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From: jmg@houxk.UUCP (J.MCGHEE)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Breaking the Cycle of Violence in the British Isles: Reply to Dave Peak
Message-ID: <184@houxk.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-Dec-83 19:50:06 EST
Article-I.D.: houxk.184
Posted: Thu Dec 22 19:50:06 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Dec-83 04:52:07 EST
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 121

To: Dave Peak
From: J. McGhee

	Your attempt to brand all those who oppose British rule in Northern
Ireland as mindless left-leaning radicals finds a rather unlikely subject in
myself since my family has numerous connections with law enforcement and
national security. Two of my uncles are former special agents of the FBI. One
of these also served in the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) in WWII which
was later reorganized and renamed the CIA. A cousin is presently a special
agent of the FBI. Another cousin is married to a former police officer and
founder of one of the largest detective agencies and security firms in the U.S.
Another cousin served as a weapons expert during the Vietnam War and is now a
police officer. His father received a battlefield commission in the U.S. Army in
WWII and was a prisoner of war in Germany. I myself once filled out all the
forms to become a special agent of the FBI, but never submitted them. I have
worked on numerous defense projects as an engineer and a programmer and I'm
proud of my contributions although I'm not always proud of how policy makers in
Washington use the tools of national defense. I expect I'll probably receive a
lot of flak from those on the left about that just as I often catch flak from
those on the right. When I am called to jury duty I am disqualified from
sitting on criminal cases by defense lawyers because of my family connections.
In short no left-wing group would touch me with a ten foot pole.
	Nor am I unique in this category, because I have met and spoken with
Professor Donal Eoin J. McNamara, an internationally renowned criminologist
(you can find his rather long list of credentials in "Who's Who in America")
and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. I know he
is strongly opposed to British rule in Northern Ireland and has spoken out on
this on many occasions.
	Then there is Professor David R. Lowry, a native of Liverpool, England,
a graduate of Queens University, Belfast (LLB), a Barrister-at-Law, a former
member of the faculty of Queens University, Belfast who received his Master of
Law (LLM) degree from Columbia and New York Universities and is presently
Professor of Law at Pace School of Law. He has written a booklet on Northern
Ireland titled "State Terrorism" in which he calls for the end of British rule
in Ireland.
	Then there is Kenneth Livingstone, chairman of the Greater London
Council, who has called for the end of British rule in Northern Ireland.
	And then there is District Attorney Dennis Dillon who is the District
Attorney of Nassau County, New York and Peter King, Comptroller of Nassau County
who both participated in international inquiries into the causes of violence
in Northern Ireland. They have both called for an end to British rule there.
	And then there is Governor Mario Cuomo, governor of the state of New
York who has called for an end to British rule in Northern Ireland.
	And then there are approximately 150 members of Congress who are also
members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Northern Ireland who have called for an end
to British rule in Northern Ireland. That committee is chaired by Congressman
Mario Biaggi whose daughter was shot at by Loyalist assassins while doing
relief work in Northern Ireland.

	So lets not make any ridiculous statements about those who oppose
British rule in Northern Ireland being leftists or ignorant people.

	Dave Peak speaks about how he was ALMOST struck down by a bomb. I'd
like to ask him if he's ever heard of:

	Steven Geddis		age 10
	Francis Rowntree	age 11
	Stephen McConomy	age 11
	Carol Ann Kelly 	age 12
	Brian Stewart		age 13
	Julie Livingstone	age 14
	Paul Whitters		age 15

	ALL OF THESE CHILDREN WERE KILLED BY THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTHERN
IRELAND. The British Army and the British Government knows who killed these
children and yet has never made any move to prosecute these killers in any
way whatsoever. The mother of one dead boy actually had to initiate a civil
suit, which she won, in order to get the British government to admit it had
done anything wrong.
	There are many more children, women and men who have died unjustly
at the hands of the British Army. They are listed in a booklet published by
a group called "Silent Too Long". I'll try to get these names for posting at
another time.
	One case which I know more readily is the case of two farmers who were
working at their farm when they were approached by a British Army patrol. They
were questioned and during the interrogation one or more of the soldiers
became enraged and stabbed the farmers to death. The patrol hid the bodies,
left the farm and never reported the incident. The deaths were a mystery for
seven years until the case of the "Birmingham Slasher" murders occurred in
England. At that time one of the soldiers who was in that patrol confessed the
incident to police in England because he thought one of the members of that
patrol might be the slasher. These killers were tried and one was sentenced
to seven years another man received a lesser sentence and the rest received
no sentence. This is the only case in the present conflict in which a soldier
has been prosecuted for murder although many other such incidents have occured.
	For instance, the son of Queen Elizabeth's footman was killed by the
British army as he drove his car on vacation in the Republic of Ireland near
the border. The British Army fired across the border for no apparent reason
because they SUSPECTED he MIGHT BE with the IRA. On another occasion a British
Army ambush unit near the border SHOT ITS OWN UNIFORMED OFFICER as he walked
along the road to inspect their positions. If a civilian had died we would
undoubtedly be told that the man was "engaged in terrorist activties", just
as we were told when 14 unarmed men and boys were shot dead in Derry on
Bloody Sunday, January, 1972.
	When I visited Northern Ireland with my wife in July, 1971 I went with
an open mind because I had been something of an anglophile until that time. I
was disturbed by news reports of unrest in Northern Ireland and I wanted to
find out what was going on before proceeding on to my father's birthplace in
Scotland. As it turned out I never got to Scotland because I became so
fascinated with events in Ireland. When I walked through the streets of
Belfast I got a very strong feeling of menace from the British soldiers who
kept their fingers on their triggers as they pointed their guns at hundreds or
thousands of people passing by on the streets.
	After being assured by the hotel staff that there was no curfew in
effect we went out to see a film. On returning we walked with other young
couples the few blocks to our hotel when a British Army truck rounded the 
corner. The soldier on top holding a rifle shouted something I couldn't
understand but I was afraid to do anything or even ask what he said for fear
of enraging him. The next day as we drove through small country towns, a
British Army truck carrying Scottish troops nearly hit us head-on. I only
avoided the collision by turning sharply into a side street. When we finally
crossed the border into the Republic, my wife, who is Polish-American, was
greatly relieved. We were once again in a peaceful environment and as we
traveled around the Republic we continually encountered BRITISH TOURISTS who
were avoiding the North like the plague.
	I've read that a secret British Army report states that the Republicans
CANNOT BE DEFEATED. The Republicans have stated that they will stop fighting
the day that the British announce a withdrawal plan and its doubtful that they
could retain supporters after the British have gone, so why is the British
government prolonging the agony when they know they cannot stop the
Republicans.