BS: NI Police raid Sinn Fein offices, homes

Subject: RE: BS: NI Police raid Sinn Fein offices, homes
From: greg stephens
Date: 05 Oct 02 - 05:20 AM

I think my point was valid. I'm interested in vernacular architecture, so if I walked down your street jotting things down in a notebook while examining your house it wouldnt be a very hostile action. If, on the other hand, I had a string of previous convictions for burglary, you would have good reason for treating me with some suspicion.

Subject: RE: BS: NI Police raid Sinn Fein offices, homes
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 05 Oct 02 - 03:52 AM

Well it's no good adopting the 10 commandments, as a basis for living, and then only keeping the ones you want. Same is true of the signatories to the Good Friday agreement. It's just that some keep more commandments than others. I say give the north to the south as a gift, and let them sort it out. From what I hear they don't want the IRA, any more than the Brits do.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: NI Police raid Sinn Fein offices, homes
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 11:46 PM

Ah yes Belfast, and the rules ARE different.

I'm sorry if this next bit offends anyone but ever since the IRA made the gestures towards peace that they have, their "opponents" have tried EVERYTHING to torpedo the agreement. Tried to PROVOKE reaction. Tried to get the "OLD" game going again. Even though it is a game that no one can win it allows certain agencies and their political apologists to appear to be defending the "realm" (or what ever).

The whole thing makes me want to scream and run wildly into the mountains of Wyoming and never come out. I have a love of the Irish and the British and I can't stand to see this insanity continue. I hate the Paisleyites and those that distort religion and religous doctrine to suit their pathetic posturings for power.

I think ... ah who gives a shit(e)what I think?

CB

Subject: RE: BS: NI Police raid Sinn Fein offices, homes
From: The Pooka
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 08:53 PM

I haven't looked into this (lately) at all, beyond reading & posting the above article. But my provisional (you should pardon the expression) assumption is that it all has at least *something* to do with First Minister Trimble's ongoing efforts to stave off the surging Paisleyites, electorally. He's gotta look Tough. To save his Arse. Upon the survival of which less-than-attractive political appendage, the Good Friday Agreement does unfortunately seem to depend.

And now, I shall conclude (for the moment:) & make way for somebody (anybody!) who knows what s/he is talking about. Come all ye Norn Iron 'Cats, and enlighten us. What in the Divil is going on?

Subject: RE: BS: NI Police raid Sinn Fein offices, homes
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 08:29 PM

Yeah, but that's not what these raids are about, they're about alleged political snooping.

And as for shooting or blowing up people they disagree with politically, sadly rather a lot of very respectable governments go in for precisely that.

I think there's some political dirty work going on here. As you say Greg, this is Belfast, and the rules are different.

Subject: RE: BS: NI Police raid Sinn Fein offices, homes
From: greg stephens
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 07:59 PM

Very good point, agree absolutely McGrath. But then it's equally true that not everybody shoots, blows up, or kneecaps people they disagree with politically. Or children shopping, for that matter. I don't, and I strongly suspect you don't. Belfast is not exactly analogous to the folk scene in Harlow.

Subject: RE: BS: NI Police raid Sinn Fein offices, homes
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 06:30 PM

Who doesn't spy on their political opponents and colleagues?

Subject: RE: BS: NI Police raid Sinn Fein offices, homes
From: GUEST,Ireland
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 05:34 PM

"The Northern Ireland government, formed in December 1999, is the central accomplishment of the 1998 Good Friday accord. It includes two British Protestant parties and two Irish Catholic parties."


It contains two pro unionist parties, mainly protestant supporters, it does have some Catholic support. Also two pro United Ireland parties which are mainly Catholic but has protestant members.

Too many hijack the religion aspect rather than the political preferences of the parties members.

An American is wanted by the PSNI,for questioning about taking part in a breakin at Castlereagh police station.

Subject: BS: NI Police raid Sinn Fein offices, homes
From: The Pooka
Date: 04 Oct 02 - 05:15 PM

Police Raid Sinn Fein Offices, Homes
The Associated Press
Oct 4 2002 9:49AM

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) - Police raided homes and offices of the Sinn Fein party Friday, seizing computer records and arresting several people in an apparent crackdown on intelligence-gathering by the Irish Republican Army.

Sinn Fein spokesman Gerry Kelly claimed police were trying to undermine the party and placate Protestant politicians. Protestant leaders want to expel Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, from the Northern Ireland government because of continued IRA violence.

``This is a highly political raid,'' said Kelly, whom police believe is a senior IRA commander.

At dawn, police kicked down doors of Sinn Fein activists in Catholic areas of west and north Belfast. Later, more than a dozen officers led by the police's secretive Special Branch intelligence arm seized documents at Sinn Fein's offices.

They refused to say how many people had been arrested.

Sinn Fein said that among the arrested was Denis Donaldson, the party's senior office worker at the government's east Belfast headquarters, Stormont. Sinn Fein lawmaker Conor Murphy said others from the party arrested were involved ``in policing, justice and human rights issues.''

Officials in the Northern Ireland government, speaking on condition of anonymity, said another person arrested was a former government employee who left his post last year.

Police said the raids were linked to IRA intelligence gathering and said the operation was ordered by Chief Constable Hugh Orde, amid fears that the IRA had obtained sensitive ministerial documents.

First Minister David Trimble, the Protestant head of Northern Ireland's power-sharing government, said he suspected the IRA had gathered information about government officials.

He called on British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid to take action against Sinn Fein.

``What we know so far, or suspect so far, is that there has been an IRA intelligence operation directed against the upper echelons of the government, having penetrated the Northern Ireland office,'' he said.

Friday's raids were the largest against activists of the Sinn Fein-IRA movement since April, when police arrested four men. One of them was charged with compiling information likely to be of use for IRA attacks on British security installations and politicians.

Sinn Fein insisted the computer disks taken away from its Stormont offices contained such pedestrian items as a backup of Windows 98 operating software.

Protestant politicians applauded the raids, particularly the unprecedented search of offices at Stormont, a grand white marble building overlooking Belfast that is home to the province's four-party government.

``I hope there will be no hiding place for the IRA from now on,'' said Jeffrey Donaldson, an Ulster Unionist Party skeptic of Northern Ireland's 1998 peace accord.

The Northern Ireland government, formed in December 1999, is the central accomplishment of the 1998 Good Friday accord. It includes two British Protestant parties and two Irish Catholic parties.

Trimble has threatened to withdraw his Ulster Unionist Party from the coalition by January unless the Irish Republican Army shows it has renounced violence. A withdrawal would cause the coalition to collapse.

10/04/02 09:46 EDT