Surprised at outrage over collusion with murder gangs

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Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 07 February 2007

A chara,

In 1995 Relatives For Justice - a group formed by people who had loved ones killed directly or indirectly by the British state - published a 57-page pamphlet entitled 'Collusion: 1990 - 1994'. It raised serious questions surrounding murders by Unionist Paramilitaries in the early 1990s -from Sam Marshall's killing in Lurgan in March 1990 to John O'Hanlon's murder in September1994 in North Belfast. The media ignored this pamphlet.

I vividly remember in 1995 the hostility RFJ members received from the southern political establishment when we addressed the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. They simply didn't want to know about Britain's shoot-to-kill policy or its policy of collusion with Unionist murder gangs. For these reasons I find the surprised outrage now being expressed disgusting.

Of course, there are the southern politicians who feign concern. Martin Finucane, whose brother Pat was murdered by British agents, dubbed it the "nodding dog syndrome". And no doubt these nodding dogs, when they had the temerity to raise shoot-to-kill and collusion with their British betters accepted their assurances that no such murderous practices were taking place. Just like the Irish government accepts the assurances from Bush and Rice that no prisoners are being flown through Shannon airport onto Guantanamo or worse.

However, if it was Irish republicans - not US republicans - behind the CIA and military flights, you can bet RTÉ's Tommie Gorman would be a permanent fixture in Shannon airport and Michael McDowell, the Justice Minister, would be down personally searching those planes.

Nothing but the same old story - but the truth will out.

Is mise,

Niall Farrell
Oranmore,
Co. Galway

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