Paul Donovan Column
By Paul Donovan
T WAS good to see the British and Irish governments taking the initiative
and setting a timetable for action on the peace process. This has been
long overdue. The tone of the comments from Prime Minister Tony Blair
and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern were that their tolerance with the parties
was running out. Either they sit down at the Assembly or the governments
will move in and run the North of Ireland statelet bilaterally.
This threat should cause particular concern for the Unionists when coupled
with the previous statement about Britain no longer having any economic
or strategic interest in the North of Ireland.
A dual administration from Dublin and London would be more likely to
accelerate moves toward a united Ireland. It can only be hoped that the
latest developments do at last signal a time when the governments stand
up to the Unionists. It has been clear all along that the peace process
was never going to move on until the Unionist veto was confronted.
There does though seem little doubt that the resolve of the governments
will be tested. When interviewed by the BBC a Democratic Unionist Party
representative virtually sneered at the timetable put forward suggesting
there was no way that the governments would stick to it.
However, this time may be different. Secretary of State Peter Hain has
remained resolute in his determination to make the parties work for the
money they are now receiving for doing nothing. The response of Blair
and Ahern to the murder of intelligence service agent Denis Donaldson
was also telling.
While Unionist parties were given the usual low amount of air time on
the BBC to blame the IRA, the Irish and British Premiers made it clear
that they did not believe the IRA was responsible.
The mood music is certainly changing with all the signs there that the
no surrender approach of Ian Paisley will not be tolerated for much longer.
Blair though did also warn of possible upheavals over the next few months.Indeed
much of that upheaval seems likely to come from the British side.
While no doubt the Unionist veto has to be confronted another major concern
has to be the actions of a number of people in Special Branch and the
security services to destroy the peace process.
Let’s not forget that it was agent Donaldson who was at the centre
of the spy ring scandal at Stormont that caused the collapse of the Assembly
just over three years ago.
When Donaldson was revealed as an agent he made it quite clear that Special
Branch and the security services were at the centre of these actions.
Notably in a statement following Donaldson’s death his family went
to some lengths to clear the IRA of any involvement.
It said: “On Tuesday 4th April, Denis was murdered. We do not know
by whom. But the difficult situation which our family has been put in
is the direct result of the activities of the Special Branch and British
Intelligence agencies.”
The IRA has made it clear for some years that for them the war is over.
Unfortunately, it has suited the political purposes of many on the Unionist
side to continually seek to beat the Republicans as an excuse to not enter
into power sharing.
The British media has been complicit in this charade with its one-sided
coverage of the scene in the North of Ireland. The onus should have been
put on the Unionist parties to take a real and active part in power sharing.
Another focus should have been on the role of elements within the security
services and Special Branch who are clearly working against the peace
process.
There is no doubt about this now and it really cannot go on if the peace
process is to move forward in the coming months.
THERE has been great fanfare over the launch in Britain of the Serious
Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) with its high-powered agents.
The SOCA officers who will combine the powers of police with those of
immigration and customs personnel will combat drug-dealing gangs, people
trafficking and major fraud.
The setting-up of informer networks will form a major part of their work.
The new force was likened to the FBI but perhaps a comparison with RUC
Special Branch is more apposite — a force within a force that came
to operate outside the law.
No-one can say the writing was not on the wall.
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