See German translation Here
DEMILITARISING IRELAND
Decommissioning of paramilitary weapons, in particular those of the IRA, is a subject that has been tossed around the politics of the north of Ireland since 1994. Decommissioning is not just about IRA weapons, but the total demilitarization of the North of Ireland. Throughout the world, resolutions of conflict have never involved commitments by armed groups to disarm as a precondition to dialogue.
Little has been mentioned of where the vast majority of weapons are held, in the hands of the British Army and the RUC. Between them they hold at least 30,000 weapons, from pistols to machine guns, and the just as deadly plastic bullet gun.
There are also 134,000 legally held firearms. The majority of these licensed weapons are in the hands of Unionists- RUC officers, members of the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR), prison officers and ex-members of these discredited forces. “For their self protection.” Many of these weapons are kept at their private homes, some have been “ lost” and ended up being used by Loyalist paramilitaries in sectarian murders.
Licensed handguns are illegal in England, Scotland and Wales. This ban should be extended to the North of Ireland, as Westminster still claims jurisdiction on security matters there. The only people in the North who require firearms are farmers to carry shotguns for pest control.
The time to begin the demilitarisation of Ireland is now.
Not next week, next month, but NOW.
BRITAIN'S FORCES OF OCCUPATION: THE ARMY
The millennium was seen in by 15,000 soldiers in the North of Ireland.
The British army has been helping to prop up this statelet since partition in 1922. The force has varied in size depending on the threat felt by Westminster and its Unionist allies. The HQ of the army is in Lisburn and administers control over all operations in the North of Ireland. The army are now allegedly off of the streets, but this has only occurred in Belfast and Derry. They still are much in evidence in the “border” areas and towns throughout the North. Even with the current peace process the army is constantly upgrading its numerous installations.
South Armagh is the most heavily militarised area in Western Europe, with spy towers dominating the picturesque landscape. These towers emit microwave radiation, which is a hazard to the health of the local population and livestock. Low flying helicopters are often the cause of livestock having to be destroyed with no compensation to the local farmers.
The RIR is the locally recruited regiment. Although only one battalion serves overseas, the remainder serve solely in the North of Ireland. This is another Unionist dominated force, which has been involved in collusion with Loyalist murder gangs. Members have even been prosecuted for murders associated with the UVF/UFF; others were involved with the smuggling of arms to the UDA in the “Brian Nelson affair,” a venture British Military Intelligence was fully aware of.
Disbanding THE RUC and RIR should happen simultaneously in conjunction with the dismantling of the army’s apparatus of occupation.
BRITAIN'S FORCES OF OCCUPATION: THE RUC
The RUC have 161 permanent fortified installations across the North of Ireland, which bare no resemblance to a police station at all. All installations have high walls, barbed wire, reinforced lookout posts, high pylons with cameras to monitor the surrounding areas and even directional microphones to eavesdrop conversations at distance. Most of these fortresses are jointly operated with the Army. For a citizen to report to one of these facilities, even to produce driving documents is a daunting task.
The RUC is armed on a daily basis, even on traffic duty and is actually the largest paramilitary force in the North. Being a 93% Protestant force it is not difficult to see where their allegiances lie. The RUC has been regularly used to beat peaceful Nationalist protestors off of the streets so that sectarian, Orange marches can pass triumphantly by.
Frequently the RUC has been involved in practices such as torture, shoot-to-kill policies and collusion with Loyalist murder squads to the extent of supplying these gangs with the personal details of their victims.
The Patten report wants to re-name and re-shape this totally discredited force. It does not go far enough. The RUC should be disbanded..
A leopard never changes it’s spots! DISBAND THE RUC NOW!
BRITAIN'S FORCES OF OCCUPATION: THE NAVY & AIR FORCE
The Navy have a small but significant force in the North. There is a major radar and communications facility at Oxford Island, Lough Neagh, linked to NATO. This facility doubles as an eavesdropping centre for GCHQ, intercepting radio and telephone conversations. On Carlingford Lough there is a permanently moored warship on what forms the “border” at sea. Other naval personnel can be found at bases in the Derry, Antrim and Down areas. They are mostly signals experts, eavesdropping.
The RAF’s operations are centred at RAF Aldergrove more commonly known as Belfast International Airport. Opposite the main terminal building, Chinook, Puma, Wessex and Lynx helicopters can be seen operating 24 hours a day. These helicopters are armed and used to service bases throughout the North. They carry sophisticated surveillance equipment, which has since been adopted by the police here. Hercules transport planes can be seen operating on a regular basis from Aldergrove and Shackleton Barracks, Derry. In such a small airspace it is a miracle there has been no mid-air collision with a civilian aircraft.
ONLY FULL WITHDRAWAL OF ALL THESE FORCES WILL LEAD TO TOTAL PEACE IN IRELAND.
TROOPS OUT MOVEMENT
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E-mail: TOM@sparkle123.freeserve.co.uk