     IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP
     Friday, 23 January, 1998
     

1.   Insult of UFF statement as murders continue
2.   Practice run for loyalist murder
3.   Sinn Fein meet Irish  Labour Party
4.   Apology not enough, say Bloody Sunday campaigners
5.   Analysis: Understanding loyalist death squads


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>>>> Insult of UFF statement as murders continue
     
     
     Another Catholic has died tonight at the hands of
     loyalist gunmen, crushing tentative hope that a
     recent loyalist murder spree had ended.
     
     Liam Conway was driving a digger near a loyalist area,
     laying gas pipes at a heavily patrolled interface. A
     lone gunman ran up and fired at least two shots before
     running away. Liam died shorly afterwards at the Mater
     Hospital from wounds to the head and chest.
     
     Local Protestant children had been playing on the
     digger only moments before. One woman living nearby
     described the shooting: "I saw a man running towards
     the digger and then a couple of seconds later the
     cracks of a gun.
     
     "The poor guy had only past by us about five minutes
     ago. He had kids playing around his digger all day -
     it's unbelievable to think this has happened," she
     said.
     
     From the nearby Cliftonville Road, Liam worked on the
     construction site to support his two blind brothers. He
     lived just yeards from the Clifton tavern where
     father-of-two Eddie Treanor was murdered in a loyalist
     mass murder bid.
     
     Tonight's killing has galvanised nationalists in north
     Belfast,  residents appear to have abandoned hope of
     receiving protection from the overwhelmingly Protestant
     police. Barricades have been erected in the area as
     besieged nationalists attempt to defend themselves
     against what appears to be an unchecked sectarian
     murder campaign.
     
     The murder of Liam Conway is the latest in a series of
     attacks on Catholic since Sunday. Yesterday evening,
     when two loyalist gunmen set upon father-of-two Chris
     McMahon as he was shutting the north Belfast bakery
     where he worked .  Despite injuries to his shoulder,
     leg and abdomen, the young man is in stable condition
     following surgery at the Whiteabbey hospital.
     
     But earlier today there was guarded hope in nationalist
     areas following a statement by the "Ulster Freedom
     Fighters" -- a cover name for the Ulster Defence
     Association -- in which the group said it had ended its
     campaign of random slaughter.
     
     In the extraordinary statement, the UDA/UFF finally
     admitted its notional three-year-old "ceasefire" had
     ended -- only to be resumed once again.
     
     The statement is being treated with extreme scepticism
     by nationalists, who have been urged to remain alert to
     further attacks.
     
     But the strongest reaction this afternoon was not
     prompted not by the belated UFF claim of
     responsibility, but by the sickening description of the
     indiscriminate murder of four Catholics as "a measured
     military response" to "republican aggression".
     
     The statement, referring to the assassination last
     month by the INLA of renegade loyalist leader Billy
     Wright, said: "The current phase of republican
     aggression by the INLA made a measured military
     responsible unavoidable. That response is now
     concluded."
     
     Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness described the statement
     as "an affront to the relatives of those innocent
     Catholics who have been killed".
     
     "It is a spurious attempt to justify a litany of
     murders involving a number of loyalist gangs going back
     over an 18 month period during which 19 people, 14 of
     whom have been Catholics, have been killed by
     loyalists."
     
     Mr McGuinness angrily attacked the role of the RUC
     police Chief Constable "whose lack of honesty
     contributed to the killing and wounding of Catholics."
     
     Yesterday, Chief Constable Flanagan announced that his
     force had discovered the UFF was responsible for the
     recent murders in Belfast, and not the splinter LVF
     group as had been claimed.
     
     "The RUC Chief Constable was forced to admit what
     everybody knew, that the UFF were killing Catholics."
     
     Many were today asking if the UFF would have called off
     their murder campaign earlier, thereby saving lives, if
     the RUC Chief Constable had not delayed in identifying
     the involvement of the UFF.
     
     McGuinness also blasted the political cover given to
     the representatives of the UFF currently taking part in
     peace talks in Belfast.
     
     "The orange card was played. Unionist politicians
     exercised a veto over progress in the talks. Catholics
     died and the British government succumbed to this
     pressure. This is an intolerable situation."
     
     Unionist leaders who have recently exulted in
     favourable developments at the talks could again
     exploit their loyalist paramilitary allies in the
     future, he warned:  "There is widespread concern among
     nationalists that having successfully achieved their
     immediate political goals that the next time unionists
     want to exercise a veto in the talks that the killing
     machine will be turned on again."
     
     The future of the talks is again in some doubt this
     weekend. The continued participation of the Ulster
     Democratic Party, which represents the UDA, is expected
     to be discussed when the talks resume in London
     tomorrow.  But despite much rhetoric last year on the
     sanctity of the Mitchell principles of non-violence
     which underpin the talks, neither the two governments,
     nor the participating parties have yet sought the
     loyalists' expulsion from the talks.
     
     
     HYPOCRISY
     
     Meanwhile, the Ulster Unionist Party have suggested
     they will pull out of the talks if any effort is made
     to renegotiate the 'Heads of Agreement' document
     presented to the talks by the two governments last
     week.
     
     Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams MP has accused the
     Ulster Unionist Party of "irresponsibility and
     hypocrisy" following the implicit threat by UUP deputy
     leader John Taylor to withdraw from the negotiations if
     the pro-unionist agenda which is currently reflected in
     the propositions document is altered.
     
     Mr. Adams said Mr. Taylor's remarks were part of a
     concerted campaign by all shades of unionism designed
     to impose a unionist agenda inside the negotiations
     process and outside it, including the killing of
     0catholics.
     
     "His comments, coming as they do on the back of seven
     [now eight] Catholic deaths in six weeks, are a
     continuation of the strategy of threats and blackmail
     which have marked unionism throughout this peace
     process.
     
     Nationalists were deeply offended by Taylor's strong
     condemnation of Wednesday's statement by the IRA
     echoing Sinn Fein's opposition to the 'Heads of
     Agreement' document, said Mr Adams, who called for
     "steady nerves" in the current difficult political
     climate.
     
     "We believe that this current crisis can be rectified. 
     But it requires both governments ensuring that ftheir
     approach to the negotiations is inclusive, and that the
     process is comprehensive and deals with all of the
     issues at the heart of this conflict."
     
     

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>>>> Practice run for loyalist murder
     
     
     Residents from the Lower Ormeau Road are challenging
     media reports which have described the loyalist murder
     on Monday of 52-year-old Larry Brennan as "retaliation"
     or "tit-for-tat".
     
     The Catholic taxi driver was fatally wounded outside a
     taxi depot on the Ormeau Road just hours after the
     death of Jim Guiney, a prominent member of the UDA shot
     dead by the INLA. However, in a statement released by
     the Lower Ormeau Residents Action Group, local people
     said the van believed to have been used in the murder
     of Larry Brennan was seen on the Ormeau Road more than
     15 hours prior to the UDA man's death.
     
     Residents' spokesperson Gerard Rice said loyalist
     paramilitaries had carried out a dummy run for the taxi
     depot murder the night before Jim Guiney's death. "A
     van of the same colour and with the same registration
     number was spotted outside the taxi depot and in the
     Fitzroy Avenue area at around 7pm on Sunday evening,"
     said Rice, "It attracted the attention of several
     people because the windows had been blacked out." A
     local shopkeeper reported the suspicious vehicle to the
     RUC.
     
     Shortly after 7.30pm on Monday January 19, Larry
     Brennan was sitting at the wheel of his taxi outside
     the Enterprise taxi depot when he was fatally wounded
     by a lone gunman. Witnesses said the gunman was wearing
     a baseball cap, leather jacket, a white t-shirt and
     jeans. The loyalist gunman stood at the side of the
     road before firing four shots directly at Larry
     Brennan. The Catholic father of two, died shortly after
     being rushed to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital.
     
     According to a local report, after the shooting, the
     killer turned the corner to walk along Haypark Avenue
     to Haywood Avenue before entering a nearby pub. Local
     people said the RUC, who had mounted a checkpoint on
     the Ormeau Bridge on Monday evening, left the area at
     7pm.  At 7.30pm the loyalist death squad would have had
     a clear run onto the Ormeau Road.
     
     Larry Brennan, a Catholic engaged to a Protestant, knew
     he might be targeted by loyalist killers. Dorothy
     Creaney, Larry's fiancee, said that the couple had been
     threatened by loyalist paramilitaries, but had been
     determined to wed despite warnings to call it off.
     Dorothy said the couple had stopped seeing each other
     for six weeks after being threatened, but "we just knew
     then we couldn't be apart". 72-year-old Mary Brennan,
     the elderly mother of the murder man, described herself
     as brokenhearted. "This is the second member of our
     family we've lost, "said Mary, "I lost a nephew in
     1972, his father died of a broken heart. I'm sure I
     will too."
     
     As in all recent sectarian killings, the family are
     expected to establish the dead person's status through
     the media. Like the victim of rape, Catholic victims of
     sectarian attacks must prove their "innocence". It is
     left to the family to dispell the victim's
     'culpability'. The victim's clothes are significant. A
     GAA shirt, a Celtic top, explains everything.
     
     But most importantly, to be 'innocent' a Catholic must
     be apolitical. A Catholic with a political agenda is
     treated by the media as an accomplice in their own
     murder. Sectarian killings are "provoked", they are
     "acts of revenge" and if the victim is a Republican, in
     any sense of the word, it becomes "inevitable".
     
     In the current political vacuum, families of the
     victims are also expected to take responsibilty for
     future violence. When Elish O'Reilly, the sister of
     Larry Brennan called for no retaliation, Tony Blair
     simply reiterated her call. In doing so the British PM
     unwittingly acknowleged his government's inability to
     accept responsibilty for, and unwillingness to
     challenge, the sectarian operation of British rule in
     Ireland.
     

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>>>> Sinn Fein meet Irish Labour Party
     
     
     A Sinn Fein delegation today met with the Irish Labour
     Party in Dublin today,
     
     Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams described the meeting
     with a Labour Party delegation as "constructive".  Also
     meeting Labour Party leader Ruairi Quinn and colleagues
     were Sinn Fein Vice President Pat Doherty, General
     Secretary Lucilita Bhreatnach, Councillor Joe Reilly
     and party representative for Dublin South West Sean
     Crowe.
     
     Today's meeting is the first of a series between the
     parties.  The discussions centred around the current
     political situation and the role that parties not in
     the ongoing peace talks can play in moving the
     situation beyond the present crisis.
     
     Following the meeting, Mr Adams called on people in the
     26 Counties to demonstrate their support for a real
     peace settlement. He said the meeting today was "a
     worthwhile and constructive engagement".
     
     "We both agreed that the objective of the talks process
     was to find a lasting agreement among the dpeople of
     the Island and it was stressed that there can be no
     internal partitionist settlement or a  return to
     Stormont rule."
     
     The Sinn Fein President said the two parties agreed on
     the importance of the talks process and necessity for
     all parties to engage fully in  the process.
     
     "We outlined our view that the campaign of sectarian
     killings is designed to terrorise the nationalist
     population, lower their political expectations and
     prevent the achievement of a lasting  agreement."
     
     
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>>>> Apology not enough, say Bloody Sunday campaigners
     
     
     Campaigners for an international, public inquiry into
     the events of Bloody Sunday have described the reported
     offer of an apology by Prime Minister Blair, at Prime
     Minister's Questions this week, as "only the starting
     point in the process of uncovering the truth about
     Bloody Sunday".
     
     The British government is under pressure to order a
     full independent international inquiry into the events
     of January 30, l972 when British Paratroopers shot dead
     14 unarmed civilians on the streets of Derry.
     
     At a wreath laying ceremony in Dery today, Irish Prime
     Minister Taoiseach Bertie Ahern backed calls for a full
     investigation.
     
     An announcement is expected next week, possibly
     Thursday, the 26th anniversary of the tragedy, but
     relatives of the dead will not be satisfied with
     anything less than an honest examination of the
     massacre.
     
     Joe McKinney, whose brother William was killed on
     Bloody Sunday said that the relatives "want a full
     international inquiry, with an international judge, an
     Irish judge and an English judge".
     
     Protests are being organised in a number of locations,
     with the biggest marches in London and Derry itself.
     The London march takes place tomorrow Saturday, January
     24th, from Highbury Fields to St John's Way. The Derry
     march takes place on 1 February and follows the route
     of the original civil rights march at which the
     shootings took place, from the Creggan shops to Free
     Derry corner.
     
     Whilst welcoming the reports that an official apology
     is to be made, Enda Finlay from the London Bloody
     Sunday March Organising Committee (BSMOC), commented
     that, "There are a whole number of questions about the
     event surrounding Bloody Sunday that need to be
     addressed. These questions can only be answered within
     the context of an independent, public inquiry".
     
     "The British government must accept responsibility for
     the killing of 14 unarmed civilians. An inquiry needs
     to look at who ordered the firing on the day? What
     knowledge did the politicians have of the decision? Why
     did the Widgery Inquiry ignore so many eyewitness
     statements? Why are the medical records on those killed
     closed until 2047? Why have the British government not
     acted on the dossier of new evidence which was
     presented to it by the Irish government in June 1997?,
     the truth must be told", Enda Finlay added.
     

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>>>> Analysis: Understanding loyalist death squads
     
     
     ---------------------------------------------------
     Unionism must acknowledge that mass intimidation of the
     nationalist community is not legitimate
     ---------------------------------------------------
     
     
     By Marcas Mac Ruairi
     
     
     
     Is it through lack of insight, outright dishonesty or
     laziness that the media present loyalist murders as
     tit-for-tat killings?
     
     This week witnessed a continuation of loyalist attacks
     on nationalists with the death of Fergal McCusker in
     Maghera at the weekend and Larry Brennan on the Ormeau
     Road on Monday. UDA commander Jim Guiney was shot dead
     by the INLA in Belfast earlier that day. And on
     Wednesday night a nationalist in his fifties was shot
     dead in a loyalist area of South Belfast.
     
     Last year eight nationalists fell victim to loyalist
     death squads. Since the shooting of LVF leader Billy
     Wright in Long Kesh at Christmas, the onslaught has
     continued with the shooting dead of a further five
     nationalists.
     
     And while the Loyalist Volunteer Force has been
     responsible for the most of these murders, it is clear
     that others in the larger loyalist paramilitaries have
     also participated in the slaughter on a 'no claim no
     blame basis.'
     
     Last year they were explained as a backlash against
     perceived concessions to nationalists, now they are
     being explained as retaliation for the killing of Billy
     Wright.
     
     Despite the obvious anomalies in basic arithmetic which
     stand to contradict suggestions that loyalist murders
     are tit-for-tat attacks on the nationalist community,
     media hacks insist on using this descriptive term in
     order to rationalise and indeed give justification to
     the activities of loyalist death squads.
     
     It must be remembered that attacks from loyalist death
     squads have been on a steady increase for several
     months, long before Billy Wright was killed.
     
     Republicans have consistently argued that, based on the
     rock of sectarian hatred nurtured by Orangeism, the
     continued random attacks on nationalists emanates from
     a rump within loyalist paramilitarism which has
     degenerated into sectarian fundamentalism.
     
     The killings have been capitalised on by the Unionist
     Party in the context of the current political talks.
     David Trimble refused to engage in genuine negotiations
     and hyped the myth of concessions to nationalists. In
     the subsequent vacuum, those loyalist paramilitaries on
     ceasefire became uneasy.
     
     If they were to break their ceasefire completely, we
     were told, it would not be a small fundamentalist rump
     carrying out murderous attacks on nationalists, but a
     full scale onslaught from mainstream loyalism. The
     Propositions on Heads of Agreement are seen in the
     nationalist community as a shift away from previously
     agreed positions; they are perceived as an attempt to
     impose a unionist agenda on the talks, presenting a Six
     County assembly as a fait accompli.
     
     Moreover, the document offers no commitment to
     equality, but in its place we are offered equity, which
     has an entirely different meaning. This change is
     interpreted in the broader nationalist community as
     showing a lack of commitment to justice by the British.
     
     By manipulating the recent spiralling number of
     sectarian murders to extract concessions in this
     fashion, the Unionist Party is also seen by the
     nationalist community to be encouraging further
     loyalist attacks, providing the death squads with a
     political rationale.
     
     It is in this broader historical context that loyalist
     murders must be understood. Describing them as
     tit-for-tat merely serves to absolve those otherwise
     respectable unionist politicians of responsibility for
     encouraging the slaughter of nationalists.
     
     But Unionists must now be told that they have to move
     forward, away from their dependence on mass
     intimidation. They must take the opportunity presented
     by the opening of negotiations, which began on Monday,
     to engage in real dialogue.
     
     Having spent months refusing to talk to Sinn Fein
     because he disagrees with its policies, it is now time
     for David Trimble to come into the real world. By
     entering into the talks in the first place, there is an
     explicit acceptance of the need to put the failures of
     the past behind us. But with the appearance that
     intransigence pays, unionism has no incentive to enter
     into substantive dialogue.
     
     Both governments, in their own discussions with the
     unionists, must drive home the message that an internal
     solution is simply not a solution at all. Rather, the
     solution must reflect the concerns and needs of
     everybody, and that entails the vital element of an
     all-Ireland dimension.
     
     Confidence must be restored by adopting a pro-active
     leadership role which seeks to advance on agreements
     already entered into and demonstrating that good faith
     negotiations can remove conflict from Ireland. In doing
     so they will inject new dynamism into the process.
     
     All the substantive issues must be kept on the agenda
     and balanced to ensure a politically neutral starting
     point for the negotiations .
     
     The process will be further helped by a visible
     commitment establishing equality of treatment,
     demilitarisation, urgent action on human rights,
     concrete measures on the Irish langauge and culture and
     the release of prisoners.
