Tuesday-Wednesday, 3-4 December, 2002

• British killers to be promoted (1)

• Peter McBride's mother hits out at British Government (2)

Tuesday-Wednesday, 3-4 December, 2002

British killers to be promoted

By RM Distribution

Two British soldiers jailed in 1992 for killing 18-year-old nationalist Peter McBride in Upper Meadow Street in the New Lodge Road area of North Belfast were recommended for promotion by their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel WG Cubitt.

Cubitt, in a written submission to an army review board, described convicted killers Scots Guardsmen Mark Wright and James Fisher as mature and confident and he praised them as excellent guardsmen. The pair were described as "intelligent, professional and reliable" soldiers who were "gregarious and enthusiastic".

Responding to the news, Peter's mother Jean, who has protested against the British Army for allowing the two convicted killers to rejoin their regiment despite their murder convictions said, "it is just another insult to Peter's memory.

"It was bad enough that they were allowed to rejoin the army after only serving three years for the murder of my son; we find out now that they are in line for promotion."

Fisher and Wright were allowed to stay in the British Army after serving just three years of their life sentences, a decision condemned by Sinn Fein, the Independent Assessor of Military Complaints, the Catholic Primate, the Presbyterian Moderator, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and SDLP leader Mark Durkan.

The McBride family has launched a Christmas postcard for justice campaign aimed at Tony Blair, telling the British PM that "this injustice has not gone away".

2O,OOO postcards addressed to Blair, have been printed, and they will go into circulation this week. They carry images of Peter McBride and on the front are the words "Merry Christmas Mr Blair" with a message on the back stating that after a decade of grief filled Christmases endured by his family, the two convicted killers still remain in the British Army.

Speaking after the launch, North Belfast Assembly member Gerry Kelly said that he and Jean McBride had met with the Dublin government, who assured them that they would pursue the issue with the British. "Jean McBride has met with the Taoiseach and will meet Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowan at the earliest date, but so far she has been refused a meeting with Tony Blair, who has the power to resolve this issue," he said.

After a meeting with Jean McBride on Wednesday 27 November, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams vowed to also raise the matter with Tony Blair.

Jean McBride is calling on people to put a stamp on the pre-addressed cards and post it to 10 Downing Street, urging Tony Blair to meet with the family and to act as a matter of urgency.

Tuesday-Wednesday, 3-4 December, 2002

Peter McBride's mother hits out at British Government

By Pat Finucane Centre

Government policy has the "moral authority of a Taliban decree on the rights of women."

Jean Mc Bride, mother of murdered teenager Peter Mc Bride, has described the Ministry of Defence policy on who is fit to serve as a British soldier as having the "moral authority of a Taliban decree on the rights of women." Mrs Mc Bride’s comments came following the revelation in a parliamentary reply that there were "no foreseeable circumstances" where soldiers who had been discharged for minor drugs offences would be recalled in the event of war. In contrast the two soldiers who murdered Peter Mc Bride continue to serve in the British Army and are at present based at the Oxford Barracks in Muenster, Germany.

"Yet again a British minister has demonstrated that his government live in their own bewildering wee moral universe. Adam Ingram, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, is telling me that a soldier who smoked a joint is unfit to serve his country while the two Scots Guards who murdered my only son are. What can be more morally corrupt than the murder of an innocent 18 year old youth?" Jean Mc Bride asked today. I want to know are there any ‘foreseeable circumstances’ where the MoD would consider expelling soldiers who murder Irish citizens?

Hansard column reference 485W 2/12/02

Service Personnel

Mr Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of those discharged from the armed forces for the use of controlled substances could be liable to an enforced call-up to reserve forces. [82122]

Mr Ingram [holding answer 25 November 2002]: There are no foreseeable circumstances that would necessitate the call-out of former Service personnel discharged for the misuse of controlled substances.

See www.serve.com/pfc for background on the case