“We won the war, Now let’s win the peace”

Wednesday April 16, 2003 10:14

by Durutti Column

PRO POW’s Maghaberry Gaol Aontroim. “We won the war, Now let’s win the peace” No! it’s not some Brit or Yank general after the fall of Baghdad or Basra. It’s Sinn Fein’s annual ‘sound-bite’ from a veteran to rally the troops who might be doubtful. Nothing like a self-congratulatory ‘pat on the back’ to make everyone feel we’re in control. Unless I fell asleep and have just wakened up, I don’t remember any Brits waving white flags in West Belfast, Tyrone, Derry, South Armagh or anywhere else for that matter.

13 April 2003-04-13

PRO POW’s
Maghaberry Gaol
Aontroim.

“We won the war, Now let’s win the peace”

No! it’s not some Brit or Yank general after the fall of Baghdad or
Basra. It’s Sinn Fein’s annual ‘sound-bite’ from a veteran to rally the
troops who might be doubtful. Nothing like a self-congratulatory ‘pat
on
the back’ to make everyone feel we’re in control. Unless I fell asleep
and have just wakened up, I don’t remember any Brits waving white flags
in West Belfast, Tyrone, Derry, South Armagh or anywhere else for that
matter. Far from it! No spoils of war for the rank and file anyway!
Just
humiliation after humiliation, Mitchell Principles, Weapons beyond use,
Stormont etc, etc, etc, and there’s more to come- joining the RUC(PSNI)
Board of Informers, disbanding the Provisionals and dare I say it –No I
won’t! Alright I will- Police the Peace.

While we’re talking about surrender I was looking through the Annals of
History when I came upon another surrender with lessons that you would
think would have been learned by now. This event took place 400 years
ago about this time of year too. However the submission of Hugh O’
Neill
was not a shoddy, shameful affair like this latest capitulation of the
Sinn Fein Leadership. O’Neill and Red Hugh O’Donnell had fought a long
and hard campaign, had walked most of the country and with the aid of
Scottish Galloglass won many battles great and small against the
English. Events though turned against O’Neill, many deserted the great
chief, some through bribery others just to save their own lands and
necks. Hugh O’ Neill himself was willing to hold out but famine ensued
in Ulster-3000 died in Tyrone alone.

The English after their success disarmed the whole country from end to
end. Gaelic chiefs including O’Neill had to surrender their lands to
the
crown; they were then re-granted whatever lands the crown saw
fit-usually far less than they originally held. ‘Surrender and
Re-grant’
it was called but a promise had to be given ‘not to raise arms against
the crown in future’. Sound familiar? They say that history repeats
itself and you would think we would learn by our mistakes by now--well
some do some don’t!

I see Bush and Blair are up in arms about the treatment of their
soldiers taken prisoner in Iraq—pot calling the kettle black! Remember
the Afghan War, prisoner taken to Cuba hooded, shackled, some drugged.
Remember the fuss the American Gov. made when the Red Cross asked to
visit the prisoners.

You only have to look at Ireland to judge Britain’s record in its
treatment of POW’s. Apparently it’s against the Geneva Convention to
film prisoners or treat them in a degrading way. Well I must ask the
Red
Cross to come to Maghaberry sometime as prisoners here are videoed and
recorded every time we step out of our cells (except of course when a
Republican is attacked.) I wonder if Strip-searching is termed
degrading
for we get plenty of them, legal visits—prisoners not notified or
solicitors told blatant lies that prisoners had refused the visit.
Boxed
visits—where a prisoner and his relatives are put in a boxed room and
separated by a full dividing screen. Boxed visits are normally reserved
for criminals who abuse drugs but in an attempt by the NIO to
criminalise Republicans it is often used as a weapon against us. Since
we refuse to be criminalised we refuse boxed visits. Our relatives have
to return home without seeing their loved ones most after travelling a
long distance and going through the security checks, body searches,
guard dogs, drug dogs, and insults from loyalists and screws. Our
relatives’ determination never ceases to amaze and inspire us.

Allegations have been made that ammunition used in the murder of six
people in the Heights Bar in Loughinisland came from Ballykinlar army
base. Locals know the real truth, not only was there ammunition from
Ballykinlar in the area that night but two land rovers were parked in a
laneway half an hour before the shooting. No statement has ever been
made by Ballykinlar army base on troop movements that night.

In the one-sided war for control in Iraq a familiar statement was made
by the armies—‘Car failed to stop after a warning as we thought our
lives were in danger we opened fire (just to protect ourselves you
understand!) All occupants (women and children) were killed.’ In a
press
statement by Tony Blair to the people of Iraq he said “We are going to
liberate you”, he forgot to add “even if we have to kill you to do it”.

Back in the Gaol here another Republican POW was assaulted this week.
The assault took place in sentenced wings. One Republican prisoner who
is outnumbered 11-1 by loyalists was walking round the exercise yard
when boiling water was thrown over him from one of the windows above.
Finally I was about to highlight the issue of the non-arrival of post
at
the gaol but it seems some-one got a parcel through today (Friday 4th)

An Phoblacht Abú!
Is mise le meas,

PRO Maghaberry gaol.