Republican News · Thursday 11 April 2002

The Castlereagh raid was an inside job. Whatever the purpose behind it, the attacks on republicans by the Special Branch, the spooks and their uniformed agencies are part of a smokescreen to divert attention from the real culprits and a means of attacking and undermining the peace process."

Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly last Friday, 5 April, following the arrest of a number of republicans.

 

On the experience to date - the Special Branch frustration of the Ombudsman's report into the Omagh bombing, the failure to take on the UDA, the role of Special Branch agents within the UDA in the pogrom against Catholics and in the killing of William Stobie before Christmas, and now the targeting of republicans and our families - nationalists and republicans can with justification assert that there is no difference between the RUC and the PSNI.

Gerry Kelly again.

 

When I got my orders I was shocked: 'Every Arab that is about to throw a stone, shoot him.' They didn't even leave us room to decide when there is a life-threatening situation or just a protest with a few stones. That is when I notified my commanding officers. I told them next time they should find someone else.

Israeli reservist Yishai Sagi, who was jailed for refusing to take part in operations in Palestinian territory. Over 400 reservists have signed a petition refusing to take part.

 

They have put men, women and children from their homes. They keep bombing us from helicopters. There is no water and there is no milk to give the children. There are many dead here. I don't know how many. They will not allow the ambulances to come... We have not been able to sleep for more than an hour a night for five days. The noise and fear are just too terrible.

Abul Labe, a businessman on the edge of the Jenin camp in the West Bank, describes the effect of the Israeli offensive, The Guardian, Monday, 8 April.

 

Ireland should use its influence to prevent Western countries from providing money and technology to a government and army pursuing morally unacceptable policies based on theories of racial superiority that should have perished with the defeat of fascism

Sunday Business Post editorial castigating Israel's war on Palestine, 7 April.

 

Fine Gael people secretly adored Jack Lynch, and still believe he 'saved the state', because he preferred to watch Irish citizens in belfast being murdered and burned in their homes than to order a rescue effort that might destabilise the republic.

Seán Mac Cárthaigh, The Sunday Business Post, 7 April.

 

The failure of the minister to implement this programme of work in garda stations is in stark contrast to his enthusiasm for installing CCTV cameras on main streets.

Liam Herrick of the Irish Council for Civil liberties criticises Justice Minister John O'Donoghue's delays in installing video recording of interviews in garda stations, The Irish Times, Monday 8 April.

 

Whilst many experts would argue that paedophilia has no connection to enforced celibacy, what remains certain as of today is that the 'gift' of priestly celibacy is under lay scrutiny as never before. What is also crystal clear is that as much as the crimes themselves, it has been the, at best, insensitive handling of the crimes by Church authorities at every level up to the Vatican that has angered, dismayed or puzzled both the faithful and the non-faithful alike.

Paddy Agnew, The Irish Times, Monday 8 April.