PRC-UTE
27th January 2005, 00:29
[unofficial English translation below]
Lá
Luan 24 Eanáir 2005
Gás an bháis
Conchubar Ó Liatháin
Ghlac sé breis is 30 bliain ar Rialtas na Breataine a admháil gur bhain siad úsáid as gás marfach mar ghléas chun círéibeacha i measc poblactaigh imtheorann-aithe i gcampa géibhinn na Ceise Fada a chur faoi chois.
Ach tháinig an fhírinne chun solais inné nuair a nochtadh meamraim rúnda faoi reachtaíocht saortha faisnéise na Breataine a thug le fios gur bhain saighdiúirí Briotanacha úsáid as Gás CR nó Dibenzoxazepine, gás atá deich n-uaire níos cumhachtaí ná gáis eile a mbaintear úsáid astu le círéibeacha a chur faoi chois.
Cé gur bhasaigh breis is 50 iarchime ó 1973 de bharr galar ar nós ailse, a bhféadfadh CR bheith mar údar leo, shéan Rialtas na Breataine i rith an ama gur bhain siad úsáid as an ngás seo.
Ar dhá ócáid i 2000 shéan Aire ag Roinn Cosanta na Breataine ag an am, John Spellar, gur baineadh úsáid as an ngás seo i bhfreagraí ar cheisteanna parlaiminte ón fheisire Kevin McNamara agus ó Ken Livingstone, atá anois ina mhéara ar Londain.
Ceaptar go dtógfar raic faoi seo i Westminster go luath nó is cinnte go mbeidh an bheirt ag iarraidh ar an Aire Spellar, atá anois ag obair in Oifig Thuaisceart Éireann, le míniú a thabhairt ar cén fath ar chuir sé ar mhíthreo iad agus pobal na Breataine trí chéile agus, fosta, go mbeidh siad ag lorg leithscéil uaidh as seo.
Ina measc sin a bhí i gcarcair ag an am ar baineadh úsáid as an ghás seo, bhí Uachtarán Shinn Féin, Gerry Adams, agus go leor eile de cheannasaíocht Shinn Féin i láthair na h-uaire.
De réir meamram amháin a tháinig chun solais, meamram a scríobh fear darbh ainm David Omand, státseirbhíseach a fuair ridireacht ina dhiaidh sin agus ar tugadh ardú céime dó go dtí go raibh sé ina cheannasaí ar pholasaí slándála agus fáisnéise i Rialtas na Breataine, baineadh úsáid as Gás CR ag Campa Géibhinn CR le 'lochtanna a aimsiú agus a chur ina cheart'.
Dar le Jim Campbell, iarchime poblachtach amháin a d'fhulaing de bharr an ionsaithe gháis seo, bhí sé amhail is a bheith trí thine. "Bhí fir fásta ag gol agus ag lorg a máthar," a dúirt sé.
"Bhí taithí againn ar fad ar ghás CS agus b'fhuarasta éalú uaidh sin ach ní raibh aon éalú ó ghás CR agus rinne siad cinneadh triail a bhaint as orainne."
Ní cimí poblachtacha amháin a bhí ar buile faoin tost 30 bliain ó Rialtas na Breataine faoi úsáid an gháis seo nó bhí ceannfort na saighdiúirí a cuireadh isteach leis an gcampa a chur ina cheart tar éis na gcíréibeacha feargach fosta.
Cé gur stopadh úsáid an gháis i 1976 mar gheall ar bhuairimh go bhfaighfí amach faoi is go náireofaí an Bhreatain go hidirnáisiúnta as ucht gáis den chineál seo a úsáid agus, ag an am chéanna, bheith ag síniú conarthaí idirnáisiúnta ag cur coisc ar úsáid armlóin cheimiceacha, lean éifeachtaí an gháis i bhfad ina dhiaidh sin.
Dúirt Nigel Wylde, oifigeach in Arm na Breataine a bhí i gceannas ar dhíorma saighdiúirí a chuaigh isteach sa phríosún i 1977, nár tugadh aon éadaí cosanta dóibh agus, dá mbeadh a fhios aige roimh ré gur úsáideadh an gás seo nach mbeadh sé tar éis a shaighdiúirí a thabhairt isteach ann.
Foinse (http://www.nuacht.com/story/?cat_id=1&newsid=8514)
Gas of death
It took more than 30 years for the British government to admit that they used a lethal gas as an instrument to suppress riots among interned republicans in Long Kesh concentration camp.
But the truth came to light yesterday when secret memos were revealed under British information freedom legislation, which loet it be known that British soilders used CR gas or Dibenzoxazepine, gas ten times more powerful than other gases used to suppress riots.
Although over 50 ex-prisoners have died from 1973 because diseases like cancer, which CR could be a cause of, the British government denied all the time that they used this gas.
On two occassions in 2000 a minister at the British Ministory of Defence, John Spellar, denied that this gas was used when answering parliamentary questions from MP Kevin McNamara and Ken Livingstone, who is now mayor of London.
It is believed that an uproar will be created about this in Westminster soon because it is sure that the two will be looking for Minister Spellar, who is now working at the NIO, to explain why he misled them and the British public, and as well, that they will want an apology from him for this.
Among those who were in jail at the time this gas was used was the Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and many others of the current Sinn Féin leadership.
According to one memo that came to light, a memo written by a man called David Omand, a civil servant who got a knighthood afterwards and was promoted until he was a leader on intelligence and security policies in the British government, CR gas was used to recognise faults and correct them.
According to Jim Campbell, one republican ex-prisoner who suffered because of this gas attack, it was like being on fire. "Grown men were crying and looking their mothers," he said.
"We all had experience of CS gas and it was easy to escape from but there was no escape from CR gas and they made up to try it out on us."
It wasn't only republican prisoners who were angry about the British government's 30-year silence on this use of this gas because the commander of the soldiers who were sent in to mend the camp after the riots was angry as well.
Although use of the gas was stopped in 1976 because of concerns that it would be discovered and the British government would be embarrassed internationally on account of using this kind of gas and, at the same time, singing international agreements banning the use of chemical weapons, the effects of the gas lasted long after that.
Nigel Wylde, an officer in the British army who was in control of a detachment of soldiers who went into the prison in 1977, said that they weren't given any protective clothing and, if he knew before hand that this gas was used that he wouldn't have brought his soldiers in.
Source (http://www.nuacht.com/story/?cat_id=1&newsid=8514)
Lá
Luan 24 Eanáir 2005
Gás an bháis
Conchubar Ó Liatháin
Ghlac sé breis is 30 bliain ar Rialtas na Breataine a admháil gur bhain siad úsáid as gás marfach mar ghléas chun círéibeacha i measc poblactaigh imtheorann-aithe i gcampa géibhinn na Ceise Fada a chur faoi chois.
Ach tháinig an fhírinne chun solais inné nuair a nochtadh meamraim rúnda faoi reachtaíocht saortha faisnéise na Breataine a thug le fios gur bhain saighdiúirí Briotanacha úsáid as Gás CR nó Dibenzoxazepine, gás atá deich n-uaire níos cumhachtaí ná gáis eile a mbaintear úsáid astu le círéibeacha a chur faoi chois.
Cé gur bhasaigh breis is 50 iarchime ó 1973 de bharr galar ar nós ailse, a bhféadfadh CR bheith mar údar leo, shéan Rialtas na Breataine i rith an ama gur bhain siad úsáid as an ngás seo.
Ar dhá ócáid i 2000 shéan Aire ag Roinn Cosanta na Breataine ag an am, John Spellar, gur baineadh úsáid as an ngás seo i bhfreagraí ar cheisteanna parlaiminte ón fheisire Kevin McNamara agus ó Ken Livingstone, atá anois ina mhéara ar Londain.
Ceaptar go dtógfar raic faoi seo i Westminster go luath nó is cinnte go mbeidh an bheirt ag iarraidh ar an Aire Spellar, atá anois ag obair in Oifig Thuaisceart Éireann, le míniú a thabhairt ar cén fath ar chuir sé ar mhíthreo iad agus pobal na Breataine trí chéile agus, fosta, go mbeidh siad ag lorg leithscéil uaidh as seo.
Ina measc sin a bhí i gcarcair ag an am ar baineadh úsáid as an ghás seo, bhí Uachtarán Shinn Féin, Gerry Adams, agus go leor eile de cheannasaíocht Shinn Féin i láthair na h-uaire.
De réir meamram amháin a tháinig chun solais, meamram a scríobh fear darbh ainm David Omand, státseirbhíseach a fuair ridireacht ina dhiaidh sin agus ar tugadh ardú céime dó go dtí go raibh sé ina cheannasaí ar pholasaí slándála agus fáisnéise i Rialtas na Breataine, baineadh úsáid as Gás CR ag Campa Géibhinn CR le 'lochtanna a aimsiú agus a chur ina cheart'.
Dar le Jim Campbell, iarchime poblachtach amháin a d'fhulaing de bharr an ionsaithe gháis seo, bhí sé amhail is a bheith trí thine. "Bhí fir fásta ag gol agus ag lorg a máthar," a dúirt sé.
"Bhí taithí againn ar fad ar ghás CS agus b'fhuarasta éalú uaidh sin ach ní raibh aon éalú ó ghás CR agus rinne siad cinneadh triail a bhaint as orainne."
Ní cimí poblachtacha amháin a bhí ar buile faoin tost 30 bliain ó Rialtas na Breataine faoi úsáid an gháis seo nó bhí ceannfort na saighdiúirí a cuireadh isteach leis an gcampa a chur ina cheart tar éis na gcíréibeacha feargach fosta.
Cé gur stopadh úsáid an gháis i 1976 mar gheall ar bhuairimh go bhfaighfí amach faoi is go náireofaí an Bhreatain go hidirnáisiúnta as ucht gáis den chineál seo a úsáid agus, ag an am chéanna, bheith ag síniú conarthaí idirnáisiúnta ag cur coisc ar úsáid armlóin cheimiceacha, lean éifeachtaí an gháis i bhfad ina dhiaidh sin.
Dúirt Nigel Wylde, oifigeach in Arm na Breataine a bhí i gceannas ar dhíorma saighdiúirí a chuaigh isteach sa phríosún i 1977, nár tugadh aon éadaí cosanta dóibh agus, dá mbeadh a fhios aige roimh ré gur úsáideadh an gás seo nach mbeadh sé tar éis a shaighdiúirí a thabhairt isteach ann.
Foinse (http://www.nuacht.com/story/?cat_id=1&newsid=8514)
Gas of death
It took more than 30 years for the British government to admit that they used a lethal gas as an instrument to suppress riots among interned republicans in Long Kesh concentration camp.
But the truth came to light yesterday when secret memos were revealed under British information freedom legislation, which loet it be known that British soilders used CR gas or Dibenzoxazepine, gas ten times more powerful than other gases used to suppress riots.
Although over 50 ex-prisoners have died from 1973 because diseases like cancer, which CR could be a cause of, the British government denied all the time that they used this gas.
On two occassions in 2000 a minister at the British Ministory of Defence, John Spellar, denied that this gas was used when answering parliamentary questions from MP Kevin McNamara and Ken Livingstone, who is now mayor of London.
It is believed that an uproar will be created about this in Westminster soon because it is sure that the two will be looking for Minister Spellar, who is now working at the NIO, to explain why he misled them and the British public, and as well, that they will want an apology from him for this.
Among those who were in jail at the time this gas was used was the Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and many others of the current Sinn Féin leadership.
According to one memo that came to light, a memo written by a man called David Omand, a civil servant who got a knighthood afterwards and was promoted until he was a leader on intelligence and security policies in the British government, CR gas was used to recognise faults and correct them.
According to Jim Campbell, one republican ex-prisoner who suffered because of this gas attack, it was like being on fire. "Grown men were crying and looking their mothers," he said.
"We all had experience of CS gas and it was easy to escape from but there was no escape from CR gas and they made up to try it out on us."
It wasn't only republican prisoners who were angry about the British government's 30-year silence on this use of this gas because the commander of the soldiers who were sent in to mend the camp after the riots was angry as well.
Although use of the gas was stopped in 1976 because of concerns that it would be discovered and the British government would be embarrassed internationally on account of using this kind of gas and, at the same time, singing international agreements banning the use of chemical weapons, the effects of the gas lasted long after that.
Nigel Wylde, an officer in the British army who was in control of a detachment of soldiers who went into the prison in 1977, said that they weren't given any protective clothing and, if he knew before hand that this gas was used that he wouldn't have brought his soldiers in.
Source (http://www.nuacht.com/story/?cat_id=1&newsid=8514)