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The HET and Sinn Fein-IRA

Jim Allister asks a good question regarding the Historical Enquiries Team: Will the cases involving Sinn Fein-IRA criminals be reviewed?

We have a Deputy First Minister who was heavily involved in terrorism yet has never been questioned by the HET. We have a so-called 'President' of Sinn Fein-IRA who has detailed knowledge of the inner workings of SF-IRA terrorism but has never been questioned.

No wonder SF-IRA were so keen to get rid of the RUC. Their replacement and the HET seem to be playing to a SF-IRA tune.

McGuinness and the Queen

Provo Sinn Fein/IRA leader Martin McGuinness says it would be a 'huge ask' for him to meet the Queen. It was a very big ask for the people of Northern Ireland to have him as Minister of Education and now Deputy First Minister despite his murderous past. Yet are we somehow supposed to thank him for his great 'courage' in meeting the Head of the country where he is a DFM in one of the devolved regions?

Financial Support of Ulster-British Culture

For many years the GAA has received sponsorship from businesses across the country. This happened even when they had 'apartheid' style rules excluding those associated with the security forces of the United Kingdom. And yet the GAA themselves continue to associate with terrorists through the naming of tournaments and stadiums. They also act in a political way in Northern Ireland by refusing to respect the anthem and flag of the UK by flying a foreign flag and playing a foreign anthem in NI.

If businesses like BT and the Ulster Bank feel that the GAA is something they wish to financially support, isn't it time that Ulster-British culture also received support from these same companies?

Perhaps a re-constituted Ulster Society (for the Promotion of Ulster-British Culture and Heritage) could act as an umbrella group for the various Loyal Orders, bands and cultural groups to apply for such sponsorship and work alongside the Ulster-Scots Agency. Surely businesses could not act in such a biased way by supporting the GAA and refusing to sponsor the culture of the greater number of people in Northern Ireland?

The Silence of the DUP Lambs ...

It has emerged that £18 million will come out of the EU PEACE III funding to be used for a so-called Conflict Resolution Centre at the Maze.

As Kenny Donaldson from SEFF has said: "I have not spoken to a single victim who has been in support of this conflict centre. There is also concern that this money could have been used to help the many victims groups around Northern Ireland, instead of going towards some kind of terrorist shrine.”

Of course the only people who want this shrine are the Provisional Sinn Fein-IRA terrorists now sitting in Government. The DUP rejected a sports stadium on the maze site because of the link to the proposed centre. However, I assume some sort of deal has been done between the Sinn Fein-IRA gang and the DUP as the DUP have gone quiet over the matter. So we don't even get a new stadium only the terrorist shrine.

Recently the DUP have been going GAA GAA over that political/cultural/sporting organisation. Now it seems the MLAs are going BAA BAA over the Maze terrorist shrine. Who would have thought it ... the silence of the DUP lambs.

Has the DUP gone GAA GAA?

Peter Robinson recently attended his first GAA match. Apparently he is trying to reach out and avoid the "them and us" mentality. All very laudable.

However, what is not laudable is his failure to ask the GAA to move forward away from its terrorist linked past and into a new future where Unionists could feel comfortable attending pure sporting events.

To do this, the GAA needs to stop flying the flag and playing the anthem of the Republic of Ireland. It needs to rename some of its stadiums which are linked with Provisional IRA and INLA murderers. It needs to transform into a welcoming place for Unionists instead of what some people called it in the past - the IRA at play.

Every other organisation in Northern Ireland must pass equality assessments and meet strict criteria before they receive Government money. Apparently not the GAA. And the DUP don't seem all that bothered about it.

Peter Robinson is right to reach out. But he's wrong to stay quiet about how the GAA is a blockage to a real shared future.

UUP Way Forward

Tom Elliott has rejected a deal with the Conservatives in NI. The deal would have meant a rebranding of the UUP and Conservatives in NI allowing them to become the official Conservative & Unionist Northern Ireland association. This would have given them many advantages including a seat at the top table of decision making in London along with the financial support of Conservative HQ at election time.

However, on this occasion Tom Elliott was unable to see the bigger picture i.e. bringing normal UK politics to Northern Ireland. Isn't that what every Unionist wants?

Tourists in Belfast

Any visitors to Belfast can't avoid Carroll's Irish Gift shop in the heart of the city centre. Arlene Foster is trying to get more tourists to come to Northern Ireland. I wonder has she any opinion on how Carroll's Irish Gifts presents itself as a Republic of Ireland shop in part of the UK. I'm sure the tourists get more than a little confused.

DUP Dog That Didn't Bark

The DUP spent many years shouting from the roof tops that they were the only Unionist party that could deliver for the people of Ulster. Yet in Government, their brand of Unionism has been muted.

They promised us to re-balance the relationship between North-South and East-West. However, no improvement in East-West co-operation has taken place while the North-South bodies continue. Some may say that they can't do much on this without the support of Provisional SF/IRA and the UK Government. But the DUP haven't pushed the idea e.g. Ulster-Scots groups in Scotland and the rest of the UK can't get funding from the Ulster-Scots Agency.

However, another item which the DUP has failed to do has been highlighted by a posting from oneill in which he talks about promises from the DUP leader. Peter Robinson told us he was going to set up a Unionist Academy to increase the understanding of history and heritage of the British Isles (in addition to the more local and cultural Ulster-Scots Agency). A couple of years on, no progress. He also said he would set up a "British Cultural and Equality Unit to provide legal advice to the public on fighting the removal of British emblems from Northern Ireland society". A couple of years on, no progress.

Are the DUP turning into the Dog that didn't bark ... because they are now over-familiar with the SF/IRA criminals in Government?

Ireland and Rugby

I've blogged on this in the past: the Ireland rugby team and their political symbols. Yesterday I watched Ireland vs Australia. It was a good entertaining game. Yet the IRFU have once again shown their political side by their choice of flags at the start of the match. They had two flags leading them out: The Republic of Ireland flag and the 9 county yellow Ulster flag. That means three counties were represented twice!

If the IRFU had any decency they would either have both the RoI and NI flags or a common flag e.g. Cross of St Patrick, rugby flag. Either it is a joint Northern Ireland + Republic of Ireland team or it's not. When we had a DUP minister for sport, nothing was done about the issue. So there isn't much chance of the current convicted SF/IRA terrorist who occupies that office doing anything. But why are the Unionist politicians so quiet about it all? Yes, some of our best Grammar schools play rugby to the exclusion of football - something that doesn't help the NI football team. But have most of our Unionist grammar school boys and girls been so indoctrinated by their schooling that they're willing to cheer for the tricolour team when Ireland are playing and then go back to being Unionists at the end of the game? I for one haven't been indoctrinated and demand that the IRFU recognise the Northern Ireland state - otherwise, let's have a Northern Ireland rugby team.

McGuinness needs to confess crimes

Lord Tebbit has rightly said that Martin McGuinness should confess his crimes before standing for the presidency of the Republic of Ireland. The Provisional Sinn Fein/IRA group keep saying they favour a truth commission to hear accounts from all sides. The only problem is that the Provos have been telling lies as part of their strategy for many years. We are supposed to believe that Adams was never in the killing side of their organisation. McGuinness told us for many years he was also never in the terrorist death squads until he changed his mind and gave 'evidence' to the inquiry about the incident on 30 January 1972 in Londonderry. He has failed to give any evidence on the many people he has murdered or told others to murder. So Martin, let's hear the truth for once. Any chance?

Are Provisional Sinn Fein-IRA Scum?

There has been much talk about Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott calling some Sinn Fein supporters scum.

I would have to agree with the following:

"Terrorists around the world don’t get called nice names except in this part of the UK: we call them Deputy First Minister, Sinn Fein Ministers etc. Yes, Sinn Fein now support the PSNI. But they continue to defend the murders they carried out against their neighbours. Their message is not clear especially when it comes to the so-called dissidents.

Tom Elliott may have been provoked into using such a term as 'scum'. But many people in the Republic of Ireland, the UK and further afield would also call Sinn Fein 'scum' until they say sorry for the broken lives and heartache they caused to their families."

Spotlight on Northern Ireland Water

The recent BBC Northern Ireland Spotlight programme examined the crisis at Northern Ireland Water.

Items which should have been of interest to BBC NI are:

• The appointment of Sinn Fein/PIRA member Mairtin O’Muilleoir to the board (he was interviewed, but no mention of his political connections) along with a Republican trade union member;
• The appointment of Padraic White - husband of Fianna Fail member Mary White who co-founded Lir Chocolates and also visited Colombia seven times during the trial of the Sinn Fein/PIRA terrorists in Colombia. Senator White hasn't shown the same interest in human right abuses by Sinn Fein/PIRA;
• The confidence Sinn Fein/PIRA Minister Murphy had in the interim board; convicted terrorist Murphy said at the time: "The new interim board members have a great depth and breadth of experience which will enable them to meet the challenge of their future roles."
  

When the BBC has reported on other scandals, they have pointed out such political connections. Yet, silence about them in this programme. And the questions towards Minister Murphy were soft to say the least.

Murphy can continue on in his role as a result of the Belfast Agreement/St Andrew's Agreement form of Government in Northern Ireland. In any true democracy, he would be sacked.

Tom Elliott is right about the GAA

Tom Elliott is right to say that he wouldn't attend GAA games. The GAA has various stadiums and cups named after Sinn Fein/Provisional IRA/INLA terrorists. It still allows its grounds to be used to glorify the murder of Protestants and others by those terrorist organisations. It continues to fly the flag of another country and play the anthem of the Republic of Ireland at games. And then it pretends to be open to all!

Despite all this it is rewarded large sums of money from the tax payer. It receives more coverage on the publicly owned BBC than Northern Ireland football including the NI internationals. We have had a series of DUP Ministers of Sport, yet so far they have done very little to stop the sectarian GAA receiving funds if it doesn't reform. Every other organisation in Northern Ireland has to show they are open to all to receive such large amounts of funding.

The GAA is allowed to get away with keeping its terrorist link. The BBC, UTV and the NI Government treat them as a normal 'sporting' organisation. The dogs in the street know that if this was a Loyalist organisation, funding would have been stopped long ago and there would be no coverage on TV. How long do we have to keep appeasing those with blood on their hands?

DUP U-turn in Support of Terrorist Shrine

Gregory Campbell scrapped the Maze Stadium project because many people in the DUP said it would become a shrine to the Provisional IRA terrorists who committed suicide there. Now the DUP leader has indicated he is willing to go ahead with a terrorist shrine without the stadium! The Provos seem to be in control at Stormont. Due to the system of Government, they can threaten to collapse the Executive if they don't get their own way. Robinson is becoming more and more Trimblesque in his dealings with Sinn Fein-PIRA.

It's time the DUP pressed for a more normal system of Government at Stormont which doesn't involve every party having to be in the Executive.

A Friendly Neighbour?

If the Republic of Ireland is now a friendly neighbour to Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, why are they continuing to poach players from the Northern Ireland football team? Yes, some people in Northern Ireland decide to take up foreign passports from the RoI. But NI is part of the United Kingdom and has its own football team like England, Scotland and Wales. It's time the political leaders in the RoI started showing some respect to their neighbours in Northern Ireland UK.

Londonderry 1972

The events in Londonderry on 30 January 1972 should not be viewed in isolation. According to the Inquiry, Martin McGuinness (now Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland) had an illegal submachine gun on the day when soldiers opened fire on the rioters and protestors.

McGuinness has constantly lied about his past - as has Gerry Adams. McGuinness was one of the leaders of the Provisional IRA in Londonderry at the time. A few days before this particular bloody Sunday, two policemen were murdered by his organisation. Thousands of other people were also affected by his violence. If you listen to the Nationalist/Republican controlled BBC Northern Ireland, you would think that nothing else happened in 1972 in Northern Ireland. McGuinness is rarely questioned about his murderous past and he hasn't served a day in prison for any of the murders his terrorist gang carried out. Why is there no justice for all of his victims?

Some Republicans claim that the British Army should have a higher standard. Yet they go on to say that the Provisional IRA terrorist group was also in fact an 'army'. So which is it? If the Provos call themselves an 'army', does it mean they are an 'army' without any standards?

Of course the truth is that they were just a gang of murdering terrorist thugs who have been indulged by successive Governments. If there was any real justice for victims in Northern Ireland, McGuinness would be in prison instead of being the Deputy First Minister of the Government.

The SDLP Mask Slips ...

The mask that tries to hide sectarianism within the SDLP has slipped ... Declan O'Loan has called for a single party that would combine the SDLP with a gang that is unrepentant of its murderous past. The SDLP under Hume did form a Pan-Nationalist Front while the Provisional IRA were murdering and torturing people. So perhaps Mr O'Loan feels he is carrying on that tradition?

Mr O'Loan is of course married to Nuala O'Loan the former police ombudsman. She also struggled to hide her sectarianism when she was in that office as she tried to blacken the good name of the RUC over the actions of a small minority.

While Mr O'Loan has now withdrawn his suggestion, the original statement shows his line of thinking: he doesn't have a problem being in a joint party with Provisional IRA gang members who were guilty of the most heinous crimes. Perhaps the SDLP stands for the Sectarian Double-standards Liberation Party?

Jim Shannon at Westminster ... or not?

The media are reporting that the new MPs arrived at Westminister today to take up their places and have the customary photo shoot. However, the new MP for Strangford was missing and will turn up later in the week. I assume that Mr Shannon has a good reason for not turning up on his first day of work in the House of Commons?

Ulster Conservatives and Unionists

As the UCUs didn't win any seats in Northern Ireland, some are suggesting that the link between the UUP and the Conservatives be abandoned.

This seems very short sighted. If the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is to survive in the long term, we need to move away from the constitutional question and onto everyday bread and butter issues. The economy is in a mess. Many people are without jobs. We need a voice in our national parliament to secure the best interests for all the people of Northern Ireland.

Bringing national politics into Northern Ireland was never going to be easy due to the history of the local parties. However long term it's a goal worth pursuing and I look forward to the UK Labour Party putting up candidates at the next election. Perhaps they won't leave the selection of candidates to the last minute!

All this of course doesn't stop Unionists working together to maximise their strength. There is nothing sectarian about Roman Catholic Unionists, Protestant Unionists and others trying to ensure that Irish or Ulster Nationalists don't succeed in their aims.

Unionism needs to be flexible. Given the journey that both the UUP and DUP have travelled, they should set up a Unionist task force to examine how to maximise the Unionist vote. This task force should also include members of the Conservatives, Labour, LibDems etc - any party interested in promoting the Union.