Letters

A chara
Having welcomed home Republican prisoners Josephine Hayden, Martin McGrath, Seán Moore and Robbie McGilloway in July 2000, it was good to see Martin and Josephine relax at functions held in their honour and we should now let them rest and ease back into working towards a free and Gaelic Ireland at their own speed.

The rest of us, on the other hand, cannot afford to relax as the work for political status is as much to the fore as it was in the 1980s.

Thanks and appreciation are certainly due to members and supporters alike for work already done but the campaign must be kept going. Prisoners’ conditions must be highlighted, especially the conditions under which Tommy Crossan is trying to survive in Maghaberry prison in Co Antrim.

It is important that everyone show support, ie pickets, postering (available from the POW Department, 223 Parnell Street, Dublin 1) highlighting the prison situation in any way suitable to your area. Collect signatures to the petition, write letters, e-mails etc to the media demanding that the situation be highlighted, radio interviews where possible. Finance is always required for leaflets, posters etc for this important work and should be sent to the POW Department.

For prisoners’ welfare do collections and raise finance for the Central Committee of CABHAIR, which distributes funds confidentially to prisoners and their families on a fair basis, looking at every case separately so that no one is forgotten. For this purpose it is essential that funds continue to be raised throughout the country for the Central Committee of CABHAIR. Any such finance should be sent to CABHAIR, c/o 223 Parnell Street, Dublin 1.
PEIG KING
Dublin
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A chara
In the past number of weeks the political status issue has been highlighted by white-line pickets on the Falls Road, outside the Republican Sinn Féin office. The pickets are in support of Tommy Crossan and against the abolition of political status through the Stormont Agreement.

Tommy Crossan is a young west Belfast Volunteer who was jailed for an attack on an RUC barracks at the start of 1999. As his actions were not criminal but political, he only asks what Bobby Sands and his comrades died for: political status.

When the prison protests were being fought in the late 1970s and early 1980s thousands of people across the world lifted up in support of the prisoners.

I’m calling on all nationalist people and ex-prisoners and ex-prisoner groups to come out and support the fight for political status.

The pickets are held between 1-2pm every Saturday or you can get further information from the Republican Sinn Féin POW Department, 229 Falls Road, Belfast; phone Belfast 9031 9004.
DECLAN Mac GABHAIN
229 Falls Road
Belfast
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A chara
Reading the interview with Republican prisoner Tommy Crossan in the Sunday Observer reminds me of the dark days in the 1970s when the late Kieran Nugent told a Belfast judge “I am a political prisoner, you will have to nail a convict uniform to my back”.

We all know what happened, his protest led to the Dirty Protest which led to the H-Block hunger strike when 10 Republicans gave their lives for political status. It is the continuity of the same war Kieran Nugent was fighting. It’s the same political status Tommy Crossan is demanding for all POWs. The only difference between Tommy Crossan and Kieran Nugent is Kieran won political status in Long Kesh. Tommy and his comrade Brendan Burns will not give it away in Maghaberry jail.

An Phoblacht abú.
NORA LYNCH
Limerick
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A chara
Fianna Fáil’s Bertie Ahern is following in the same footsteps as de Valera. Keep your enemy close to your chest and ultimately destroy them.

Bertie Ahern did it to the Progressive Democrats, now he is working on the Provisionals. Fianna Fáil is carrying out opinion polls in areas where the Provos might take a seat. They will then pump in money to these areas, especially North Kerry where Ferris is hoping for a seat.

Martin, before you open your new office in Listowel, open your eyes! New offices won’t fool old Republicans. We are not gone away, you know.
NED O’SULLIVAN
South Kerry
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A chara
Following claims by a former British MI5 agent that that organisation is “running operatives” in this State, Fine Gael Leinster House member Gay Mitchell stated: “I am not against using surveillance against terrorists (sic), but it has to be done in a proper and legal manner that respects sovereignty.”

If Mr Mitchell is seriously concerned about sovereignty, may I suggest he contact his friends in Westminster and tell them to respect Irish sovereignty and remove their political and military presence from this country.
JOHN HORAN
PRO
Comhairle Ceantair Átha Cliath
Republican Sinn Féin
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A chara
Britain has never ever been confronted with its centuries of terror, genocide and thievery in Ireland. Why?

Britain’s propaganda, eg Catholics v Protestants (reiterated by Clinton just lately), the Province, Ulster, the British Isles, the two Governments, Irish terrorists, Irish violence, Britain keeping the peace. Why is it not exposed?

In spite of ample access to the media by all shades of resistance over the last 30 years the above has never ever been exposed, confronted ot addressed.

But of course (using an old imperial ploy) the British have been ably helped by the 26-County Government, media and hierarchy.

• The list of Irish journalists in the pay of the Brits and writing for both British and Irish newspapers is endless;
• British Labour MPs Mullin and Benn implored Brian Lenihan and the Dick Spring not to ratify the Extradition Act until the Birmingham Six were released, to no avail;
• Jack Lynch apologised to British Prime Minister Ted Heath after the Derry massacre;
• in deference to their masters in London the 26-County Government will not charge the Dublin and Monaghan bombers as it would also expose their collusion with London;
• John Bruton, the then leader of the 26-County Administration congratulated the British Government on the shooting dead of an unarmed Irishman in London and not forgetting the recent visit of the British army to Dublin;
• the selling of the land of Ireland to the highest bidder frok Britain and elsewhere whilst thousands of Irish people abroad who sent money home for decades cannot afford a holiday;
• the final humiliation will be the ‘Commonwealth’ and of course the shortly-to-be-announced visit of the ‘British Monarch’ (who decorated the butchers of Derry, ie paras) to Dublin. Roll back 1969 -- at least Ireland and the Irish had some self-respect!
  S CARTHY
  Kilburn, London
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  EU Police Force

  A chara
  Does Bertie Ahern endorse the envisaged role of the police as set out at the EU Council at Santa Maria da Feira in June this year, where the EU police force is expected to have an operational role involving paramilitary police, called “Executive policing”, needing “rules of engagement”, in situations like those in Guatemala, Kosovo, East Timor, Albania, Mostar and El Salvador?

  Is he aware that at the end of May this year, also in Portugal, that the UNMIK Commissioner told a seminar that KFOR “police and military (operating in Kosovo) are co-operating closely using as an example joint security operations in Northern Ireland”? KFOR includes members of the 26-County police and 26-County Defence Forces.

  Bertie Ahern has within the past day or two cast a poisonous slur on the Republican struggle in the Six Counties since 1969. Is he now a whole-hearted enthusiast for the generalising of the Kitson experiment?
  PETER MOORE
  Dublin
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