British prime minister Margaret Thatcher secretly approved offering concessions to IRA prisoners if their hunger strikes were called off, files released after 30 years revealed Friday.
In public, Thatcher took a firm stance against demands to be recognized as political prisoners made by jailed Irish Republican Army members and other paramilitaries waging an armed campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland.
Though largely backed in mainland Britain, her unbending stand triggered international condemnation.
However, files from 1981 released by the National Archives showed that her Conservative government sent messages to the IRA leadership, through a secret intermediary, promising concessions if the hunger strikes were stopped.
The papers reveal the anxiety among government ministers, despite their outward show of determination.
By July 1981, the pressure on Thatcher was intense over the issue. Four men had died, including their leader, 27-year-old Bobby Sands, who had been elected to parliament while on hunger strike.
So when the remaining hunger strikers dropped their demand to be treated as “prisoners of war”, Thatcher authorized a secret message setting out what concessions the government would make if the strikes were called off.
The go-between was a Northern Irish businessman codenamed “Soon” who had contacts with an officer in Britain’s MI6 foreign intelligence spy agency.
The files log a series of frantic calls between Soon and the MI6 man in the days leading up to the offer.
London set out the concessions the government was to offer “if, but only if, it would lead to the immediate end of the hunger strike”.
They included allowing the prisoners to wear their own clothes, rather than prison uniform, and to receive normal visits, parcels and letters as well as “further developments” on prison work and remission.
The draft message in the files contains detailed amendments in Thatcher’s handwriting, showing she was in on the secret plan.
The message ended: “If the reply we receive is unsatisfactory and there is subsequently any public reference to this exchange we shall deny that it took place. Silence will be taken as an unsatisfactory reply.”
The approach was rebuffed and a fifth hunger striker died the following day.
Northern Ireland secretary Humphrey Atkins informed Thatcher: “Following the sending of the message which you approved last night, we have received, as you will know, an unsatisfactory response. That particular channel of activity is therefore now no longer active.”
The government made a second attempt to break the deadlock which got nowhere.
The hunger strikes were to carry on for another three months, during which five more prisoners died.
On July 2, 1981, Thatcher told her Cabinet they should consider “all possible courses of action in regard to Northern Ireland, however difficult or unpalatable”.
With “increasingly disturbing signs of an erosion of international confidence in British policy”, ministers even discussed abandoning Northern Ireland — was unthinkable for a Conservative government.
But while there was “a widespread feeling in favor of British withdrawal” among the public, they admitted pulling out would not be an “easy proposition” with “civil war and massive bloodshed” likely to be the immediate outcome, the minutes noted.
The meeting also discussed intravenously force feeding the hunger strikers, although ministers again acknowledged there would be difficulties, including the possibility of all protesting prisoners going on hunger strike.
An interesting fact about history is generations later more information comes to light. What would Prime Minister Thatcher think of her concessions to prisoners making news?
Would she throw her hands up in the air and say "I JUST DON'T GET IT"
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The Return Of Debtor’s Prisons: Thousands Of Americans Jailed For Not Paying Their Bills
Federal imprisonment for unpaid debt has been illegal in the U.S. since 1833. It’s a practice people associate more with the age of Dickens than modern-day America. But as more Americans struggle to pay their bills in the wake of the recession, collection agencies are using harsher methods to get their money, ushering in the return of debtor’s prisons.
NPR reports that it’s becoming increasingly common for people to serve jail time as a result of their debt. Because of “sloppy, incomplete or even false documentation,” many borrowers facing jail time don’t even know they’re being sued by creditors:
Take, for example, what happened to Robin Sanders in Illinois. She was driving home when an officer pulled her over for having a loud muffler. But instead of sending her off with a warning, the officer arrested Sanders, and she was taken right to jail.
“That’s when I found out [that] I had a warrant for failure to appear in Macoupin County. And I didn’t know what it was about.” Sanders owed $730 on a medical bill. She says she didn’t even know a collection agency had filed a lawsuit against her.
A company will often sell off its debt to a collection agency, generally called a creditor. That creditor files a lawsuit against the debtor requiring a court appearance. A notice to appear in court is supposed to be given to the debtor. If they fail to show up, a warrant is issued for their arrest.
More than a third of all states now allow borrowers who don’t pay their bills to be jailed, even when debtor’s prisons have been explicitly banned by state constitutions. A report by the American Civil Liberties Union found that people were imprisoned even when the cost of doing so exceeded the amount of debt they owed.
Sean Matthews, a homeless New Orleans construction worker, was incarcerated for five months for $498 of legal debt, while his jail time cost the city six times that much. Some debtors are even forced to pay for their jail time themselves, adding to their financial troubles.
Stories of surprise arrests for unpaid debt have been reported in states including Indiana, Tennessee and Washington. In Kansas City, one man ended up in jail after missing only a furniture payment. The Federal Trade Commission received more than 140,000 complaints related to debt collection in 2010, and they’ve taken 10 debt collection agencies to court for their practices in the past three years.
Since the start of 2010, judges have signed off on more than 5,000 arrest warrants since in nine counties alone. Beverly Yang, a legal aid attorney, says many debtor’s — and judges — don’t know debtor’s rights, which results in the accused being intimidated into a pay agreement. She’s seen judges interrogate debtors about why they can’t pay more and whether they are trying hard enough to find a job.
Yang says some collection agencies are only too eager to use needlessly harsh tactics. “Whatever the creditors or the creditors’ attorneys can do to leverage some kind of payment, it will help their profits enormously because they have, literally, millions of these.” Debt collection is a lucrative business — the industry is set to grow 26 percent in the next three years.
When did civil court judges get the power to sign arrest warrants? And if people with children are jailed what happens to them? Oh I almost forgot Newt will put the kids to work cleaning toilets. Will money they earn go to pay off the debt that put their parents in jail?
Am I the only on that says I JUST DON'T GET IT
NPR reports that it’s becoming increasingly common for people to serve jail time as a result of their debt. Because of “sloppy, incomplete or even false documentation,” many borrowers facing jail time don’t even know they’re being sued by creditors:
Take, for example, what happened to Robin Sanders in Illinois. She was driving home when an officer pulled her over for having a loud muffler. But instead of sending her off with a warning, the officer arrested Sanders, and she was taken right to jail.
“That’s when I found out [that] I had a warrant for failure to appear in Macoupin County. And I didn’t know what it was about.” Sanders owed $730 on a medical bill. She says she didn’t even know a collection agency had filed a lawsuit against her.
A company will often sell off its debt to a collection agency, generally called a creditor. That creditor files a lawsuit against the debtor requiring a court appearance. A notice to appear in court is supposed to be given to the debtor. If they fail to show up, a warrant is issued for their arrest.
More than a third of all states now allow borrowers who don’t pay their bills to be jailed, even when debtor’s prisons have been explicitly banned by state constitutions. A report by the American Civil Liberties Union found that people were imprisoned even when the cost of doing so exceeded the amount of debt they owed.
Sean Matthews, a homeless New Orleans construction worker, was incarcerated for five months for $498 of legal debt, while his jail time cost the city six times that much. Some debtors are even forced to pay for their jail time themselves, adding to their financial troubles.
Stories of surprise arrests for unpaid debt have been reported in states including Indiana, Tennessee and Washington. In Kansas City, one man ended up in jail after missing only a furniture payment. The Federal Trade Commission received more than 140,000 complaints related to debt collection in 2010, and they’ve taken 10 debt collection agencies to court for their practices in the past three years.
Since the start of 2010, judges have signed off on more than 5,000 arrest warrants since in nine counties alone. Beverly Yang, a legal aid attorney, says many debtor’s — and judges — don’t know debtor’s rights, which results in the accused being intimidated into a pay agreement. She’s seen judges interrogate debtors about why they can’t pay more and whether they are trying hard enough to find a job.
Yang says some collection agencies are only too eager to use needlessly harsh tactics. “Whatever the creditors or the creditors’ attorneys can do to leverage some kind of payment, it will help their profits enormously because they have, literally, millions of these.” Debt collection is a lucrative business — the industry is set to grow 26 percent in the next three years.
When did civil court judges get the power to sign arrest warrants? And if people with children are jailed what happens to them? Oh I almost forgot Newt will put the kids to work cleaning toilets. Will money they earn go to pay off the debt that put their parents in jail?
Am I the only on that says I JUST DON'T GET IT
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Three arrested after shouting match over upside-down American flag at Occupy New Haven
NEW HAVEN — A shouting match at the Occupy New Haven encampment over improper displaying of the American flag resulted in the arrests of three people Friday.
Zequir Berishai, 69, of Waterbury, was angry protesters were flying American flags upside-down and confronted the protesters Friday evening, waving his own, properly oriented flag.
Police arrested Berishai and two protesters on breach of peace charges, police spokesman Officer David Hartman said. Witnesses, some of them protesters, said Berishai arrived in a pick-up truck painted red, white and blue and covered in flags, patriotic decals and bumper stickers with slogans like “God Bless America” and “Repeal Obama-care.” He allegedly approached the encampment and started yelling at the occupiers.
“He comes over calling us traitors and pieces of (excrement),” said Occupy New Haven activist Don Montano. “He had a nice little speech he made to our head of security, Moose. He was yelling about our flag being upside down. He got louder and louder and louder.”
The witnesses said the man was waving the flag pole at people and acting aggressively.
Earlier this week, the Occupy New Haven movement made headlines when it
decided to fly the American flag upside-down
, a universal signal of distress. The argument made by protesters was that the country, plagued by what they say is income disparity and economic injustice, is in serious distress.
The move, however, angered some people, who argued that hanging the flag upside down amounts to desecration and is disrespectful.
Protesters said they did not intend to be disrespectful or anti-American, but only exercised their First Amendment right to make a statement about the direction of the country.
Activist Ben Aubin, who captured the incident on video, said one of the protesters arrested was Broderick “Moose” Lee, 28, of New Haven. Hartman said Berishai and a third person, Shawn Nardell, 25, also were arrested. Police did not have information on where Nardell resides.
Aubin claimed Lee was crossing the street to point out to Berishai that the flags hanging from his truck were tattered. Berishai became more agitated and shoved Lee, according to Aubin.
After the arrests, about a dozen Occupy New Haven protesters marched from the encampment to the police station, chainting, “Incarceration is not the answer!”
A young male passer-by wearing a blazer shouted back, “What are you accomplishing?” A protester responded, “You’re watching the world change, brother,” to which the blazer-wearing young man said, “I am the 1 percent.”
New Haven-based attorney Irving Pinsky, who has been volunteering with the group, disapproved of the police handling of the situation.
“I see a terrible problem with our system that allows a person to come and cause problems with peaceful people, and both sides get arrested,” he said.
Montano agreed.
“This represents a bigger problem,” he said. “If you think about it, per the law, if you are involved in a fight, even if you don’t throw a punch and you’re a victim, you still get arrested. And I believe that’s why the victim abuse problem is so bad in Connecticut.”
Hartman said police received a report of a fight at the corner of College and Chapel streets at 4:18 p.m. Berishai reportedly showed up at the encampment wearing clothes made of a flag, Hartman said. The man walked to toward the encampment, but did not enter it, and then started yelling about his dismay over the improperly displayed flag. Hartman said protesters eventually yelled back. He said the incident was not a major fight, but officers were concerned that escalation could result in a more serious fight.
No one resisted arrest and Hartman said the incident should not be misconstrued as a conflict between police and Occupy New Haven.
“We’ve had an amazing rapport with this Occupy group and we haven’t had a single incident or conflict with them,” he said.
Protester Jennifer Drury said she felt that police just wanted to take everyone involved in the altercation to the station to have a conversation on neutral ground.
According to Drury, Lee was released Friday night and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, but police could not confirm late Friday whether any of those arrested had been released.
Zequir Berishai went to the site not because he was upset at the possible loss of Social Security or the high cost of living due to the greed of others. But rather wearing clothes made with the American flag, which is so much more patriotic, he railed against an upside down flag. Why doesn't he see he is part of the 99% and join the occupiers?..They are there for him.
Two of the peaceful occupiers were taken into custody along with Berishai to talk with police. On its face it sounds logical but was it? Could there have been something more to it?
However, it is good to know it is better to cut up the flag to fashion clothing but wave it up side down is Unamerican. I JUST DON'T GET IT.
Zequir Berishai, 69, of Waterbury, was angry protesters were flying American flags upside-down and confronted the protesters Friday evening, waving his own, properly oriented flag.
Police arrested Berishai and two protesters on breach of peace charges, police spokesman Officer David Hartman said. Witnesses, some of them protesters, said Berishai arrived in a pick-up truck painted red, white and blue and covered in flags, patriotic decals and bumper stickers with slogans like “God Bless America” and “Repeal Obama-care.” He allegedly approached the encampment and started yelling at the occupiers.
“He comes over calling us traitors and pieces of (excrement),” said Occupy New Haven activist Don Montano. “He had a nice little speech he made to our head of security, Moose. He was yelling about our flag being upside down. He got louder and louder and louder.”
The witnesses said the man was waving the flag pole at people and acting aggressively.
Earlier this week, the Occupy New Haven movement made headlines when it
decided to fly the American flag upside-down
, a universal signal of distress. The argument made by protesters was that the country, plagued by what they say is income disparity and economic injustice, is in serious distress.
The move, however, angered some people, who argued that hanging the flag upside down amounts to desecration and is disrespectful.
Protesters said they did not intend to be disrespectful or anti-American, but only exercised their First Amendment right to make a statement about the direction of the country.
Activist Ben Aubin, who captured the incident on video, said one of the protesters arrested was Broderick “Moose” Lee, 28, of New Haven. Hartman said Berishai and a third person, Shawn Nardell, 25, also were arrested. Police did not have information on where Nardell resides.
Aubin claimed Lee was crossing the street to point out to Berishai that the flags hanging from his truck were tattered. Berishai became more agitated and shoved Lee, according to Aubin.
After the arrests, about a dozen Occupy New Haven protesters marched from the encampment to the police station, chainting, “Incarceration is not the answer!”
A young male passer-by wearing a blazer shouted back, “What are you accomplishing?” A protester responded, “You’re watching the world change, brother,” to which the blazer-wearing young man said, “I am the 1 percent.”
New Haven-based attorney Irving Pinsky, who has been volunteering with the group, disapproved of the police handling of the situation.
“I see a terrible problem with our system that allows a person to come and cause problems with peaceful people, and both sides get arrested,” he said.
Montano agreed.
“This represents a bigger problem,” he said. “If you think about it, per the law, if you are involved in a fight, even if you don’t throw a punch and you’re a victim, you still get arrested. And I believe that’s why the victim abuse problem is so bad in Connecticut.”
Hartman said police received a report of a fight at the corner of College and Chapel streets at 4:18 p.m. Berishai reportedly showed up at the encampment wearing clothes made of a flag, Hartman said. The man walked to toward the encampment, but did not enter it, and then started yelling about his dismay over the improperly displayed flag. Hartman said protesters eventually yelled back. He said the incident was not a major fight, but officers were concerned that escalation could result in a more serious fight.
No one resisted arrest and Hartman said the incident should not be misconstrued as a conflict between police and Occupy New Haven.
“We’ve had an amazing rapport with this Occupy group and we haven’t had a single incident or conflict with them,” he said.
Protester Jennifer Drury said she felt that police just wanted to take everyone involved in the altercation to the station to have a conversation on neutral ground.
According to Drury, Lee was released Friday night and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, but police could not confirm late Friday whether any of those arrested had been released.
Zequir Berishai went to the site not because he was upset at the possible loss of Social Security or the high cost of living due to the greed of others. But rather wearing clothes made with the American flag, which is so much more patriotic, he railed against an upside down flag. Why doesn't he see he is part of the 99% and join the occupiers?..They are there for him.
Two of the peaceful occupiers were taken into custody along with Berishai to talk with police. On its face it sounds logical but was it? Could there have been something more to it?
However, it is good to know it is better to cut up the flag to fashion clothing but wave it up side down is Unamerican. I JUST DON'T GET IT.
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