What was it all about?
Iraqi Kurdish town killed with chemical weapons

Support the troops in the gulf visit

http://www.gulffamiliessupportgroup.co.uk/

Visit the Royal Irish Regiment website

http://www.army.mod.uk/royalirish/

Visit the Irish Guards website

http://www.army.mod.uk/irishguards/

..

Irish Sunday Independent
18 Jan 2004
Too many unseen heroes in nationalism's one-eyed view

ON A cold evening in November, Colonel Tim Collins was treated to a home-coming, Irish style. For an officer who had led his battalion of the Royal Irish through the Iraq war without losing a man, who had been feted for his remarkable eve-of-battle speech, which combined uncompromising toughness with compassion and sensitivity, Colonel Collins might have felt entitled to at least a modicum of respect in his home town. Not a chance.

As he arrived to speak at Queens University, where he had studied more than 20 years earlier, he was greeted by whistles, banners, flying eggs and chants of 'war criminal'. According to one of the protesters, Colonel Collins is 'a disgraceful example of the human race'.

Last week, Colonel Collins announced his intention to resign from the British Army after 22 years of service. He was, according to his wife, worried that the army "is being crippled by political correctness, petty bureaucracy and the refusal of politicians who send British soldiers to war to give them enough money to do their job".

The following day Geoff Hoon, Britain's minister for defence, was under intense pressure to resign following revelations that another British soldier, who had been killed during the conflict, had been ordered to hand back the body armour that would have saved his life because there was not enough equipment to go around.

Predictably, Colonel Collins's resignation received little coverage in the Irish media. The Irish Times carried a wire report on its world news pages, which did not even acknowledge that the colonel was Irish. RTE, the State broadcaster that pursues an all-island news agenda, barely noticed the story. All to be expected, you might think: why should Irish news organisations take an interest in the goings on of the British Army and its internal difficulties?

The answer is that their failure to recognise the significance of Colonel Collins's actions, and of his contributions to the war, underscored the one-eyed nature of our attitude to Northern Ireland and its people. If Colonel Collins was a hero, he was an Irish hero. Born and bred in Belfast, with family origins in Cork, he represents a strong strand of Irishness that nationalist Ireland has always refused to recognise. And, in the modern day pursuit of peace and understanding, it remains ignored, and when it is not ignored it is denigrated.

Whether you supported or opposed the war (or, like the Taoiseach, did both), who could argue with Collins's eve-of-battle address, delivered in a rising sandstorm just 20kms from the Iraqi border. "We go to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country. We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them - Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there. You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.

"Don't treat them as refugees, for they are in their own country - in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you. If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day. Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves."

With that compassion and sense of place came steel, too: "The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity."

It was a speech delivered for his men, but it turned Collins into a media celebrity. It helped that he was good-looking, chomped on cigars and wore Ray-bans - and was married with five children. He was the perfect, all-action hero and was hailed from the White House to Downing Street as all that was pure and righteous about the war. None of it was of his choosing, and the jealously that followed was as inevitable as it was depressing.

Before long a US reservist accused Collins of mistreating Iraqi prisoners, allegations that were described as a 'travesty' by another US reservist and which were subsequently found to be baseless, but which were seized upon as proof that every hero has feet of clay.

For Collins, the most hurtful consequence of the allegations must have been the failure of the army to rally round him: in an interview General Mike Jackson, the head of the armed forces, was questioned directly about the allegations and replied: "I can't comment - but, as a general statement, the British armed forces must behave impeccably. We set our standards extremely high and we must all maintain them." Hardly moral support for a man set upon by the petty jealousies of an American reservist he had upbraided and humiliated for disobeying orders.

And so Collins, a man in his prime with that rare combination of charisma, intelligence, good looks and leadership, resigns. The army is undoubtedly the loser, and Collins will have little difficulty making his way in the privatesector.

But his brief moment in the public eye tells us much about our society, and modern Britain too. We have no place for those who do not fit our stereotype: we play the game of understanding, of being inclusive, yet we cannot embrace and celebrate the Irish who have a different sense of purpose, of patriotism and of duty. Colonel Collins was decorated by the British, but he is unlikely to be recognised by the Irish government, or singled out for a man-of-the-year award in his native land. He, and thousands like him, sit outside the accepted version of what it takes to be Irish: as the Royal Irish go to war, and risk their lives, with the shamrock emblazoned on their vehicles, we look away. Not our people.

Our crime is compounded by our inability to understand the need for an army. In a western world made soft by economic success and by decades of peace, we are disdainful of the men and women who are prepared to die so that we can live comfortable lives. And so, in our world evil flourishes: brutal dictators like Robert Mugabe remain untouched and untroubled by the so-called civilised world and when action is taken to halt genocide in Yugoslavia or to end a foul regime in Iraq, we take to the streets and protest.

In Britain, the rewards for the armed forces are spending cuts, bureaucratic failure and a culture of political correctness that wants safety rails on assault courses. We are too soft for warriors, and are made uncomfortable by their presence. The international ambitions of Tony Blair, the prime minister, are threatened by the domestic follies of a Labour administration that is disdainful and distrustful of its own armed forces. The British army is stretched to breaking point across the world, bedevilled by a bureaucracy that fails to ensure that equipment and medical supplies get to the troops and by a culture that cuts spending and drives soldiers in their prime into the grateful arms of the private sector.

In Ireland we avoid the debate by refusing to recognise that many of those warriors are ours. We can claim that we are neutral, that we somehow stand aloof from the conflicts that rage around the world, washing our hands of any responsibility and avoiding any debate. Not our war, not our people.

Our idea of covering Northern Ireland is to lampoon David Trimble as a nay-sayer, laugh at Ian Paisley's belief that Sunday should be sacred and laud the tradition that labels men like Colonel Collins a war criminal. We are as far from understanding as we have ever been, yet we fool ourselves that we have somehow made a leap across the divide. It is a pathetic state that we are in: bewildered by good intentions that can only have bad consequences, confused by our determination to understand rather than to combat evil, whether at home or abroad.

Tim Collins is an Irishman, and a good one. He is far from perfect - and must be haunted by the suicide of a young soldier under his command - and is no carbon copy hero, but he is one of ours: we should be proud of what he achieved in Iraq, and proud of the way he addressed his fellow Irishmen before they went into battle.

If we are to make progress, we have to embrace men like Collins, as much for their Irishness as for their willingness to fight and die in the wars that must be fought if the world is not to be a safe haven for evil.

Otherwise, there will be no one left to fight and the cosy world that we enjoy will decay. No amount of egg-throwing and name calling will prevent that.

Alan Ruddock

UK troops told: Be just and strong

Lt Col Tim Collins urged his troops not to kill unnecessarily
British troops waiting to attack Iraq have been told to behave like liberators rather than conquerors.

But they have also been warned some of them may not return from Iraq alive.

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins gave the battlegroup of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish the pep talk as the US deadline for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or face action ticked away.

Reporters said the men listened in silence to the address at Fort Blair Mayne desert camp, 20 miles from the Iraqi border.

"We go to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country," he said.

"We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.

If you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory
Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins
"There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send.

"As for the others I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.

"Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.

British troops await orders

Click here for full story
"You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis.

"You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.

"Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.

"If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day.

"Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves."

UK TROOPS PREPARE FOR WAR

Click here for images of UK troops in Kuwait
To his 800 men - an arm of the 16 Air Assault Brigade - he said: "It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive but there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign.

"We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow.

"The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction.

"There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam.

There may be people among us who will not see the end of this... We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back, there will be no time for sorrow
Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins
"He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity."

He said: "It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly.

"I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts, I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them.

"If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family.

"The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please."

He warned the troops not to get carried away in the heat of battle.

"If you harm the regiment or its history by over enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer.

God doesn't want you for a sunbeam - he wants you for a soldier
Father Nick Gosnell, chaplain to 16th Air Assault Brigade

UK troops pray for peace: Click here for full story
"You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation."

Warning that the troops were very likely to face chemical or biological weapons, he said: "It is not a question of if, it's a question of when. We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the decision himself. If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack."

His closing words were resolute: "As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there. Our business now is north."

http://www.grandorange.org.uk/press/Orange-Standard/2003-Standard/0311-November2003/article6.htmlOrange Standard
Gulf Soldiers Honoured
Article 6 ~ November 2003

Antrim town Lodge, Murray's Temperance True Blues L.O.L. No. 201, recently honoured three of their Lodge members who have safely returned from active service in the Gulf conflict.

In an Ulster-Scots celebration evening special guest Stuart Jameson presented gifts to the three Lodge members and unveiled a special commemorative plaque to acknowledge their service to Queen and country.

A Lodge spokesman commented: "In what was a very enjoyable evening almost 100 guests attended a special date for our Lodge, as a young and growing Lodge we found it quite remarkable and memorable that three of our brethren should be called up to serve in Her Majesty's armed forces. All three saw active service within Iraq around the Basra area and have certainly some notable stories to tell.

"The Lodge were honoured that Mr. and Mrs. Jameson, who have supported the Lodge's growth and development, could be with us to mark this special evening with a true Ulster-Scots flavour."

http://www.u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=30950&pt=n

There was a picture in the Newsletter last week of the Royal Irish
Regiment coming out of the showers all wrapped in Union Jack and Ulster
towels and flags plus a tri-colour flying too..........

MONDAY 07/04/2003 18:42:57

Dublin soldier in Irish Regiment of the British Army killed in Iraq

One of the soldiers killed yesterday in the battle for Basra was named
tonight as Lance Corporal Ian Malone of Dublin.

The 28-year-old Irishman was a member of the 1st Battalion the Irish
Guards and was serving with his regiment in Basra.

His family said they were devastated by his death but took some comfort
from knowing he died doing the job he loved.

``Ian was a wonderful son, full of life and vitality, fun and wit,``
they said in a statement released by the British embassy in Dublin.

``His family and girlfriend are devastated to learn of his death. He had
so many friends and so much to live for.

``He loved the Army and lived for the excitement and challenges that
being a soldier brought.``

Mr Malone`s family said he was proud to be an Irishman and to be serving
in the Irish Guards.

Lance Corporal Malone joined the Irish Guards in 1997 and served in the
United Kingdom, Poland, Oman, Canada, Kosovo and Germany.

He was a valued member of the regimental pipe band.

His family asked the media to respect their rights to grieve in privacy.

Three soldiers died in yesterday`s operation to take control of Iraq`s
second city.

MONDAY 07/04/2003 11:22:03 1 comment
<http://www.u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=30924&pt=n#comments>

Two Irish guards killed

Two Irish guards have been killed in fighting around the southern Iraqi
city of Basra.

They were among three British soldiers killed yesterday in fierce
exchanges as Coalition troops attempted to take control of areas of the
city.

Their unit formed part of the Scots dragoon battle group and it is
believed that they were killed as they attempted to dismount from their
warrior fighting vehicle.

Ulster Newsletter
www.icnorthernireland.co.uk
Back From Iraq to Do Us Justice
Jan 17 2004

ASSISTANT Chief Constable Stephen White returns to the PSNI next month - after spending a gruelling six months revolutionising Iraq's policing - as the head of the criminal justice department.

His new role, created under the Patten recommendations, is to lead the operational detective branch which is the amalgamation of Special Branch and CID.

He will also help formulate policies and work in other parts of the criminal justice field.

However raw his time recreating policing in Saddam Hussein's old playground, he feels his experiences will contribute to his new post.

Security Correspondent GEMMA MURRAY reports.

THE difference between the police service in Iraq, where Stephen White spent the last six months, and Northern Ireland is difficult to comprehend.

One of the Mr Fix-its sent by the Foreign Office to southern Iraq, Mr White, whose last job in Ulster was to keep law and order at Drumcree, says the professionalism of the PSNI is unequalled in his experience and only regrets that more PSNI officers were not sent.

Mr White, who next month returns to the PSNI as head of the criminal justice department, speaks with authority.

His policing passport has also been stamped in Mongolia, Serbia and South Africa.

Having lived through radical changes in the Northern Ireland policing service, Mr White was sent to teach Iraqis how to revolutionise

their own force. But his task as senior police adviser and director of law and order for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Basra was the most demanding yet.

There are four provinces in southern Iraq - the area Mr White was responsible for was around the size of the island of Ireland.

He said: "I think some of the things we get excited about in Northern Ireland are petty.

"I think people here do not realise how lucky they are when you see what the Iraqis have in relation to a police service and what we have.

"I don't think people realise how good the PSNI is or the RUC was - good in terms of not being corrupt, being pro-active, by working with the community and being answerable to the community.

"I understand for some people Drumcree is a very sensitive issue and people feel their rights are being denied. I understand that.

"I am blowing my own trumpet here but I actually think the way we have policed Drumcree in recent years has shown our professionalism and patience.

"In Basra and other parts of the world, a person could throw a stone at the police and get shot at. People attack the police here very often and we are restrained in how we answer."

Among Mr White's achievements in Iraq, he is proud of setting up a new police academy.

The seal of approval came when Prime Minister Tony Blair visited the site in his New Year trip to southern Iraq.

At a cost of $1.2m (£653,000), the academy comprises 22 classrooms with accommodation for 360 residential students plus 100 day students. An international group of 50 officers - from Britain, Italy, the Czech Republic and Denmark - have been doing the training.

During the next six months, 6,000 police officers from the Saddam regime will undergo a compulsory transition and integration programme.

"The retraining for Saddam's old police force started with a three-week course in international law and democratic policing techniques.

"It is a steep learning curve in three weeks, to say the least, for officers who were part of Saddam's brutal regime this time last year. But those three weeks are only the start. They are then monitored in action in their police stations.

"I was hoping to move the Iraqi police further along the road - in that they should realise that, rather than being above the law, they should be answerable to the people. But what needs to be done in Iraq is a long-term job - but I was only there for six months to get things started and lay the foundations for the future."

Another achievement for Mr White was recruiting militia into the new police force.

"One of the biggest challenges for me was getting those guys integrated into the police, getting them into uniform and getting them trained and under the control of the proper authorities.

"This did not happen without its troubles because the men had no experience in discipline. "In some areas, before the coalition forces arrived, the militia swarmed and took responsibility for the area.

"They are not the same as the UDA or the IRA - they are more military and seen as heroes and liberators of their own people.

"These guys chased all of Saddam's men out of an area, they closed all the property up so there was no looting. When Saddam's old police ran away, they appointed themselves as the guardian of the people and property."

Working at the coal-face in Iraq, Mr White said his beliefs about the way policing should be delivered have been reinforced.

"First of all, the police have to work with the people, they should be held accountable and there is a need for good and effective training. I was involved in developing police committees with the public, which is similar to the old police authority. "In a time of change, you need good leaders - that leadership should be within and without."

Basra conditions echo the days of the Troubles

WORKING in the primitive policing conditions of Basra brought Stephen White back to his experiences during the Troubles.

During his six-month stint in Iraq, Mr White attended several memorial services for murdered police.

And on one occasion, the vehicle in which he was travelling was bombed.

"Two mortar bombs were attached together into a device and planted on the back of a mountain bike. The device was detonated when we drove past. I had four bodyguards and one was badly hurt.

"Then a senior policeman with whom I worked was shot dead by the militia. His murder also brought me back to the Troubles. "Going to the memorial service of an officer that was killed reminded me of all the funerals and services we went to. But being in Basra also highlighted how far Northern Ireland has come."

He said another similarity in policing to the Province is the need to be community and culturally aware when they are dealing with people.

He added: "A lot of the issues are the same - trying to get the people to trust the police and work with the people.

"People would not have walked past a police station in the old regime - they would have crossed the road because they were scared.

"So I tried to get the public involved in the police committees. I also encouraged the police to be pro-active. It is still in the very early stages. In Northern Ireland, we have a very professional outfit which is also heavily scrutinised and held to account."

Mr White had four bodyguards which he described as " invaluable". Many ex-PSNI and RUC officers are working for agencies and the Foreign Office as bodyguards - for an estimated £400 a day.

"I could not have moved without my bodyguards who were employed by the Foreign Office. A lot of the men were ex-PSNI and were doing particularly well.

"The day my vehicle was bombed the bodyguard who was driving me was ex-PSNI, and it was only his second day on the job.

"There is an attraction in that type of situation - if the men act as bodyguards for six months they can earn a lot of money, but it is very dangerous.

"Some are self-employed and others are run by agencies - there is no doubt that they can make money."

A pleasant surprise for the ACC was learning about "the kindness in human nature".

"I learned about how decent people are," he said. "There are Northern Ireland people who wrote to me and sent me Mass cards even though I am a Protestant. That really touched me.

"People said they were praying for me and sent me food parcels. A woman from Moira even sent me a CD player, a food parcel and a harmonica. I got so many letters of support and it was a lovely experience.

"In Iraq, I was received very well. Nobody treated me with anything other than respect or kindness. But it was interesting when I arrived in Iraq and read one of the translations of a local newspaper.

"It said that, initially, they were concerned about this man coming from Northern Ireland from a police force 'with a tradition of being cruel and treating Irish Catholics badly'.

"But, when they met me in real life and saw what I was trying to do, they changed their opinion."

http://www.u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=33092&pt=n FRIDAY 06/06/2003
13:32:12 1 comment
TA soldiers back from the Gulf

Territorial Army soldiers who served in the Gulf made an emotional return to
Northern Ireland today.
By:Press Association
Thirty-three soldiers from the Royal Irish Rangers who guarded 16 Air
Assault Brigade headquarters during the Gulf conflict flew into RAF
Aldergrove near Belfast.

Family and friends were there to greet the troops, whose headquarters are at
Portadown, Co Armagh.

During the war they had earned huge respect from the Regular Army for the
vital security work they carried out.

Lieutenant Colonel Andrew McCord, commanding officer of the Royal Irish
Rangers, said officers had been unable to distinguish between full-time and
TA soldiers during the war.

In a glowing tribute, he declared: ``I have received numerous
correspondences from those that came in contact with my soldiers during the
war and everyone of these praised them for their performance.

``I think these comments show the professionalism, ability and character of
our TA soldiers, who in very difficult circumstances have proven themselves
more than capable.

``The defence platoon have demonstrated that TA soldiers can be used to
reinforce the Regular Army and that their standard of training allows them
to do that job well.``

Local soldiers prepare for war

By Ben Lowry

ULSTER soldiers in the Gulf are monitoring public opinion as they prepare for possible war, one of their officers said today. Major Neil Sexton, spokesman for the Brigade which includes Royal Irish Regiment soldiers, said that all the UK troops had access to newspapers so they were aware of issues such as the debate over a further UN resolution.

The major said the soldiers were hoping to see public opinion swing behind them.

"I think they feel that the public supports the soldier but not yet what we are out here to do."

The entire Brigade has arrived in Kuwait, where they are engaged in intensive training for a conflict that may be only days away.

"There is a certain amount of not knowing what will come next," said Major Sexton.

But despite some of the tensions, morale is not low. "We train to deploy in operations so they are doing what they trained to do," he said.

Around 1,000 of the 40,000 British service personnel are with regiments that have direct links to the province.

The entire First Battalion of the Royal Irish, comprising about 650 soldiers, is part of 16 Air Assault Brigade

Around 300 soldiers from the Irish Guards are with 7 Armoured Brigade.

Both brigades come within 1 (UK) Armoured Division, currently in Camp Cayote, a huge area of white tents in the desert, north of Kuwait City.

And there will be more Ulster folk serving with other branches of the armed forces, including the RAF, the Royal Navy, the Parachute Regiment, and the Marines.

There are also around 100 Northern Irish Territorial Army volunteers in Kuwait. Many of them have been deployed to protect 16 Air Assault Brigade headquarters.

As infantry soldiers, the Royal Irish are likely to be part of the first wave of any attack. They have been practising live firing on ranges, and taking part in night time exercises, training with helicopters, and driver training.

In recent days, the temperature in the desert has been around 25 Celsius during the day, dropping to a mild 5-8 degrees at night. The main difficulty has been the wind, which blows up sand and can reduce visibility to 500m or less.

"That has implications for driving, flying and things like shooting," Major Sexton said.

He added that the troops are sleeping in good tents, receiving three hot meals a day, and getting showers.

20 March 2003
Irish soldiers prepare for action

Soldiers from Ireland, who are among those set to spearhead the land invasion of Iraq, are making last-minute preparations in the encampments along the Kuwaiti border.
The Royal Irish Regiment and Irish Guards, comprising about 650 troops, have now taken up their final positions for invasion. It is thought that the main bulk of the British force will move on the port city of Basra.
Addressing his troops this morning, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins, commander of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish, called for his men to be fierce in battle but "magnanimous" in victory.
It is thought that the ground offensive will begin within the next 48 hours following the opening salvo of targeted missile strikes against leading members of the Iraqi military and ruling Ba'ath Party this morning. The air-war proper has now got under way.
US President George Bush gave the go-ahead for strikes after intelligence sources claimed to have pinpointed Saddam Hussein's location. The first explosion rocked Baghdad at around 2.30am (GMT) and has continued intermittently throughout the night. A state broadcast purportedly by Saddam Hussein at 5.30am (GMT) called for Iraqis to "put the invaders to the sword". It is not clear when the statement was recorded.
There were also reports of Scud missiles being fired at northern Kuwait and artillery exchanges between Iraqi and US positions along the Kuwaiti border.
(GMcG)

http://icnorthernireland.icnetwork.co.uk/news/local/content_objectid=13268061_method=full_siteid=91603_headline=-Lasting%2DTribute%2Dto%2DThose%2Dwho%2DDied%2Din%2Dthe%2DTroubles-name_page.html
Lasting Tribute to Those who Died in the Troubles Aug 8 2003

By Kieran Mcdaid


UP to 3,000 relatives of security forces personnel killed during the Troubles are to attend the dedication of a major new memorial in England, it emerged yesterday.

The Ulster Ash Grove, which is part of a national memorial in Staffordshire, will form a permanent tribute to members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the armed forces and prison officers who were killed over the last 34 years.

Trees will be planted in memory of those who lost their lives in service during the violence.

Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy, security minister Jane Kennedy and the General Officer Commanding the Army in the Province, Lt General Philip Trousdell, will join relatives at the ceremony next month.

Senior figures from the four main churches in the Province will jointly celebrate the dedication ceremony.

The Ulster Ash Grove forms part of the National Memorial Arboretum, a memorial to all the members of the British armed forces who were killed in service, which is located in the village of Alrewas, near Lichfield in Staffordshire.

The Ulster memorial comprises a three-metre tall central pillar of Mourne granite and is surrounded by six boulders taken from the six counties in Northern Ireland.

The stones are arranged to symbolise a map of Northern Ireland.

Seats are located beside the pillar, where visitors can rest and reflect on their surroundings.

The pillar is inscribed with the words: "In grateful memory to the men and women of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC, the Armed Forces and other organisations in service of the Crown, who laid down their lives in the cause of peace in Northern Ireland 1969-2001."

The Ministry of Defence has planted 719 trees in the grove, each one representing the life of a soldier killed during the Troubles.

A total of 29 trees have been planted in memory of the same number of officers in the Northern Ireland Prison Service who were killed since the start of the violence.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has planted 38 trees, each one representing a former RUC sub-division.

The dedication ceremony will be held on Tuesday, September 23.

Symbolic tree planting and wreath-laying ceremonies will form part of the dedication service, while doves will also be set free during the event.

More than 50,000 trees have been planted in the National Memorial Arboretum since work commenced on the 150-acre site in 1997.

The site, which includes visitor facilities and a chapel for private reflection, was officially opened by its patron, the Duchess of Kent, in May 2001.

Belfast Telegraph
Anti-war graffiti slated

By Jonathan McCambridge

ANTI-WAR graffiti in Republican West Belfast, which expresses the hope that Northern Ireland soldiers serving in Iraq will be killed, was today branded "sick and offensive".

The Roads Service and Belfast City Council have been asked to remove the graffiti, which appeared this week at Divis Street at the Westlink off-slip.

The graffiti concerns RIR soldiers serving in Iraq and reads "RIR - You're coming home in boxes" and "RIR will RIP".

North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds said the slogans were "gratuitous and offensive".

He added: "At a time when troops from the Royal Irish Regiment are risking their lives in Iraq, this graffiti, which is clearly the work of Republicans, is extremely hurtful to the soldiers' families and regarded as obscene by the vast majority of the population.

"I have contacted Roads Service and Belfast City Council and asked that the graffiti be removed.

"Many constituents have contacted my office to express their utter disgust at this development."

North Belfast Assemblyman and military historian Fraser Agnew added: "This graffiti would be hurtful and offensive at any time but for it to appear when people are risking their lives makes it even worse."

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=393587

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=403688
Soldiers break the GAA barrier

By Gary Grattan

MEMBERS of the British armed forces are in training for an historic sporting encounter later this month.

For a British Combined Services team is to take on the Irish Defence Forces in a GAA challenge match.

The Irish Defence Forces issued the invitation to the military here after the GAA Congress voted to scrap Rule 21, which banned members of the security forces from participating in Gaelic games.

The challenge of finding the British team fell to two officers from the Royal Irish Regiment - Dublin- born Lieutenant Colonel Leo Callow, and Major Steve Hetherington from Fermanagh, who is a qualified rugby coach.

The two men, with the help of some local players, have converted a bunch of soldiers, airmen and navy personnel - currently based in various parts of the province - into the first ever British Combined Services GAA team.

The squad will wear a specially created team strip for the occasion.

Lieutenant Colonel Callow, who is based at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn, said: "This must surely be the first time the British and Irish armies have ever played this sport in Ireland.

"It's all about sport and friendship and is, for us, an introduction to a game many of us thought we would never get the chance to play in Ireland.

"We have a squad of about 25-30 players in training, and are indebted to PSNI Inspector Damien Tucker who put their GAA team together last year."

Telegraph
The Royal Irish does a great job. so it had to be hacked
By Ruth Dudley Edwards
(Filed: 29/05/2003)

So the rumours were accurate: the Government's war on the institutions of the state continues unabated. The latest target is once again the Army - the only public service that does its work with conspicuous success.

Whether asked to fight fires, destroy mountains of animal corpses or take Basra, the Army snaps to it and delivers. Yet, at a time when it needs 10,000 more soldiers, it is being ordered to sack 3,500 members of the Royal Irish Regiment that has been a vital force in the domestic war against terrorism [report, May 28].

After more than three decades living happily in England, this Irishwoman is still dismayed by the self-loathing of many of its elite. The Irish may be tiresome in their conviction that they were MOPEs (Most Oppressed People Ever), but they are proud of their culture and their country: too many English people are self-destructive in their determination to see their history as shameful and their present and future as an opportunity for breast-beating and atonement.

I love my adopted country in a hundred different ways, but the downside of its being the most civilised nation in the world is its warped obsession with being fair to the chaps on the other side. The level playing field was a nice idea: handicapping your own side is not.

It is as insane to get rid of a regiment because its enemies don't like it as it is to persecute soldiers such as Colonel Tim Collins because you feel obscurely that it is bad form to win.

The lunacy is all about - in an asylum system that embraces the Taliban and Ba'athists, a judiciary that has abandoned the common sense that the great Lord Denning believed should be its guiding principle and a ruling class that has allowed the rights culture to threaten the effectiveness of all our institutions.

We shudder when we hear of the burglar suing Tony Martin, but we should be even more alarmed at how endangered are the security forces.

The RIR is the latest victim in the campaign of destruction by parts of the Establishment against the protectors of the state.

The report by the well-meaning Sir William MacPherson was brilliantly deployed to break the spirit of the Met; £200 million of taxpayers' money is being squandered on Lord Savile's inquiry into why the Paras killed 13 people in the middle of guerrilla war; Chris Patten unwittingly provided the means to destroy the bravest and most effective police force in western Europe; Sir John Stevens, the Commissioner of the Met, is tireless in his determination to put under a spotlit microscope the murky workings of police, Army and MI5 as they struggled to save the lives of the citizenry; and the Army, the pride of our public services, has so lost the will to defend itself against those who hate it that it is betraying its brightest and best.

As a pragmatic historian, I almost always see cock-ups and rarely conspiracies but, in the case of Col Collins, from the outset I saw not only muddle-headedness and jealousy at work, but a deliberate attempt by some of those whom Sinn Fein calls "secureaucrats'' to use outrageous allegations against a fine soldier as a weapon against a regiment that had become a bargaining counter with the IRA.

Tim Collins was the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion of the RIR (although the disbandment will not affect the one general service battalion that recently returned from Iraq under his command).

Created in 1992 through a merger of the Royal Irish Rangers and the Ulster Defence Regiment, like the RUC, the UDR/RIR has been subjected for years to intense and effective black republican propaganda.

On Sunday, for instance, a southern Irish newspaper of the fellow-travelling variety described it as "loathed by republicans for its track record of violence and intimidation against Catholics''.

Well, there were bad apples in the UDR and are no doubt in the RIR but, in general, considering that they were fighting terrorists, their country should be proud of their courage and their restraint. They lost more than 200 members during the Troubles, almost all murdered by republicans, yet they killed only eight.

To put it in perspective, republicans of various stripes were responsible for 59 per cent of deaths, the security forces as a whole for 10 per cent, the RUC for 1.4 per cent and the UDR/RIR for 0.2 per cent. I have known innumerable ordinary men and women who joined the UDR to defend their local communities, who lost comrades and friends and family to local terrorists and who never sought revenge.

Yet so skilful and audacious was the propaganda, so guilt-ridden the Establishment and so anxious were British politicians to bribe the terrorists, that there was little effort put into defending the reputations, the ethos or even the effectiveness of the UDR/RIR, the RUC or indeed the Army as a whole.

The UDR felt shamed by the abolition of its name, the RUC was embittered by being renamed and enfeebled, the Army is fuming about Savile and Stevens and now the three home battalions of the RIR, which still perform a vital function against paramilitary criminal gangs, are to be disbanded as another sop to violent republicanism.

That an impromptu speech by Tim Collins should have seized the imagination of millions was annoying to envious colleagues. But that a Belfast-born officer in the RIR should become the hero of the Iraq war was infuriating for those planning to run down his regiment.

There is no benign rational reason why the Army gave houseroom to the idiotic complaints against Col Collins by a whingeing American high-school counsellor and leaked them to the press, along with the information that there would also be an investigation into a "bullying'' culture in the RIR because of a suicide two years ago.

Bullying and suicide are a sad feature of military life that the top brass normally brush under the nearest carpet. Why did they suddenly want a spring-clean?

It was too much to hope that our present Establishment would rejoice in the success of Col Collins and his men. It is terrifying that it blackened the name of a brave regiment because Gerry Adams wants it abolished.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2003/05/29/do2901.xml

Belfast Telegraph
The pain that time doesn't heal...

By Gail Walker
gwalker@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

08 September 2003 Mabel Hempton LATER this month, families, friends and former colleagues of many of those who lost their lives in the service of the Crown during the Troubles will gather for a ceremony to dedicate a unique memorial.

The Ulster Ash Grove which is part of the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield in Staffordshire England, is a living tribute to members of the RUC GC, the Armed Forces and other organisations in service of the Crown, who lost their lives in the cause of peace since 1969.

The National Aboretum is a 150 acre site, founded by Commander David Childs and was originally conceived as a living tribute to the wartime generations of the 20th Century. Development work on the site started in 1997 and since then more than 50,000 trees have been planted. Many military and civilian organisations have contributed their own memorials. The Arboretum includes visitor facilities and a chapel for private reflection and worship. Every day at 11am, a two minute silence is held.

The NIO is the principal sponsor of the Ulster Ash Grove where seven varieties of ash trees, all common to Ireland, have been planted.

The PSNI has planted 38, each one representing an RUC Sub-Division. The NI Prison Service has planted 29 trees each one representing a lost life of a member of the Prison Service and the MoD has planted 719 trees, each one representing a soldier killed.

The centre piece of the Ulster Ash Grove is a three metre high monolith made from Mourne granite and surrounded by six boulders, one from each of the six counties.

The four main church leaders will concelebrate the dedication ceremony on Tuesday, September 23 which will be attended by representatives of the Government, the Army, police and other services.

For those who lost family, friends and colleagues, every day brings memories.

Here, three women - a prison officer who suffered appalling injuries in an attack that also claimed the life of her friend, the mother of a policewoman murdered when she was only 21 and the widow of a young UDR man whose children were only infants when he was killed - talk about the pain that never goes away.

God has given me the grace not to dwell on the people who put me in a wheelchair

Former prison officer Mabel Hempton (51), was shot and critically injured as she left Armagh prison to go for lunch. Another colleague, Agnes Wallace, was killed in the joint gun and bomb attack by the IRA in 1979. Mabel, from Co Armagh, was awarded the Northern Ireland Prison Service Medal in September 2002. She believes the Ulster Ash Grove will be a poignant memorial to Agnes and another murdered friend and colleague, Pat Kerr

AFTERWARDS doctors told me I'd been very lucky. Because I was standing sideways on to the gunman the bullet entered my right side, at chest level, and exited from my left, missing my heart by a knife-edge. Apparently, if I had been facing the gunman the bullet would have passed straight through my heart, killing me instantly.

And I was also fortunate that I'd been shot before they threw the grenade. I'd already fallen to the ground, but I was told that if I'd still been standing, I'd have been killed outright by the blast.

But sometimes I don't feel very fortunate.

I was 27 when I was shot and I've been in a wheelchair ever since. I still have shrapnel in my body. I also developed diabetes and because my nerves are bad I get very het up, and shake a lot. Even the thought of talking to a journalist about what happened to me is terrifying.

When I look back on my life, I think of the choices I made and the impact those decisions had upon my life. I even think of the choices I made the day I was shot and, in some ways, blame myself.

It was my idea that we all left the prison to go for lunch that day. If only I hadn't done that, Agnes would be alive.

At school I did a secretarial course and then I worked as a machinist, but my big ambition in life was to be a nurse.

When Craigavon Hospital was opening in the early '70s, I applied there to train to be a nurse. But I wasn't sure I'd be accepted and so, at the same time, I applied to join the Prison Service. I was 21 and keen to get a better job and decided I'd accept the first offer I got. That came from the Prison Service.

I was sent to Armagh Prison. It wasn't easy work - it took a long time for prisoners to get used to new faces on the staff - but I liked it and felt I had an aptitude for it. I rose to the rank of 'class officer', which meant I was in charge of a wing. I also had responsibilities for running the shops and censoring post. Just before I was attacked, I'd passed my exam to become a senior officer. Ironically I was hoping to move on in my career when it all ended.

The day of the attack was like any other. I'd been in the cash and carry in Portadown in the morning, getting goods for the prison.

It was payday and we were in high spirits. When I suggested that four of us go out for lunch at the Wagon Wheel, a little place not far from the prison, Agnes asked me to keep her pay because she did not have a deep enough pocket.

I was to give it to her later, but later never came for Agnes.

As we walked out of the prison I heard a shot, except I did not immediately realise what it was.

I looked across at another female colleague and she seemed to fall to the ground, in slow motion and wavy, like a snake when it's being charmed.

I didn't realise I'd been shot, either, but I fell to the ground. Agnes was still on her feet beside me, and then they threw the grenade and, afterwards, there was nothing could be done for her.

I was taken to Armagh hospital, then transferred to Craigavon. I was only semi-conscious, though I did manage to ask them not to let a police officer call with my mother to break the news. I didn't want her to get too great a shock. Instead, our rector told mum.

The full horror of it didn't hit me straight away; I was suffering from delayed shock.

I was probably lucky in that I wasn't told straightaway that I wouldn't walk again; that was more of a slow realisation. When I'd try to walk I'd collapse after a few steps, and it was thought it was due to badly pulled muscles. Later it became clear that four discs in my back were now badly twisted and abnormal in size, and I had to go to Musgrave Park Hospital for further treatment.

I've lived with my sister Jennifer and her husband ever since. Of course, that has had a tremendous impact upon them. When I was shot their two sons were very young but caring for me meant the end of family holidays and indeed the end of so much of normal family life for them.

The Prison Officers' Association has been wonderful. Its chairman, Finlay Spratt, and secretary, June Robinson, are so caring. They got me an electric wheelchair and they will ring up just for a chat if they know I'm unwell or depressed. I couldn't praise them highly enough. And female officers from the POA in England raised enough money to buy me a Mercedes Benz van, which I can drive myself.

But you do feel forgotten by the general public, though, perhaps that's inevitable.

About seven years ago I became a Christian, which gave me a contentment and peace of mind I could not have achieved on my own. I try to forgive those who carried out the attack, but sometimes I don't manage to.

Two young men were charged in relation to the incident, but acquitted. It would be hard to think about how no-one has been brought to justice, especially when I think of Agnes losing everything or how my life turned out. But the really brilliant thing is that God has given me the grace not to dwell on those who carried out the attack.

I never married or had a family. I tell people that my four dogs - Xenia, a Rottweiler, Tyson, a Boxer, and Charlie and Willow, two King Charles spaniels - are my family. I love dogs; they'd never do to you what a human being is capable of doing to you.

I think about Agnes a lot. I think if only we had all been injured a little more and Agnes a little less, then she would be alive. She had a young family, and they and Agnes missed out on so much together.

Six years after my attack another friend Pat Kerr, who'd worked with me in Armagh before being transferred to the Maze, was shot as he left St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh after Mass. His young son was with him.

I think the Ulster Ash Grove is a fitting living memorial to those people who have made the supreme sacrifice. It will be a place for their loved ones to go and sit and reflect on what might have been. When I think about trees I think of the greatest sacrifice of all, which took place 2,000 years ago, and again cruel men were at the back of that. I look forward to the day when all will be revealed. And I'd still rather be me, with all my pain and suffering, than the men who left me like this.

Apart from the attack, the worst thing that happened to me was having to undress in Judge's Chambers during my compensation hearing so that my injuries could be inspected. I was offered £60,000 and then the court was adjourned for two weeks, but I felt so humiliated I contacted my solicitor that night and told him to accept the offer, as I could never face another hearing.

Yes, we have a nice home here, but, as my sister says, it was built with blood money and you could never put a price on it.

In its own way, too, it became a prison.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/features/story.jsp?story=441503

US Planes Welcome in Ulster - DUP

Mar 25 2003

THE US administration has been asked to explore the option of using
Aldergrove as a stop-off for its military planes bound for the Gulf.

With opinion in the Republic divided on the use of Shannon Airport as a
pit-stop for American aircraft, the DUP has met with the US Consul in
Belfast.

Party leader Ian Paisley discussed in detail the proposal with Consul
Barbara Stephenson at the weekend.

During the meeting, Mr Paisley also drew Sinn Fein's stance on the war
in Iraq to the attention of the US administration - noting that party
leader Gerry Adams had called on the Irish government to stop the use of
Shannon by the Americans.

Last week, the Irish parliament narrowly agreed to continue to let the
US military use the facilities at the airport, despite public disquiet
and attacks on planes.

Dr Paisley said: "We have suggested relocating US war planes away from
Shannon, where they were attacked.

"I asked the US Consul to explore the option of, instead, moving the
planes north to Aldergrove and a country that is in the coalition of the
willing, rather than opposed to the war effort.

"The associated jobs and business at Aldergrove would be most welcome."

On the issue of Sinn Fein's attitude to war in Iraq, Mr Paisley said he
thought it was important to draw the party's "anti-American" stance to
the attention of the US.

"It is time for the US administration to recognise just how contemptible
Sinn Fein/IRA is.

"One day they are falling over themselves to be at the White House, the
next they are condemning the US administration.

"The American authorities have spent a lot of effort appeasing Sinn
Fein/IRA and this is how republicans repay Americans.

"They prefer siding with those in world terrorism rather than those
fighting to preserve democracy."

# Sinn Fein is to table a motion at Lisburn City Council calling on the
authority to oppose the war on Iraq.

Newsletter
12 Sep 2003
http://www.icnorthernireland.co.uk

Iraq to get PSNI vehicles

More than 170 armoured military Land Rovers left Northern Ireland last night, bound for Iraq.

The vehicles, all drawn from reserve stock in the Province, will give much-needed and potentially life-saving protection to Army patrols in southern Iraq.

However, the MoD said that the vehicle reserve still held in the Province was adequate to fully equip the 14,000 military personnel in their operational role in support of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

An Army spokesman said: "We are very pleased to be able to help our colleagues serving in Iraq. A review and re-distribution of our vehicle stock in Northerni Ireland has enabled us to release these vehicles."

Soldiers are Forbidden to Wear Union Flag Emblem
http://icnorthernireland.icnetwork.co.uk/
By Kate Cooney

SOLDIERS serving in Northern Ireland have been forced to remove a Union flag badge from their uniforms in case they offend nationalists.

Those serving abroad as part of international coalitions are issued with the Union emblem shoulder flash to allow others to easily identify them as British.

A row over the ban, introduced by former GOC Alasdair Irwin, erupted when an angry infantryman sent a letter of complaint to the Army's Soldier magazine.

Sgt G Dalgliesh of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, who wore the badge while serving in Iraq, said: ''Now, as we embark on a two-year posting in Northern Ireland, we have to take them off. It's a disgrace.''

Soldiers who have recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq where the wearing of the Union flag is mandatory are understood to be especially resistant to the ban.

An Army spokesman said: ''On the issue of the Union flag on combat dress, the previous GOC decided it was inappropriate for soldiers in Northern Ireland to wear an emblem which is considered to be emotive in the political climate.

"This decision is under regular review by headquarters Northern Ireland, but currently remains extant.''

GOC Irwin, who has since been succeeded by Philip Trousdell, is thought to have taken the decision after nationalists dubbed the flag ''provocative''.

Independent UUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said: ''I intend tabling a parliamentary question to ask how many complaints the Army has received about the display of the Union flag on soldiers' uniforms.''

Shadow Defence Minister Gerald Howarth described the action as absurd and said: ''This move reflects the obsession that this Labour Government has with political correctness.''

k.cooney@newsletter.co.uk

Peace Troops Bound for Balkans Mission
Oct 27 2003
http://icnorthernireland.icnetwork.co.uk/news/local/content_objectid=13560670_method=full_siteid=91603_headline=-Peace%2DTroops%2DBound%2Dfor%2DBalkans%2DMission-name_page.html

By Joanne Lowry

A GROUP of Territorial Army soldiers waved goodbye to Northern Ireland and their loved ones yesterday, jetting off on a six-month mission to provide medical support to British and NATO forces in the Balkans.

The 64 members of 253 (North Irish) Field Ambulance (Volunteers) left from RAF Aldergrove and will take up their roles as part of the Blue Light Matrix peace support operation in Kosovo and Bosnia.

The soldiers, who will be under the command of Col Iain Moles, will face harsh conditions, with temperatures dropping to as low as minus 40 degrees.

But Col Moles said he was confident his troops were ready for the challenge after months of training.

"Conditions will be very harsh and there is a major problem with minefields," he said.

"These soldiers come from all walks of life and are trained for war.

"They have also received training in trauma management and vehicle trauma so they are ready and willing for this duty.''

It is the first time a TA squadron from Ulster has been sent en masse for duty since World War Two but veteran commander Major John Boyd said he was confident the exercise would be a success.

Major Boyd, from Newtownabbey, has been with the TA for 38 years.

He said: "I am going to be away over Christmas, away from my wife, three children and grandchildren - I'm even going to miss my 35-year wedding anniversary.

"The time goes in quite quickly, you work very hard and, although you miss home, the six months isn't long going in.''

Cpl Joan Allen, 25, from Belfast, one of the youngest soldiers in the group, said: "I really just want to get out there. After all the training for the past few months, now I just want to be there and put everything I have learnt into practice.''

http://icnorthernireland.icnetwork.co.uk/news/local/page.cfm?objectid=13183058&method=full&siteid=91603&page=2
'I'd Do it All Again,' Says War Nurse Jul 16 2003

By Anne Palmer

TO look at nurse Judy Madill, you could be forgiven for thinking she had returned to Fermanagh after a long, lazy beach holiday.

In reality, all sun-tanned, sporty and toned, Judy has has just returned home from action in Iraq.

The hospital theatre nurse and Territorial Army major was drafted to Kuwait only days before the war started.

But while most Territorials returned home weeks ago, 38-year-old Judy stayed behind to help set up the semipermanent field-hospital near Basra.

The trained TA soldiers came from every walk of civic life and, through previous training, knew what was expected of them.

Judy and her fellow soldiers endured physical graft assembling and lacing-up two tented field hospitals, first in Kuwait and then a 200-bed facility near Basra.

While her photographs were reminiscent of scenes from TV's long running MASH series, this was a full-on reality situation.

"All the wards were open and, at one stage, we thought we would have to extend it out to another hospital," she says. "But, thankfully, we did not have too many coalition casualties from the war. There were, however, many local Iraqis.

"I saw some horrible cases. We dealt with many people who had burns. I had not actually dealt with many of those kinds of injuries before."

However, she was struck by the sheer resillience of the Iraqi people she met in hospital.

And Judy was impressed by the teamwork of everyone called to Iraq.

"Every time you went into the trenches you met someone new," she says.

"I've made friends and, even if I don't see them for years, I know we will still be able to pick up where we left off."

The availability of medical supplies presented a slight problem at the start of the war, but staff improvised and managed to get by.

"The problem over there is that they have to pay for medical supplies. Their medical supply system is not the same as ours and it's not going to change over night," she says.

Judy cannot recall having time to feel frightened - like many others she said she just what she had to do.

"That's what I signed up to do. I knew, by the way things were going in the Gulf, there was a possibility of being called up," she added.

Arriving home in Fermanagh has been a strange experience after months of looking at life through sunglasses. Judy said the shades were very necessary because all you see is sand.

"Initially, it was strange - it's like you are suffering from sensory deprivation, because all you see over there is sand and here you have green fields to look at and a different environment," she said.

The former Enniskillen Collegiate Grammar pupil, who trained to be a nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital, said she was glad she was called up and would do it all again tomorrow if she had to.

While Judy has returned to her full-time job as a hospital theatre sister in England, the whole experience has had a major impact on her perspective.

"It makes you appreciate what we have in our own NHS world," she said.

"When you are working with much less equipment, it make you realise how much you can do with so very little."

a.palmer@newsletter.co.uk

FRIDAY 21/03/2003 17:30:33
Back Ulster troops says Trimble

David Trimble today urged anti-war protesters to call off their demonstrations and get fully behind Northern Ireland soldiers serving in the Gulf.
By:Press Association

The Ulster Unionist leader said society had a duty to support the families of thousands of service personnel from Northern Ireland involved in the conflict in Iraq.

``What the families in Northern Ireland would like to see is the community rallying to their support rather than demonstrating against it.

``I would therefore call on those who are contemplating participating in, or organising demonstrations, to think again and to think about the thousands of families here in Northern Ireland who are now directly connected with the operations in Iraq,`` he said.

His appeal was made as silent vigils were held across Northern Ireland in protest against the war. Further demonstrations are due to take place tomorrow.

The trade union organised Stop the War Coalition, which staged the peace vigils, said they would continue to oppose the war.

But the Ulster Unionist leader claimed that protests could help prolong the war by providing encouragement to Saddam Hussein`s regime in Baghdad.

``The liberation of Iraq will come more rapidly if the corrupt, despotic leadership sees that society is united and that it removes from Saddam Hussein the false hope that division at home will weaken the assault on him.

``There are thousands of Ulster folk in the front line. They require and deserve our support. That must now be the priority,`` he added.

Patricia McKeown of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions condemned Mr Trimble`s comments.

``It think it is an utter disgrace for a senior politician in Northern Ireland to come out with a statement like that. The force of global public opinion is against this war. This is an immoral war and it is an illegal war,`` she added.

http://www.u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=30323&pt=n

19 March 2003 Unionists back war with Iraq

At last night's crucial Commons vote over whether to give assent to the use of military force against, the Ulster Unionist Party pledged its support for the government's position.
During Tuesday night's emergency debate in the House of Commons, Mr Trimble said the Prime Minister had now been left with "no alternative".
Yesterday, backbench MPs tabled an amendment to the government's motion – stating that the case for war with Iraq had not yet been established and that UN weapons inspectors should be allowed more time to continue their work.
The vote that followed saw 139 Labour MPs rebel against the government – representing one of the biggest backbench rebellions in living memory. Despite Labour backbench opposition – rising from last month's total of 121 MPs – the Commons voted 396 to 217 to support Prime Minister Blair's stance.
The Ulster Unionist's six MPs backed the Prime Minister whilst the SDLP's South Down representative Eddie McGrady voted against.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Trimble said France was solely responsible for "destroying the credible threat of force" which underpinned diplomatic efforts. He added that the US could not be expected to "humiliate themselves" by bowing to such pressure.
Although the consequences of war were "unknowable and unpredictable", Mr Trimble said there was "not much of a choice" over what action should follow.
In the debate in the Lords, Unionist peer Lord Maginnis of Drumglass said: "Leadership, not equivocation, in the struggle to protect the weak and vulnerable is what has been ordained for our nation, and I am proud to associate myself with that position.
"I am not a warmonger - war is and should be the last resort. But I do believe in moral obligations and that war may be the only way to avert greater wars, greater aggression and greater oppression.
"My Lords, my concluding thoughts and my prayers must be for our soldiers and their anxious families. I wish our armed services God speed and a safe and speedy return."
(GMcG)

Police Officer Finds Love on the Streets of War-Torn City
Dec 8 2003
http://icnorthernireland.icnetwork.co.uk/news/local/content_objectid=13703756_method=full_siteid=91603_headline=-Police%2DOfficer%2DFinds%2DLove%2Don%2Dthe%2DStreets%2Dof%2DWar%2DTorn%2DCity-name_page.html

GEMMA MURRAY reports on the Ulsterman who met his wife while helping to police a city which has much in common with Londonderry

THE troubled ghettoes of Kosovo seem an unlikely location for romance. But this is where PSNI constable Peter Bates met his wife.

He and Slavica met while working at a police base in northern Kosovo. The pair returned to Northern Ireland last week.

Now Peter is trying to get to grips with the massive changes in policing since he left for Kosovo in 1999.

Slavica is doing her best to acclimatise to the Ulster humour and weather.

She is one of five Kosovan women who married PSNI officers and returned to Ulster.

The couple met in Mitrovica, a Kosovan city which has much in common with Londonderry. It houses a divided community of Serbians and Albanians who live on opposite sides of a river.

Serbians dominate the north of the river while Albanians control the south.

The city, with a population of more than 100,000, has sprinklings of bombed-out homes, with families crammed into poor accommodation.

Since Peter arrived in the post-war zone, he feels little has changed for the population - except policing.

He says there has been little movement with regards to employment, medical services and social services.

However, families are vociferously pushing their children towards education. Truancy is not a problem in the city.

In common with other parts of Kosovo, electricity and water is available for a limited number of hours each day.

"The main change in the country has to be to policing,'' said Peter.

''There are now Kosovan police officers patrolling the streets. We recruited local people and the first batch came out of the training centre last December, after spending one year getting instructions from the internationals.

"In the police service, the Albanians and Serbians get on, probably because they have no choice but to work together.

"They now mix in patrols, with both Albanians and Serbians going into the different areas.

"On December 19, the first Kosovanmanned police stations will come into being. They will have international monitors - but they are starting to take on the responsibility themselves, which shows real progress.

"The conflict is still very, very raw. The locals will tell you that it is not time for them to live together in communities. They just want to get on with their lives in their own areas.''

But while the ordinary working classes have little time for bridging the divide, businessmen and criminals, namely the mafia, are very willing to work together.

The black market is rampant in Kosovo. People can get their hands on anything, ranging from guns to drugs to children and women.

"Business people are very willing to work together - as are the criminals. Like most other places, money talks. An organised crime taskforce has been set up to deal with the problem and is presently being staffed by internationals.

"There are plans for new Kosovan police to take over, but that will take some time.''

Given the recent unrest, most households have at least one gun. A gun amnesty organised by UNMIK in September was unsuccessful.

"It is still the norm for households to have at least one gun for protection. The recent gun amnesty saw very few weapons being handed in. People feel they need to keep their weapons for their own protection.''

Life is not easy for anyone, particularly women.

Instances of fathers murdering their daughters because they believed she is not a virgin or is having a relationship with ''the wrong man'' are not uncommon.

Women are the bottom rung of society. Their lives are, in some families, considered less than that of a cow.

However, Peter feels there has been a sea change in locals' attitudes to international policing.

Initially, locals were reluctant to trust the police or come forward with evidence about family murders or domestic violence - now there is some movement of information. But there is still a long way to go.

When he arrived in Mitrovica, there was no way he could have lived outside the military base.

"I have family now in Mitrovica and lived in the town with them for the last six months. This would have been unthinkable when I arrived.

"We now have a good relationship with the community as we help them as much as we can.

"There were people walking into the police stations who had nothing - no money for food or medicine. We did everything we could to help them out.''