Issue 149, Saoirse: Irish Freedom (September, 1999)

              uimh149 mean f6mhair — september 1999 50p usa 1 eve of all peland pally for a british withdrawal 6<?0 dublin prominent speakers in her statement on the provisionals ceasefire on august 26 mo mowlam british direct-ruler in the six counties admitted firstly that the provisionals had killed charles bennett at the end of july and secondly that they were also involved in the attempt to import arms from florida these were breaches of the ceasefire she said but there was not a sufficient basis to conclude that it had broken down most commentators regarded this threadbare attempt to conceal the provisionals military operations as giving them a free hand to do whatever they wished as long as they did not attack the british army british colonial police ruc or british government installations the arms which the provos had attempted to import were mainly handguns - not likely to be used against british forces but rather against members of the nationalist population especially those who disagree with them politically new weapons with no ballistic history would facilitate the provisional policy of no claim no blame as they enforce the queen's peace in their own community no wonder the british government and ulster unionists like ken maginnis don't object to the provos inclusion in the review of the agreement for them it is the wise thing to do the provisionals response to mo mowlam's cover-up for them was to expel five young nationalists from the six counties under pain of death if they failed to comply us senator mitchell is due to commence a rescue mission • the real face of british rule in deny on august 14 for the process on september 6 it is not clear if the uup will participate while ken maginnis wants the provisionals in john taylor takes the opposite view maginnis's stance underlines the fact that the provos are so necessary to the current process - now seen to be on its last legs - that they can do whatever they like except attack the british crown forces republican sinn fein poses the question is the process to be fed with the lives of ruc members attack a nationalist during disturbances at the apprentice boys parade underprivileged members of the nationalist community taken by the provos - as we have seen in recent weeks equally the british and the loyalists have taken or have stood over the taking of the lives of other nationalists eg human rights lawyer rosemary nelson and grandmother elizabeth o'neill are the taking of such lives and the hundreds of attacks on nationalist homes with pipe bombs blast-bombs petrol bombs together with the forcible expulsion of hundreds of nationalist families all to be disregarded by london and dublin so that the process can totter on at what stage does the price become too high will it be when it is extended beyond the beleaguered nationalist community the brutality of the british forces towards the residents of the lower ormeau road on august 14 reminds us that the ruc - currently trying to develop closer links with the 26-county police - is part of the problem in the six counties and not part of the solution meanwhile the bundoran hunger strike commemoration at the end of august was a huge success see pages 8-9 inside attempts in 1998 to end this annual tribute to the memory of the hunger strikers and their sacrifices has been shown in 1999 to have failed miserably regardless of the state of the current process - whether it continues to totter on or collapses completely - the republican movement continues on its path despite all obstacles cull-tymon memorial unveiling new date for unveiling of arigna co roscommon memorial to seamuscull and patrick tymon is sunday september 19