Irosh Oemociuc October/November 2000 Connolly Association: campaigning for a united and independent Ireland ISSN 0021-1125 60p Further radical Republicanism Cork's changes needed in the new forgotten to Police Bill century history >N Page 5 Page 7 / ; r . _ \ Page 12 END THE C COLLUSION ALLEGATIONS Democrat reporter IN RECENT weeks the government has been forced to take draconian measures in an attempt to stem a steady flow of damaging revelations concerning allegations of collusion between the secret British security forces and loyalist terror gangs. The revelations focus on the activities of the shadowy army intelligence outfit, the Force Research Unit (FRU), whose activities are at the heart of the third Stevens inquiry into allegations of collusion. On 22 September The Sunday People failed in the High Court to overturn a government gagging order preventing the paper from publishing further details concerning allegations that high-ranking intelligence officers were among those under investigation for "orchestrating dozens of loyalist killings". The paper had previously revealed collusion between the FRU and loyalists in the murder of Francisco Notorantonio, a pensioner and father of 11, who was shot dead by the Ulster Freedom fighters in 1987. The FRU stands accused of passing on disinformation, though loyalist informers suggesting that Mr Pat Flnucane's widow Geraldine, the couple's daughter Katherlne and the solicitor's brother Martin met British prime minister Tony Blair In September and Notorantonio was a senior IRA figure. reiterated their call for an Independent public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the solicitor's murder According to the paper, Mr Notorantonio was set up in an attempt to about to question around 30 former FRU prime minister had "a moral journalist detailed information about his the Director of Public Prosecutions deflect attention from a high-placed IRA operatives about the unit's activities. responsibility" to the family. 'Tony Blair role as a state agent and his part in the reduced the charge against Stobie from informer whose life was in danger after The latest revelations and government has under his control all the answers to Finucane killing. murder to aiding and procuring. being identified as a target by loyalists. gagging efforts have also added fuel to the questions we have raised," he said Last year Mulholland, who is now a This has also led to concerns that a The action against The Sunday long-standing calls for an independent During the meeting, Mr Blair gave an Northern Ireland Office press officer, deal similar to the one which saw People is one of a long-running series of judicial inquiry into the circumstances assurance that he would examine all the agreed to speak to the Stevens inquiry another double agent, Brian Nelson, legal attempts by the government to surrounding the 1989 murder by loyalists evidence and allow an inquiry if he team. The information provided resulted convicted on lesser charges to prevent prevent details emerging of collaboration of the Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane. found that there were grounds for one. in Stobie's arrest. damaging information about collusion between British intelligence services and The case for an inquiry was made He also promised to ensure that any Shortly before Mulholland had coming to light, was being brokered loyalist terror gangs. directly to the British prime minister in members of the security forces found to himself admitted to a psychiatric hospital behind the scenes. Both Ed Moloney of the Irish Sunday September when members of the be involved with the Finucane murder Tribune and Liam Clarke of The Sunday Finucane family met Tony Blair in would be dealt with severely. The Times have had similar run-ins with the Downing Street. security forces are expected to fight hard public meeting government over the case of the FRU "We were very strong in putting to prevent an inquiry taking place. agent and Ulster Defence Association forward the allegations of security force So far, only one person, William the peace process and policing intelligence officer Brian Nelson who collusion," said Geraldine Finucane, the Stobie, a former RUC Special Branch Thursday October 12,7:30pm was convicted on five counts of murdered solicitor's widow, after their agent and UDA quartermaster, has been Irish Centre conspiracy to murder in 1992. meeting. charged in connection with the Finucane Blacks Road, Hammersmith Broadway, London W6 Clarke, who has had extensive access "This case goes beyond who pulled murder. Stobie has admitted to procuring to a former member of the FRU, is the trigger and our primary aim has not the weapon used to kill Finucane. Speakers: currently facing the threat of charges been to find the killer but the people However, key prosecution witness Jeremy Corbyn MP (Labour), Pat Doherty under the Official Secrets Act, as is his behind this who sanctioned my Neil Mulholland recently signed himself informant whose pseudonym is Martin husband's death and allowed it to into a psychiatric hospital, leading to (Sinn F6in vice president and Nl Assembly member), Ingram. happen." speculation that the case against Stobie is Jlprenda Callaghan (Belfast and District TUC), In a bizarre twist, Ingram is One critical question which remains about to collapse. Daltun O'Ceallalgh (author and trade unionist) understood to be co-operating with the unanswered is how far up information In 1990, afraid that he was being set Chair: Owen Cook, Hammersmith and Fulham TUC ongoing Steven's inquiry, which is now in about collusion between the security up by his RUC handlers, Stobie possession of thousands of relevant secret forces and loyalist killers went. contacted The Sunday Life newspaper Bookstall • lieomod intelligence documents handed over by Commenting after the meeting, and asked to speak to a journalist. Passed the army's commanding officer in the Martin Finucane, the murdered on to Mulholland, who was then north, Sir Hew Pike. The inquiry team is solicitor's brother, said that the British working on the paper, he gave the Page 3 Irish Democrat October/November 2000 Irish Democrat October/November 2000 Page 5 News News constitutional cases surprised some Iwsh OemocMt WORLD COMMENT Family calls for Immediate action A progressive schooling In Dublin listeners with a commentary on Ireland's Founded 1939 Volume 55, Number 5 relation to the EU which was somewhat by Poiiticus careers. The review board decision outside the home and for men to be able less critical of its direction than his McBRIDE CAMPAIGN GREAVES SCHOOL The whole Patten followed a high-profile campaign led by to take a more active role in parenting advocacy had earlier suggested. Democrat reporter senior military and establishment figures and homemaking. The second part of the 'Globalisation' THE GOVERNMENT'S position on the Police Bill is so at Nick Wright Sinn Fdin Cavan/Monaghan TD and the Daily Mail. agenda seems to have been completely Caoimghfn O Caolain expressed sharp variance with the careful deliberations of the Patten commission of the globe PROTESTS TOOK place in several In September 1999, the Northern SPEAKING AT the twelfth Desmond forgotten." criticism of Bertie Ahern's government. recommendations on police reform as to beggar belief, a point ably cities around the world in early Ireland High Court ruled that the army's Greaves Summer School in Dublin John Family friendly policies are often a He condemned the decision to enter GLOBALISATION IS the ideology of September as part of an international decision to reinstate Fisher and Wright illustrated by professor Paddy Hillyard elsewhere in this edition. Maguire, UCC sociology professor and synonym for schemes which compel NATO's Partnership for Peace without a today's giant transnational firms. week of action coinciding with the had been an "error of judgement" . author of Defending Neutrality, men and women to spend more time in referendum as promised by Ahem. Like all ideologies it purports to When considering the list of those backing Patten's anniversary of the death of 18-year-old The court ordered the review board to contrasted the values and gains of the the paid labour force with children Reflecting on the next election, describe things as they are. At the same recommendations, ranging from top academics to the President of Belfast-man Peter McBnde, who was meet again to review its decision. Over peace process in Ireland with the rendered more vulnerable to consumerist which some commentators suggest time it suggests that that is how they the USA — not to mention both US presidential candidates, the US murdered by two British soldiers in one year later, this has still not happened. paradox of the Irish government's pressure. would make Sinn Fein a possible should be. It aims to act as a mental 1992. As part of the week of protest, support for the unsanctioned aggression House of Representatives the Catholic Church, the Irish Green MEP Patricia McKenna coalition partner he said the growing bludgeon, inducing passivity in face of In addition to Derry and Belfast, McBride's mother Jean, pictured right, against Yugoslavia. sharply criticised President Mary housing crisis, staff shortages in the anti-human and anti-democratic government and human rights groups — it is easy to forget the protests took place in London, New and representatives of the Pat Finucane The United Nations needs defending McAlleese for her transformation from public services arising from the rigidities economic and political trends. desires and legitimate aspirations of the 43 per cent of the York, Sydney and in the European Centre travelled to London to hand in a against the encroachments of NATO he leading opponent to the 1987 Single of the pay accord and education The implicit message is that one must population of the north who've born the brunt of discrimination parliament.