Republican News · Thursday 28 November 2002

Traitors, turkeys and tensions

BY LAURA FRIEL

Nigel Dodds had no trouble adopting Sinn Féin speak when predicting the imminent demise of the UUP. "Their day has gone. Our day has come," he proclaimed

Ian Paisley is beset with enemies. Speaking to his party's annual conference last weekend, Paisley was hard pressed to decided which to prioritise. High on his list is republicanism, that "blood-soaked murderous beast".

d then there's Catholicism, where "priestly absolution is held out to the doer of every deed of blood in the furtherance of a united Ireland".

For Paisley, a Taig and Fenian is just as inextricably linked in his nightmare as Sinn Féin/IRA. Republicans are "monsters" because they "have swallowed and imbibed the devilish principles of the Jesuits".

d then there's David Trimble and the UUP "destroying the Union and making Ulster the mere plaything of Dublin and the republican elements of the British Labour Party".

Trimble in his "green tinted glasses" is peddling false principles and "that atrocious falsehood, miscalled the Peace Process". For Paisley's party colleague, Edwin Poots, Trimble is a turkey, "flapping about without ever getting off the ground" and distinct from the festive fowl in only one respect; Trimble lacks sufficient wit to avoid voting for Christmas.

Meanwhile, Paisley was branding Trimble a liar and according to the Bible, Paisley warned, there is no place for such people in the Kingdom of God. As one journalist put it, "as far as Dr Paisley was concerned Mr Trimble has few prospects in this life or the next".

Of course, Paisley isn't beyond bending the truth to suit his own agenda. In his speech he blatantly cited current levels of violence without mentioning the uncomfortable fact that the vast majority is emanating from the unionist community in support of the DUP's anti-Agreement agenda.

Paisley can trust no one. Ahern is forging chains to thrust upon "the men and women, boys and girls" of Ulster and Blair and Trimble are colluding in their manufacture. The British government is pushing "the Agreement down the throats of true democrats" who are expected to "bend the knee" to "the IRA fascist agenda".

It's a terrifying vision of hell, in which everyone is either in league with the devil or prey to devilish temptation. Ever vigilant on behalf of "our glorious dead, chilled with the cries of mothers and fathers, wives and husbands and children mourning their loved ones", Paisley can't even trust members of his own party.

"Any member of the DUP who would enter into dialogue, communication or making bargains with Sinn Féin would be looked upon by the DUP as a traitor," Paisley told a BBC journalist in an interview on his way to his party's conference.

Salvation comes only through rejection, the rejection of change, the rejection of compromise and the rejection of peace itself. "There can be no peaceful future for us," Paisley tells his party colleagues, until the enemies of Ulster are "put forever in the cage of destruction and death".

d Paisley can "hear the marching of an army stronger and greater than anything our enemies can produce", an army that will "pay the price" and engage in "a battle to the death". Of course, this is partly rhetorical nonsense, but Paisley has never been averse to evoking violent unionism.

Paisley wields the weapons of the fundamentalist preacher but in the service of the wily politician prepared to reap the rewards of violent unionist paramilitarism without shouldering the responsibility. If Trimble is the liar, then surely Paisley is the hypocrite.

Failure to recognise the DUP's electoral mandate would be a treacherous betrayal of democracy. But according to the DUP, to acknowledge Sinn Féin's electoral mandate by even as much as "entering into dialogue" is to become a 'traitor'.

But despite the heady blend of vintage Paisley, the DUP couldn't completely disguise the contradiction that lies at the heart of their posturing. This contradiction Paisley fears; why else the talk of 'traitors' within the ranks, but which Peter Robinson acknowledges?

The DUP bases its legitimacy upon its rising electoral strength. The UUP have shown themselves to be "cheats and frauds, deceivers, pretenders and impostors", said Peter Robinson, and they will be punished by the unionist electorate.

The DUP hopes to emerge as the majority unionist party in the next election and such a mandate they believe will enable them to wield greater political power, otherwise how can there be 'democracy'? Sinn Féin is already the largest nationalist party in the North and the next election should merely strengthen that position and the DUP know that.

"The realities we will face now seem inescapably to include the rise of Sinn Féin/IRA to the dominant position in nationalism," Robinson told the conference, but "facing up to that unpalatable fact does not alter how we consider that organisation".

As "true democrats", the DUP hope to utilise their increased electoral mandate to disenfranchise Sinn Féin's electoral mandate. And here's the crux of it. Failure to recognise the DUP's electoral mandate would be a treacherous betrayal of democracy.

But according to the DUP, to acknowledge Sinn Féin's electoral mandate by even as much as "entering into dialogue" is to become a 'traitor'. So much for democracy, equality and parity of esteem.

In his 76th year, Paisley's unflinching resolve to hold onto the past is undermined by the inescapable fact that the future will be left for others to determine. And, even amongst Paisley's most trusted lieutenants, pragmatist recognition of inevitable change, however begrudging, is already replacing fundamentalist, no-surrender rejectionism.

Tensions among unionist paramilitaries

The dynamic of this process, seen within the emerging contradictions of unionism's political arena, is also evidenced in increasing tensions within violent unionism. Amongst unionist paramilitaries, internecine feuding has become a major preoccupation. Despite repeated attempts to secure a sustainable truce, tensions both between and within groups are persistently rising to the surface.

Tensions between different factions within the UDA precipitated the hasty removal of six families from the lower Shankill last Thursday. Amongst those forced to flee was a senior member of the UDA, William 'Winkie' Dodds, and his family. Interestingly, the families left the Shankill under armed guard by the PSNI.

Dodds claimed that he was being forced out by Johnny Adair. Once close colleagues, Adair and Dodds appeared together at Drumcree and more recently at the wedding of Dodds' daughter during the summer. Both Adair and Dodds, together with John White, were appointed by the UDA to meet General John de Chastelain. Dodds has been connected to the 1989 killing of solicitor Pat Finucane.

Six weeks ago, Adair and White were expelled from the UDA following Adair's role in precipitating a recent outbreak of feuding involving the LVF. Tension between Adair and Dodds began after Adair targeted Dodds' brother-in-law, William 'Mugsy' Mullan, in a row over money.

Dodds said he had been forced by Adair to flee from the North six weeks ago and returned only after Adair continued to target his family. "This is the second time Johnny Adair has ripped the heart out of the Shankill Road," said Dodds.

Amongst around 50 unionist paramilitaries who turned out to move the families from the Shankill to White City were UDA leader John Greg and senior loyalists Ahab Shoukri, Tommy Kirkham, Frankie Gallagher and Sammy Duddy.

John White dismissed allegations of Adair's involvement as "mischievous lies" and an attempt to "marginalise myself and Johnny".

Tensions within the UDA are also surfacing within Maghaberry jail, as a power struggle for command of UDA prisoners emerged between a senior figure within North Belfast, Andre Shoukri, and a close associate of Adair, Gary Smith.

Meanwhile, a leading member of the LVF, linked to the sectarian murder and mutilation of Castlewellan teenage Catholic James Morgan in 1997, is believed to have been behind a shooting incident last weekend. A man was blasted in the face with a shotgun following an earlier row in a pub.