Republican News · Thursday 14 February 2002

Sold a pup

A Chairde,

On first reading the report on the Policing Board's deliberations on the Omagh Inquiry, I believed that they had, by consensus, achieved a fair compromise. I thought that the SDLP had delivered as promised on Nuala O'Loan's principal recommendation to appoint an outside investigator to take over sole control of the inquiry. I believed that the Policing Board could and had overcome its inherent unionist bias and deliver consensus politics.

Closer reading belies this assumption. No matter how often they repeat it, this was not consensus but utter rout dressed up to look decent.

They caved in to unionist intransigence. Instead of appointing an independent outside assistant or deputy chief constable to the post they elevated Ronnie Flanagan's appointee and made him answerable to Ronnie. To apply some balance they agreed to a further appointment; an overseer who would not have overall operational control, but who would report back to the Board. This arrangement lacks the independence O'Loan deemed essential to the post. It lacks the power to be in control.

The directing hand of Ronnie Flanagan is clearly visible. Merseyside's Assistant Chief Constable Philip Jones, nominated by Flanagan, has been installed in control, but in the eventuality that he does find something to report he is shackled to the failed McArthur of the present investigation, as a co-equal. With all the practice those leading the current investigation have in stalling, mislaying, misleading, subverting and covering up, I doubt that this further appointment can add transparency. Hence the need to engage a quality assurance man.

This is a post without teeth, a sop to buy SDLP assent. They have been sold a pup. They have been intimidated by unionist intransigence into accepting much less than they clearly stated they needed to give credibility to the Omagh Investigation. There was no way the unionist members of the Board were going to give credibility to any Catholic, not even to an English Catholic, criticising their police or their Chief of Police, Sir Ronnie Flanagan.

No, as I see it now, the unanimous decision of the Policing Board was not consensus, but concession and abdication in the face of raw power. It was not a fair deal for the people of Omagh, It was dictated by the politics of the Board and the desire of the SDLP to make it look like that they booked a winner. This Policing Board cannot deliver consensus. It is unionist driven.

Eamonn McGurk,
Belfast

Support the referendum

A Chairde,

The provisions of the Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy, 2002 provide a clever and unique mechanism for the protection of unborn children s lives and for the clarification in law of a doctors right and duty to give pregnant women all necessary medical treatment required when their lives are in danger (even where this may result in the loss of the unborn child's life).

This is a truly progressive means of dealing with the abortion question, respecting both the abortion question, respecting both mothers and babies lives in a sincere and compassionate manner. It is for this reason that I will be supporting the amendment.

Siobhan Ní Aodha,
Galway

Abortion is not the answer

A Chairde,

Your mother is 90 years old and in the advanced stages of Alzheimers. She's incontinent, unintelligible and relies on you absolutely for her every need. You're struggling to look after her with no family support. You're frightened by the enormity of the responsibility and feel increasingly lonely and depressed.

What's the answer to your difficulties? Is it to seek that your doctor administer a lethal injection to your mother? Or rather, is it to be provided by support, from your family, from your friends and from the State?

Similarly, abortion is not the answer to the threat of suicide.

Help and support is.

Tabitha Wood,
Barrister at Law,
Law Library, Four Courts,
Dublin 7

Ógra website

A Chairde,

Ógra Shinn Féin has always been at the forefront of revolutionary action and has consistently embraced the future of struggle. In keeping with this tradition, a new website has been launched to promote Ógra and inform and educate activists and supporters.

The site is a valuable resource for any young republicans, detailing upcoming events, press releases and articles on Ógra's beliefs and objectives.

yone interested in helping to maintain the site should send an e-mail to ograsf@xmail.com. Articles, reports from Ógra events, pictures and anything else suitable are welcome.

The website can be accessed at: http://www.ogra.150m.com.

Morgan Fraser,
Ógra Shinn Féin,
Monaghan

Information on Tan War Volunteer

A Chairde,

I am researching for an article about members of the old IRA who came from Liverpool and I am having difficulties with regards to one such member, John Whelan (Sean Phelan).

I understand that John Whelan was born in Liverpool of Irish parents and went to Ireland around 1919 when he joined the IRA. He was killed in the Upton station ambush, the event covered in the well known song, 'The lonely woods of Upton'.

If you would be kind enough to publish this letter, perhaps some of your readers will be able to provide information through your letters page or directly to me at the address below regarding John Whelan's background. I am seeking information such as his date of birth, old pictures of him, any newspaper articles written about him, any surviving relatives in Liverpool or Britain, place of burial, etc, and any other details giving John Whelan real substance.

y information of this nature will be very much appreciated. An Phoblacht is on sale in Liverpool so if anything is published I will be able to read it myself. Thanking you in anticipation.

Sean Mc Hale,
6, Elswick Street,
Cockburn Street,
Liverpool 8
England
Tel. 0151 222 539

Reply to Professor Paul Stewart

A Chairde,

Professor Stewart (Mála Poist, 31 January) should take heart. Even the grindingly slow process of British justice is now acknowledging information long known in Ireland, and drawing conclusions which approximate at long last to justice for victims of British injustice.

A political process is now in motion which will inexorably lead to an independent and united Ireland. Of that there is no doubt.

There are still rocky paths ahead but they all lead in the same direction, British disengagement in Ireland. Hang on in there, Professor. If you are under 65, you will be at that party in Dublin celebrating Ireland's independence. You will see Gerry Adams as President of a united Ireland.

My 13xgreat grandfather, Sir Anthony St. Leger (a lawyer), was the Lord Deputy in Ireland in the 16th century who devised the policy which brought Ireland under the Crown. In a letter to King Henry VIII, he describes the celebrations in the Pale when the Act was passed: "...and there were great feastinges in their howses and a goodly sort of gunnes".

I live in hope that I will get an invitation to the great party in Dublin reversing that policy, and hear the brave old souls of the Movement firing their own 'goodly sort of gunnes'into the air to greet the freedom they and and generations before them fought and died for.

Take heart, Professor, that day is en avant.

Moya St. Leger