Top Issue 1-2024

26 February 2004 Edition

Sinn Féin will not be made a whipping boy

26 February 2004

"The threat to the peace process does not come from republicans, it comes from others, including those who have failed or refused to make politics work." So said Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams in a speech at Dunloy, County Antrim, last Sunday. His words were echoed by the party's Chief Negotiator, Martin McGuinness, in a meeting with the Irish Government in Leinster House on Wednesday night. Free article

IRA did not authorise any action

26 February 2004

A source speaking on behalf of the leadership of the IRA has told An Phoblacht that "the IRA did not authorise any action against Bobby Tohill". The response came after days of speculation around an incident involving a number of men travelling in a van rammed by the PSNI on the outskirts of Belfast city centre last Friday evening. Free article

Never! Never! Never Land

26 February 2004

Have you ever thought you must have fallen asleep and woken up in Never-Never Land? But in this particular dream fantasy world, the all time bogeyman and frightener of small children, Captain Hook, has donned Pan's tights and is busy disporting himself as the hero of the story. Just such an air of unreality permeated the political landscape this week. While Ian Paisley arguably shares many of the theatrical attributes of the Captain, as leader of the DUP he surely heads a party that has never grown up. But it all began with that political pirate and PSNI Chief Hugh Orde firing both cannons from the Port Bows. Free article

Register now for EU elections - Deadline is 8 April

26 February 2004

People in the Six Counties have just 42 days left to submit applications to the electoral register if they want to vote in the upcoming European elections. Thursday 8 April has been named as the final day for registration, and in preparation for the day, Sinn Féin has launched a campaign asking people to 'Claim your Vote'. The campaign intends to make sure that voters who are currently disenfranchised in the North, get back on the register in time for June's elections. Free article

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McGuinness comments on UDA statement

26 February 2004

Commenting on the announcement by the UPRG on Tuesday of an open ended UDA cessation, Sinn Féin Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness MP said that "if this statement marks an end to sectarian violence by the UDA then I welcome this. Ultimately people will judge the UDA by their actions in the time ahead." Free article

Who is afraid of the truth?

26 February 2004

As the oral hearings stage of the Bloody Sunday tribunal drew to a close, familiar voices could be heard excoriating the £155 million cost. One of them belonged to John Taylor who, wobbling with righteous indignation, told Channel 4 News that the "unionist community" regards the inquiry with "absolute distain". In any case, he continued, he did not believe that the families or the wider nationalist community would accept Lord Saville's eventual report. "I live in Ireland," he said, "and I know what these people are like." Free article


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