Suspicion about the role of the British Crown forces in the 1998
Omagh bombing has increased after a PSNI Special Branch officer
was accused of making an anonymous warning of an attack in
advance of of the bombing.
![[Irish Republican News]](https://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/rn.gif) | ![[Irish Republican News]](https://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/harp.gif) |
December 29, 2004
Special Branch man questioned on Omagh warning
Peace efforts to resume next week
The Dublin government is looking to secure an agreement in the
peace process before the British General Election, expected in
May.
RAIDERS HAD POLICE TIP-OFF
A gang who carried out one of the largest bank robberies in
history appear to have been tipped off that a PSNI police foot
patrol was on its way to the bank.
Republican political prisoners
December is traditionally the month in which republican
prisoners are remembered. The following is a list of republican
prisoners identified with the mainstream [Provisional]
Republican Movement, from Coiste
100th anniversary of Sinn Fein
Two republican political parties are preparing to celebrate the
100th anniversary of the founding of Sinn Fein.
British ID cards opposed
Tens of thousands of people in the North are expected to reject
British government identification cards when they are introduced
in the six counties in 2008.
Ireland responds to Asian disaster
Irish aid agencies are receiving siginificant financial support
for the victims of the Indian Ocean disaster, but are appealing
for more.
Colombia’s Appalling Vista
The circumstances around the long-running case against Niall
Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McAuley are in many ways
more significant than the case itself.
December 22, 2004
Real IRA mount wave of attacks
Republican hardliners have claimed responsibility for a spate of
pre-Christmas firebomb attacks on businesses in Counties Derry
and Antrim.
United front needed
The Third International Conference Against Isolation took place
in Berlin last week. This speech was delivered by Liam O Ruairc
and Gerard McGarrigle of the Irish Republican Socialist Party.
QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER BANK RAID
Republicans believe disaffected members of the British security
forces may have worked with unionist paramilitaries to carry out
the largest bank robbery in Irish history.
Opportunity for leap forward
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has responded to accusations by
the rival SDLP that his party has allowed the 1998 Good Friday
Agreement to be eroded in recent draft proposals for a new
agreement involving the Dublin and London governments,
Ian Paisley’s DUP and the Provisional IRA.
Colombia 3 appeal considered
The case of three men accused of training rebels in the
Colombian civil war is to be raised with the European Union
following an extraordinary decision by the country’s judiciary
to overturn their acquittal earlier this year.
An observer’s point of view
The following account of the trial of the Colombia 3 is by
Stephen M. McCabe, an American attorney who observed the
Colombian judicial process
US family ‘hostage to political process’
A man linked by British security forces to the ‘raid’ at
Castlereagh barracks on St Patrick’s Day 2002 remains in legal
limbo almost three years later.
Distaste for Sinn Féin is outmoded
By Brian Feeney (for the Irish News)
In politics there’s one simple rule: winner takes all. The rule operates in its most brutal form in British and American elections as we’ve just seen. Within a week of John Kerry’s defeat people were asking who the Democrats’ candidate in 2008 would be.
December 18, 2004
No talks progress seen before New Year
Intensive efforts to reach a deal in the northern peace proess
will not resume until the New Year, it has emerged.
Irish population booms
Ireland’s population may exceed seven million by 2016 if current
immigration patterns and improving medical standards continue,
it is predicted.
Intimidation campaign at Catholic schools
The unionist paramilitary UDA has been blamed for planting four
hoax bombs at Catholic schools in north Belfast in the last two
weeks.
HUMAN RIGHTS APPEAL FOR COLOMBIA 3
Three Irishmen who face a 17-year jail sentence in Colombia
after a shock judicial reversal are to attempt to overturn the
judgement through an international route.
Act for Justice for Colombian Three
A brief summary of the story of the Colombia 3
followed by an action appeal.
It’s impossible to deliver, so let’s move on
In practical terms decommissioning was always a nonsense.
December 15, 2004
Teenagers targeted in sectarian campaign
A young girl has been attacked in a third sectarian attack on
young nationalists in north Belfast in as many weeks.
Let’s talk about sin - McGuinness
Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has offered to meet DUP leader Ian
Paisley on the issue of ‘sin’ if it helped move the peace
process forward.
‘Day of Reflection’ may become annual event
Sinn Féin mayors and council chairs held ceremonies to
commemorate the dead of all wars last weekend.
AHERN GROVELS FOR PAISLEY
DUP talks boycott hinges on second apology
Nationalist confidence in the current talks process dipped this week as the the Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern made a grovelling apology to DUP hardliner Ian Paisley for suggesting unionist demands for photographs of IRA weapons decommissioning could not be met.
Political action alert
The US-based Irish Northern Aid Committee has issued an appeal
to contact US envoy Mitchell Reiss.
Irish teens turning to drink
Irish teenagers have the highest level of so-called ‘binge
drinking’ in Europe, and are almost twice as likely to smoke
marijuana or hashish than the European average, new research has
revealed.
British Army fires on vehicle at checkpoint
A British soldier opened fire during an incident at a border
checkpoint in south Armagh at the weekend.
No Photographs, No Humiliation
(by Danny Morrison, Andersonstown News)
There has been much argument over what was or was not agreed on the issue of IRA decommissioning being photographed.
December 8, 2004
World record bid for spy base
Rosemount Barracks in Derry is the centre of a bid for a world
record with the Guinness Book of Records.
MI5 attempt to recruit informer in Spain
A republican currently living in Spain was approached by MI5
this week in an elaborate operation to get information from him.
‘An unprecedented opportunity’ - Adams
The following is the full text of a prepared statement delivered
by Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams at a press conference in
Belfast yesterday.
PEACE PLAN ON HOLD AGAIN
The British Prime Minister and Irish Taoiseach are to reveal
their proposals for peace in the North of Ireland this afternoon
despite the refusal of Ian Paisley’s DUP to back the plan
without symbolic photographs of IRA disarmament.
The Castlerea Four
(from Coiste)
There are currently four prisoners in Castlerea prison who are serving sentences in relation to the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe in Adare on June 7th 1996.
European parliament hears of British collusion
A public hearing in Brussels has looked into British government
killings in the North of Ireland.
Controversy continues over Castlerea 4
Garda police in the 26 Counties have called for four Provisional
IRA members to be kept in jail regardless of any new peace deal
in the North.
Whenever, whenever, whenever
By Danny Morrison (for the Andersonstown News)
“If you closed your eyes you would think you were listening to a member of the Democratic Unionist Party. The conspiracy theory was there. The unionist language of IRA/Sinn Féin featured prominently.”
December 3, 2004
Wave of suicides ignored by British officials
The Department of Health in the Six Counties has no suicide
prevention strategy despite escalating numbers of deaths among
young people in deprived nationalist areas.
Republican released as forensic evidence queried again
A Tyrone man was released yesterday after a non-jury court
cleared him of charges of conspiring to bomb a police base four
years ago and membership of the breakaway ‘Real IRA’.
SWALLOWING A DEAL
Is Paisley preparing to compromise?
The prospects of a comprehensive deal involving the IRA and Ian Paisley’s DUP were boosted tonight with just four days remaining before the Dublin and London governments bring the current process to a close.
A defining moment
The following is the edited text of an address by Sinn Féin
President Gerry Adams in Navan, County Meath this week.
Election candidates selected
SDLP veteran Seamus Mallon’s Westminster seat will be contested
by Dominic Bradley of the SDLP and Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy.
Release of Castlerea 4 part of deal - Ahern
Bertie Ahern has accepted that four Provisional IRA men still
held in Castlerea prison should be released as part of a
comprehensive deal in the peace process.
Degree of welcome for giveaway budget
The Dublin government presented a generous budget on Wednesday
in a transparent effort to boost its rating in the polls.
We will never be allowed to hear the truth
By Brian Feeney (for the Irish News)
You have to admit they did it well, the so-called Inquiries Bill, that is. Knowing it would be a big issue for nationalists, the British government snuck it out at their favourite time for bad news, Friday, the worst news day of the week when it was certain to be buried, as indeed it was.
