Gareth Peirce representing McAliskey, who is four-and-a-half months pregnant, said there was “considerable concern about her health.” Upon her arrival at Charing Cross police station a doctor was called to examine McAliskey, who stated it was “imperative” she had access to “proper obstetric facilities,” Peirce said.

An application for bail in Bow Street Court was refused on December 4, in what Bernadette McAliskey described as a racist decision.

McAliskey was remanded in custody until December 13 to Belmarsh prison in London where she is held in a cell in an all-male block.

The basis of the extradition warrant is finger prints which German police claim to have found in a rented house near Osnabruck and which they claim are Róisín McAliskey’s.

McAliskey was arrested by the RUC British police at her parents home in County Tyrone on November 20. She was held in Belfast’s notorious Castlereagh Interrogation Centre until November 26 when she was flown to London to face an extradition hearing.

A Belfastman, James Anthony Oliver Albert Corry (28), appeared in a court in Dublin on November 27 on a provisional extradition warrant from German authorities for the same attack. He had been arrested in the Fitzgibbon Street area of Dublin earlier the same day. Corry was remanded in custody until December 4.
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He said that “partition is an imperial device imposed on the country by force, and now that Britain has admitted that it has no selfish, economic or strategic interest in Ireland, it is time for them to go. If we concede, as some Irish politicians have, that the problem is a sectarian one, then we are handing Britain an excuse to remain in Ireland in perpetuity”.

Fr Wilson further noted the patchwork of economic development and under-development which has existed in the North since it’s inception, with the sole aim of rewarding and reinforcing local majorities for the Union. There has been a carefully calculated political strategy adopted in order to keep the voting pattern constant, and this has consisted of organised pogroms, burnings and shootings.

The fact is, said Fr Wilson, that the Northern State has had organised pogroms against Nationalists on average every 12 years since it was founded. Any regime that relies on these methods to remain in power is immoral, and the only solution for peace and democracy in Ireland is for Britain to withdraw in a phased and orderly manner, leaving the Irish people as a whole to decide their own future.

Addressing the same meeting, Des Long, Vice-President of Republican Sinn Féin, urged younger people to go and see the controversial Michael Collins film in order to assist their understanding of the basis of the conflict in Ireland. He said that there are many people who do not appreciate the reason for a military campaign in addition to the political campaign to force a British withdrawal from Ireland..

“Even though it is a Hollywood epic, the basic lessons for a brutal empire trying to crush the spirit of a risen people are sharply captured and clearly show the sacrifices made to secure freedom”

Des Long said that the numerous previous attempts to achieve the Republic by recognising Leinster House had failed. “The latest are led by Gerry Adams who now tell us that they are prepared to compromise on the ultimate goal of Irish freedom”, he added.

“In the near future, Adams and the whole Provisional leadership will tell us that by going into Westminster they will bring about a solution to the Irish problem. What a load of nonsense ! They will try to fool the people by saying that some sort of electoral pact with the SDLP will ensure a balance of power and allow them a bargaining position on the question of Irish unity. We in Republican Sinn Féin know that this will not happen.”, said Des Long.

He added: “Even Charles Stewart Parnell with his 85 Irish Party MPs in the last century could not use a balance of power in Westminster to win Home Rule. What chance have the Provisionals and the SDLP with 8 or 10 seats ? The British parties will forget their party differences and combine to defeat any fundamental change in their position in Ireland”

“The past 25 years in particular are littered with the fragments of paper agreements between Dublin, London and Stormont in desperate bids to stifle dissent and shift the focus away from the inherent sectarian nature of the Six Counties, where there can be no internal solution”, he continued.

“Republican Sinn Féin has a three-point plan for peace in Ireland, first a phased and orderly British withdrawal, second a general amnesty for all political prisoners, and third a constitutional conference to hammer out a framework for the Irish people to live together in peace and harmony. In this context, Republican Sinn Féin would propose its ÉIRE NUA proposals for four provincial governments which would allow local majorities to govern themselves.”

“This Federal solution would be as important for the province of Connacht which has suffered from chronic underdevelopment, as it would for the nine-county province of Ulster.”, said Des Long.

Finally, Fr Wilson called for an All-Ireland conference to discuss ways of organising towards a British Withdrawal, and to frame a new constitution for the country. He praised Republican Sinn Féin for its ÉIRE NUA plan and said that this could form the basis for such a constitution.
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Q. “And the modern IRA, do you support that?”
A. “I do, of course. They have the same objective.”
Q. “So you are still an inveterate Republican. But the methods of the modern IRA surely differ greatly from yours? They target civilians, use car-bombs and Semtex.”
A. “They do not target civilians. Civilians may be killed accidentally; but they do not target civilians. And as for Semtex, if we had that we would have used it too!”
Bravo, John.
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A window was broken shortly after midnight and inflammable liquid tossed in and ignited. Stained glass windows were shattered and plaster cracked by the blaze. It is still not known if the intense heat has caused structural damage. It is expected to take two months for repairs to be carried out.

Rathmore Grammar, a Catholic school, near Dunmurry on the outskirts of south Belfast, was closed on November 27 after a sectarian arson attack on the science block. Windows on the ground floor of the four-storey block were forced open and oil and petrol bombs were thrown in. Three classrooms suffered fire and smoke damage. The school’s 1,400 pupils were sent home as they arrived for school as the school was closed while repairs were carried out.
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Derek Doherty, Michael O’Brien and Padraic Mac Fhloinn were flown from Speke Airport, Liverpool and brought under armed escort to Portlaoise.

Conditions for political prisoners worsened in the 26-Counties’ high-security jail. Reports reaching SAOIRSE of an increase in the incidence of strip-searching of prisoners have been confirmed by the prisoners themselves.

The largest group of political prisoners in Portlaoise belong to the Provisionals, yet their political organisation has been strangely silent about these punitive measures, which mirror the worsening prison regime for Irish political prisoners in England over the past two years. It seems the 26-County state is more than willing to do England’s dirty work when it comes to harsh prison conditions.
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Sister Sarah Clarke was described by Monsignor Dennis Faul as a “fearless champion of the innocent victims of the many miscarriages of justice perpetrated against humble and poor Irish people.”

The book, No faith in the System, published by Mercier Press, describes Clarke’s 25-year fight for prisoners rights, during which she campaigned for the freedom of the Birmingham Six, Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven.

Speaking at the launch in Belfast castle she said that she used to have faith in the British judicial system – until she saw how Irish people were treated. The book was a message of hope. “It was not depressing because it was showing the love, loyalty and courage of the prisoners’ families,” she said. “I felt it was important that there be a record of what happened and how they coped.”
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Speaking of the hardship suffered by the people of Bundoran he accused the County Council of hoodwinking the people. When it came to a vote on water charges he said “the Council were doing their people”.

Rejecting an increase in the water rates, he demanded the County Council pay £100,000 for water supplied instead of the £25,000 on offer. As Councillors were voting through the water charge increase Councillor O’Neill got up and walked out.

The increase was passed by five votes to one.
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The church was saved from more serious damage because the diesel produced thick smoke which took up all the available oxygen and smothered the fire.

The church had previously been attacked in July 1995. This attack was the latest in a string of arson attacks on Catholic-owned property in County Antrim. As St Joseph’s was being cleaned after its attack, St Mary’s on the Hill primary school in Carnmoney, County Antrim was carrying out repairs also. A petrol bomb thrown into the kitchen of the school caused slight damage before burning itself out.
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About 500 loyalists began attempts to block roads at 4.45pm prior to 6pm evening Mass. A force of 300 RUC members with 30 Land Rovers were put into place to prevent road blocking.Loyalists shouted taunts at the RUC, journalists and the congregation as they left Mass. Youths threw petrol bombs and missiles at the corner of Larne Road and Casement Street from behind a lorry which they had hijacked earlier to block a road.

Meanwhile outside the loyalist Chichester park estate several dozen loyalists threw bottles and taunted passers by.

During the disturbances a bus was hijacked and burnt out, a car was hijacked and destroyed and two women had to receive hospital treatment after being dragged from their cars as they drove home from Mass.

The normal 600-strong congregation at the Mass was down to 200 due to the loyalist protests which have continued now for twelve weeks. Local loyalists in the strongly unionist town say the protest outside Harryville church will continue “as long as they have a church to go to — and that might not be very long.”
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British army bomb disposal personnel defused the bomb in the vehicle, a black Renault 11, in a remote explosion shortly before 1pm. A senior RUC officer admitted after the attack that the British Crown forces had been on “alert” in the previous few days when a mass operation of raids, searches and arrests took place in nationalist areas of the city.

“Unfortunately our activity over the weekend was not enough,” said the RUC man. Local people claimed there was a virtual curfew in operation with pedestrians and motorists being stopped and homes and workplaces being raided. Following the car-bomb attack the British closed off Strand Road indefinitely. SDLP leader John Hume said that those responsible for the attack on the British Crown were the “enemies of Ireland”.

In a response on November 23 Republican Sinn Féin President, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh said that John Hume may seek to brand those who continue to seek a British withdrawal and Irish national independence but that did not take away from the validity and integrity of their objectives. He continued: “The men and women of 1916 were similarly abused by British and pro-British elements. This has continued down the years and as recently as 1971 the Dublin foreign minister used exactly that term to mark those who actively opposed full membership of the EEC by the 26-County State.

“Of course it all depends on one’s version of Ireland. Those in the SDLP and the Provisionals who are willing to settle for a reformed Stormont with cross-Border boards would certainly see people who continue the struggle for a free Ireland as their political opponents.

“But John Hume’s version of an Ireland remaining under British rule is not the ideal of those who sacrificed down the centuries. Their model of British disengagement from our country and completely new political structures here to share power and decision-making among majorities and minorities has a legitimacy that not even Mr Hume can challenge.

“Those in the British forces who fired over 1,000 plastic bullets in Derry last July were not branded ‘enemies of Ireland’ by John Hume. Why did he not use that description for those in the British army who crushed Derry citizen Dermot McShane to death under an armoured personnel carrier on July 13?” he said.

Speaking on BBC Radio Foyle on November 23 also, Martin McGuinness of the Provisionals said that he wished the Continuity IRA would “go away”. When asked by the interviewer if he also wanted the Provisionals military wing to “go away” as they allegedly had the same objectives, McGuinness did not answer the question.
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A unanimous resolution was passed opposing the moves of the Clinton administration to deport Morrision, who has spent more than 11 years in St Louis. The resolution was sent to the US ambassador in Dublin, Jean Kennedy Smith and to the US Attorney General Janet Reno.

The US government has declared him an “excludable alien” due to his involvement as a teenager with the Irish Republican movement. He is married to a US citizen, Francie Broderick, and the couple have two young children Matthew and Mary Kate.

In a second move the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) in Derry has written an open letter to US President Bill Clinton asking him to intervene with the Justice Department. The letter states:
“He faces deportation because of his involvement in what he considered to be a struggle for freedom. For hundreds of years oppression, ill-treatment, torture and in the era of 1845 and 1850 even genocide was practised against the Irish nation by the occupying British forces. These conditions were destined to cause many young Matt Morrisions to become involved in the struggle for freedom.”

The letter stated that to deport him back to Derry would punish not only him but also his wife and two children “who are after all citizens of your country.” Morrison has been a “model citizen” in St Louis, according to the letter. He would also face “constant harassment” by the British forces if returned to the Six Counties.

The AOH letter called for President Clinton to show “humanity” in the case of Matt Morrison. He now has less than 30 days to show cause why he should not be deported.
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The Pat Finucane Centre said the Inspector compiling the report had not consulted any human rights groups or with the people who lived through the scenes over the summer.

“It has wasted an opportunity to consult with people who were on the ground and I find it insulting and I believe many other people will feel the same,” said Martin Finucane.

The Campaign for the Administration of Justice said: “The fact that the Inspector has finished his report apparently without reference to the views of anyone other than the police can only serve to confirm deep-seated reservations regarding the adequacy of the response to the serious events of the summer”.

The United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets said: “After Drumcree, when the government said it was going to investigate the use of plastic bullets, we said then it would be a whitewash and we have been proved right. They have consulted with no-one about this.”

According to British statistics the RUC fired 662 plastic bullets at loyalist protesters before the Orange march down the Garvaghy Road in July and 5,340 at nationalist protesters after the march .

The CAJ said that it had sent a copy of a report it had compiled itself to the Inspector in November but were told that the Inspector had already completed the report and it had been submitted to Patrick Mayhew’s office.
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