When atrocities are perpetrated upon a civilian populace and good people choose to remain silent that negation of civilised behaviour must be exposed in the most vociferous terms and no-one’s feelings should be spared.
It happened during World War II and is happening, as we know, in Ireland today, and has recurred in Ireland, since the first British invasion.
In a situation where a foreign power occupies another nation, two classes of people evolve, collaborators and resisters.
An obvious example of this occurred in France during the Second World War, as well as other nations. An obvious, but less criticised example is the situation in the north of Ireland in 1997.
It is the resistance that will use any means to purge its country of a foreign intruder and necessarily embracing physical force as an option. Collaborators are those who accept the imposed regime of the occupation and choose to work within it.
There is in the Six Counties a third class, which for lack of a better name, they are leaners – those who lean toward the group on the moments ascent.
These people are caught in the middle, and they usually are on a particular side, but retain a flexibility. This is not an admirable trait, but understandable when the society lives in fear.
SOCIETY BASED ON FEAR
The north of Ireland is a society based on fear such as that portrayed in George Orwell’s 1984. People are made to live in fear because neighbours spy and inform on others intentionally and in some instances, inadvertently.In a society such as the Six Counties, one who makes accommodation with the enemy is a collaborator and the occupying power caricatures these accommodators as “heroes” who work in the system and do not use “violence”. The occupying power has bribed them in some way to sell out national destiny.
The public face of the occupier is one of inflated compassion toward the conquered people subjugated to a fawning media and savvy intelligence organisation. MI6 and the CIA have made a campaign that portrays British rights violation, abuse, torture and murder as acceptable to the US public as intended by London and Washington.
For close to 30 years the Irish American Community (IAC) has criticised how the US has responded, or better, not responded to the campaign of abuse perpetrated by the British in Ireland.
There has been virtual official silence in the US and that has perpetuated a British self-righteousness.
The US government has been well aware of the machinations of the British since day one though they have feigned ignorance. America was supplied with voluminous concrete evidence which they chose to ignore. America believed, wrongly, that it must support the British Government which seeks peace. At no time during the past 30 years or in any previous era did the USA contemplate any type of moral intervention, and used the lame excuse that it was an internal “United Kingdom” matter.
There was no groundswell of support on behalf of those victims of atrocity in the north of Ireland.
Internal matters of other nations are never an issue with various US administrations and only is utilised when the US does not want to become involved. Such is the case in Ireland.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has assisted rebel groups in overthrowing legally existing governments and has bolstered dictatorships in a selective fashion without any moral oversight.
The CIA taught techniques of mental torture to more than five Latin American security forces while publicly condemning the practices.
The CIA put out a manual on torture for chosen agents stating they do not endorse them, but wants friends to know of their existence and the proper way to use them.
The CIA worked with British Intelligence in perfecting torture and Irish Republicans were some of the laboratory specimens. The CIA has had to admit before Congress of this type of appalling activity.
Irish American groups have raised their concerns about torture in the north of Ireland, but they lack the clout to get the US to force the Brits to stop.
The message is diluted by fraternal infighting over areas of responsibility, egos and emphasis on the wrong issues. While individual Congressmen gave a sympathetic ear, Congress as a whole was not warm to Irish issues other than lip service.
MASTER MANIPULATORS
The British are master manipulators and proved this in their convincing portrayal of fighting terrorism in Ireland and sometimes things got out of hand and they employed heavy-handed methods which had to be overlooked.The US leaders and media accepted this and gave the British free run. If some people are mistreated because of a greater good than all the abuse is tolerated. The truth has no role to play.
Worthwhile leaders in Britain, Ireland and the US should have sounded the alarm on what was transpiring in the Six Counties. Silencing by the US on British atrocities just made it easier for the British to continue. And remember, the US knew of the atrocities all along, and that is tragic.
The continuing British campaign in the Six Counties is not only an Irish tragedy; it is one for western civilisation. The Irish people were abandoned by right-thinking people not thinking right. The British must be held accountable, but only the Republican Movement has done so.
The British feel no political pressure to withdraw nor will they terminate their brutal policies because of silence when there should be rage. The US silence is deafening and behind the silences it offers many excuses which are part of the sham.
Look at China which has a brutal human rights policy, and Israel. Are they punished by the US? No, they have Most Favoured Nation status. To get Most Favoured Nation status, a country must have a good record on human rights.
If the US overlooks Tienemen Square slaughter and other Chinese repression, do you think they will go after the Brits, I am sure you see the picture.
And if there is resistance, such as in the Six Counties, little publicity is given to State terrorism, but massive condemnation is heaped on the victims for resisting. When there is abuse, it is a human responsibility to condemn. It is the test of a moral nation and the US to date has failed that test despite our best efforts. Volumes of documentation have gone to the US Secretary of State and they gather dust.
The British knew how to play the US Government because of their traditional tight-knit relationship between the US State Department and the British Foreign Office. Because of this inbreeding on foreign affairs, the US will never attack the British.
British and US Intelligence agencies share information. The Brits could not have won the war in Argentina without US spy planes. Sensory deprivation, such as that used in the Six Counties is a joint venture with the CIA who have had observers in Ireland.
The Irish in America need to put themselves in a position of strength on a one issue demand for a British withdrawal. The wishy-washy issues of peace processes and MacBride Principles can only weaken a community that loses focus on these issues.
The IAC is just not up to the task. Concentration has gone wrong and they looked to Ted Kennedy as the leader. T his column has repeatedly emphasised that Kennedy means Hume and Hume means peace process which is partition.
Will the fools who accept the ‘peace process’ wake up and realise it is hardline or no line.
If you read the papers, many, far too many, are talking as if the election of the Labour Government is going to make a difference. Labour is only a Brit with another name, but still a Brit, when it comes to the crunch.
For example, look at the issue today of Nazi gold. It’s not a new issue. It was raised after World War II, by Washington, but discouraged by the British who were aware of the Swiss control of the Nazi gold, but wanted to let the Swiss off the hook.
When the Swiss were pursued, the British sabotaged the efforts to humble the Swiss. The British motive was clear. It wanted to build its economy through loans from Switzerland.
The US State Department worked with the British against the interest of the US Government which became distorted. Survivors of the holocaust were denied their assets by British design and US acquiescence.
The moneyed interest in Britain won the day against the war’s victims. By the way, it was a British Labour Government. So to those who think Labour is different, let this be a lesson.
British abuse has gone unanswered because they have had their way with the world that they fight world terrorism in Ireland and their repression is excused. Should a State be allowed to use torture at its will?
Those who do not accept the British presence in Ireland have been subjected to inhuman treatment. A political dissident, Jacob Timmerman, of Argentina asked US officials: “Would you allow agents of a legitimate government like Israel’s to torture someone if they thought he had information that could save people’s lives?”
The official answered, “Yes,” Timmerman said; “No, you cannot start down that road. There is no stopping.”
Britain has taken that ominous road over the bounds of decent humanity. The use of cruelty can never be confined so it must be resisted. Those who do not resist become part of the silent partners of criminal activity.
All the oppression of Britain is utilised to deny the Irish people the right to self-determination. the British used torture so that interrogators would get answers to support their official picture of a terrorist conspiracy by the Republican Movement.
The US, knowing full well all British activity, has chosen the response of silence. The US has now grasped the “peace” process to show “concern”. Peace process/partition with some guarantees to nationalists is the acceptable condition within the status quo.
The abuse of the British has not been rectified. There must be retribution. The satisfaction can only be a 32-Ciounty Ireland. the “Peace” process partitionists want us to believe two Irelands of Six and 26 Counties with an open Border is the answer.
— Peadar Mac Fhínín