We look back at the stories that were making the headlines in the Andersonstown News this week in 1979
RUC and British Army behind crime wave
THE Provisional IRA, in a statement issued this week, has accused the RUC and British Army Intelligence of organising the ‘vandalism and hooliganism’ that has been taking place in Nationalist areas over the past two years, and the Provos say that they will take a ‘firm and resolute stand’ against those involved.
The statement says the IRA has always been aware of, and concerned about, the problem and has taken action to eradicate it, but that it has risen to major proportions recently with the robbery of credit unions, the destruction of black taxis and the general terrorising of people.
“Consequently,” the statement continues, “we have spent much time in examining and analysing the problem. As a result of this, and added to by our intelligence gathering, we have confirmed that this anti-social element is now being organised, trained, financed and equipped by the British Army, the RUC and the British Intelligence.
"We have concrete and absolute proof of young thugs being arrested by the RUC for serious crime against our people, for example, robbery, and mugging of old age pensioners etc, and released immediately. Subsequently, those same people on being arrested by Irish Republican Army Volunteers, have confirmed that they were woking on behalf of the above forces.”
The Provos believe that there are five reasons for the British Army/RUC involvement.
“Firstly, they are used to collect intelligence informaton on Repubican activists. Secondly, as with the assassination gangs, which the British as part of their counter insurgency strategy initiated and manipulated, the anti-social elements are being used in an attempt to terrorise the Republican people. Thirdly, the British war machine believes that if the IRA can be diverted into a campaign of breaking and eradicating these anti-social elements, they will be in a position to project such action as ‘Mafia and gangsters’ struggling amongst themselves. Fourthly, The British believe that if the IRA can be forced into moving against these people, necessary war resources will be channelled away from the liberation struggle. Fifthly, the RUC and British Army are maintaining a close surveillance of these gangs in the hope that if IRA Volunteers attempt to deal with them, they – the Brits – will be able to implement the ‘Shoot to Kill’ policy.
The Terry McDermott after a charity match, staged by Geordie McShannon
Narrow escape for young couple
A YOUNG couple could easily have been shot dead by the British Army last Sunday, as they went to hang curtains in their future home in Mayfair Street on the Oldpark Road.
May McAllister and her fiancé Sean Liddy opened the front door of the house in Mayfair Street but couldn’t gain admission to the front bedroom. They heard scuffling inside and eventually forced the door open to be confronted by gun-wielding British soldiers who cocked their guns and pointed them at May and Sean.
The soldiers got very excited and the leader instructed one to radio to HQ so that they could be lifted. They also radioed that they had caught two members of the IRA.
There was a lot of sleeping equipment in the bedroom and the soldiers were all scruffy.
May and Sean were taken to Tennent Street RUC Station and questioned on why they were in the house. They were finger-printed (the RUC said to eliminate them from the discovery of a rifle in the house). Eventually, they were released but demanded transport as they didn’t intend to walk up Tennent Street alone.
The couple were very distressed about the whole situation, and consider that if there had been a rifle there and they had found it, would they both have been shot dead on the spot, or was the whole story a cover-up for the British Army so that they could have a reason for being in the house.
The Terry McDermott after a charity match, staged by Geordie McShannon
Call to reopen Springfield homes
AS pressure builds up to have the blocked up houses in Springfield Park reopened, the Housing Executive finds itself in quite a dilemma.
On the one hand the chronic housing shortage in Catholic West Belfast has forced house hunting families to demand that the modern semi-detached houses be reopened and, on the other hand, the Executive are afraid that this might lead to objections from the Protestant Springmartin Estate, and hence cause a confrontation at this potential flashpoint.
The 120 modern three bedroomed semis in Springfield Park were only completed in 1967, but the people fled the area following the introduction of internment in August 1971. The houses then lay vacant for a number of years because people felt threatened by its proximity to the Springmartin Estate, where quite a bit of sniping and petrol bombing had taken place in 1971.
It was only after the Housing Executive took possession of the houses, that people started to return, and the Housing Executive deny that they are under pressure from the British Army to leave the houses as they are as a buffing zone between the Catholics and Protestants and state that they would like to reopen the houses and, that they have the situation continually under review.
They do state, however that they are in the process of making the houses secure against vandalism, and as the pressure builds up with the formation of a tenants’ committee to have a general refurbishing of the area, the Housing Executive could quite well be forced, before long, to take some action to have the houses reopened.
At present about 90 houses are occupied, it is the remaining 20-30 houses closest to the Springmartin Estate which are causing the Housing Executive a headache.
At the St Agnes' GAC annual reunion, were the committee and wives: Nuala Armstrong, Pat Butler, Nancy Corr, Gerry Thompson, Ray McLarnon, Maria Kavanagh, Michael McNeill, Hugh McKenna (chairman), Hugh McIldowney, Jimmy and Iris Flynn
