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Ireland: Politicians not welcome at massacre memorial service (Families of IRA victims make request)
The Belfast Telegraph ^ | Januray 6, 2007 | Claire McNeilly

Posted on 01/06/2007 6:48:54 PM PST by Stoat

Politicians not welcome at massacre memorial service

[Published: Saturday 6, January 2007 - 09:21]

By Claire McNeilly

Ulster politicians were yesterday absent from an annual memorial service after victims' group FAIR asked them to stay away.

More than 30 relatives of the victims gathered at the site of the IRA Kingsmill massacre in order to commemorate those who perished 31 years ago.

The short 15-minute service took place at 11am at the site of the 10 killings, half-a-mile from the village of Whitecross, Co Armagh.

FAIR spokesman Willie Frazer said that both the prospect of Sinn Fein in government and concerns over victims' issues led to a number of families objecting to political representation at yesterday's service.

"Around 30 people turned up to pay their respects this morning, but others didn't come because they still feel too intimidated to attend," he said. "A number of families felt that they didn't want any political parties present this year, so we asked them not to come.

"Politicians have been present in the past, but this year we asked them not to attend because we believe they have a lot of work to do and many important issues to resolve before they can face the victims' families.

"Not only Kingsmill victims, but a lot of victims of terrorism feel that we are in the same position now as we were 31 years ago."

Ten Protestant textile workers - all men -were shot dead in the massacre.

They were returning home from work in a mini-bus.

"We don't believe in this whole push to get Sinn Fein into policing.

"Policing isn't up for negotiation.

"People should automatically accept law and order," Mr Frazer said.

"We have nothing against any individual politician, but victims were told to stand their ground and keep their spirit - they've done that, but all they see is the terrorists being rewarded.

"This was probably one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles, given the circumstances.

"We hope an investigation into it - and all the others - will start soon."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: ira; ireland; kingsmill; kingsmillmassacre; northernireland; sinnfein; terror; terrorism
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To: Stoat
The Belfast Telegraph is a Protestant paper, it caters to a Unionist (or judging from this report a Loyalist) audience. It is astounding that a newspaper pretending to be respectable could mention this massacre without mentioning the intimately connected massacre of Catholics the day before. THAT is support for terrorism, important support.
41 posted on 01/09/2007 7:13:25 PM PST by jordan8
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To: Irish_Thatcherite
Could they be afraid to?

Possibly.  If they won't even talk to us then we'll never know.

unhijacked threads are good threads!

Agreed.  Sadly, this thread appears to be heading toward the 'hijacked by IRA lovers' dustbin.

42 posted on 01/10/2007 12:50:05 AM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: Stoat
Possibly. If they won't even talk to us then we'll never know.

FR's life story!

Agreed. Sadly, this thread appears to be heading toward the 'hijacked by IRA lovers' dustbin.

Yes.. he is another one of that mob, though not as extreme as kellynla... which is not saying much....

43 posted on 01/10/2007 10:56:11 AM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?)
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To: jordan8
The Belfast Telegraph is a Protestant paper, it caters to a Unionist (or judging from this report a Loyalist) audience. It is astounding that a newspaper pretending to be respectable could mention this massacre without mentioning the intimately connected massacre of Catholics the day before. THAT is support for terrorism, important support.

And what is the Sunday Independent? A southern newspaper staffed mainly by Catholics, yet it still unequivocally condemns the IRA.

44 posted on 01/10/2007 11:02:35 AM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?)
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To: jordan8; Stoat
BTW, though you're clearly not able to understand this, your one sided moaning about IRA terrorism amounts to support for the terrorism of the other side. Maybe you should report yourself. Or something similar.

What's wrong with just tackling each terror group individually?? And why do you think people place a greater emphasise on the IRA than on their loyalist counterparts? Not least because the IRA have killed more people than the Loyalists, they are a far more formidable entity than the loyalists.

45 posted on 01/10/2007 11:08:32 AM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite
Yes.. he is another one of that mob, though not as extreme as kellynla... which is not saying much....

Actually, having an IRA cheerleader call me a 'fascist' is probably one of the finest compliments that I've received on FR.  Hopefully he will continue posting, as anything he says will benefit the FBI and their anti-terror efforts.

46 posted on 01/10/2007 3:26:20 PM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: Stoat

You see the silver lining! ;)


47 posted on 01/10/2007 3:32:43 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!|What if I lecture Americans about America?)
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