“Colm, along with his comrade Volunteer Eugene McGillan,
were murdered by British forces.

“The picture was taken at the funeral of Volunteer Colm
Keenan in March 1972. This was during the period in which
Martin McGuinness, giving evidence to the Bloody Sunday
Inquiry, said he was a member of the IRA. This is a matter
of public record.”

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

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/11/13/story284951.html?rss=yes

Survey Finds Irish Motorists Guilty Of Tailgating

13/11/2006 - 12:11:39

One in five Irish motorists are guilty of tailgating –
driving dangerously close to the vehicle in front.

(Poster’s note: The other 4 are the only cars on the road.
Jay)

A survey conducted by Uniroyal Tyres found that despite the
fact that tailgating is now a penalty point offence, many
drivers are still not leaving enough space to the car in
front.

In one 30 minute period, a total of 26 motorists were
observed tailgating, anything less than a two second gap is
deemed a tailgating offence.

----
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