Comments on The Pensive Quill: A Year Without The Light of The Dark

Txomin See Jonathan Powell's book. See also his ...

2009-04-15T20:28:35.670+01:00

Txomin

See Jonathan Powell's book. See also his Panorama (I think it was that) documentary. I was in London on Patrick's Day last year when I received a call from a paper about it. So around the 17th and 18th of 2008 the papers should be commenting on it.

Republican Voices should be easily obtained. I think Tommy McKearney has copies. I can put you in touch with him if you

With senior British government officials openly ad...

2009-04-13T20:20:00.000+01:00

With senior British government officials openly admitting to writing Sinn Fein leadership statements, there can be no real sense of awe that criminalising republicans now features so prominently in such statements.
---------------------------
Hi Anthony,

I´ve got a couple of comments/questions:

- Could you show me a link that talks or explains the above comment? Somebody

Michael, the validity of your point in seeking to ...

2009-02-27T19:29:35.414Z

Michael, the validity of your point in seeking to refute MSD will always be determined by the type of tactics used. Legitimacy cannot be a license although you have not claimed that it is.

As for the view of MSD that it can be inferred from my comments that the armed campaigns against the British have always been immoral, I was puzzled by that. MSD and myself signed off on matters

MSD seems to make use of a skewed version of the g...

2009-02-27T10:48:00.000Z

MSD seems to make use of a skewed version of the golden rule principle to come up with the proposition that "if republicans think it is morally acceptable to use guerrilla warfare then logically they must accept that the British have the right to use the very same tactics against them." Guerrilla armies rarely have the option to arrest, try and imprison their adversaries; states, however, usually

MSD, ok, we'll leave it at that unless you want so...

2009-02-25T21:50:12.864Z

MSD, ok, we'll leave it at that unless you want something in particular elaborated on.

Yes, I may have conflated those two positions but ...

2009-02-25T21:21:00.000Z

Yes, I may have conflated those two positions but only because I am curious as to why you think informing is morally wrong for you but morally right for the police. Surely something is either right or wrong no matter who does it. Also it seems from your previous comments that you believe that the armed struggle was always wrong/immoral as a tactic,ie. in 1916, 1920, 1970 and 2009, and that

MSD, I think you conflate what are two separate po...

2009-02-25T20:14:31.544Z

MSD, I think you conflate what are two separate positions. Informing is not a legitimate option for republicans. That cannot be extended to those who are not. So it should not be inferred from my position that I actually feel it is not legitimate for the PSNI to seek to recruit informers. It is a legitimate tactic used by every police force in the world and will grow more sophisticated with the

Thanks for your honest reply, Anthony. But if info...

2009-02-23T17:58:00.000Z

Thanks for your honest reply, Anthony. But if informing is illegitimate, then what do you propose are legitimate ways for the PSNI or Gardai to deal with violent republicanism? It seems to me that republicans rarely consider the implications of their views: for example, if republicans think it is morally acceptable to use guerrilla warfare (eg. assassinations, executions of informers), then

MSD, a thought provoking comment but ultimately on...

2009-02-22T15:35:22.778Z

MSD, a thought provoking comment but ultimately one that I do not subscribe to. There are no circumstances under which I would inform the British police or the Gardai about republican activity. Given that the difference between what we did in the Provisional IRA and what the other IRAs are doing is simply a matter of dates it is as legitimate or illegitimate to tout then as it is now. You frame

But Anthony, if you accept that continuing the arm...

2009-02-22T11:36:00.000Z

But Anthony, if you accept that continuing the armed struggle is wrong, then surely you should support informing the police on those who persist in their armed activities? Isn't informing the police about such activities the only logical outcome of rejecting the armed struggle? If you yourself had information about plans by republicans to kill British policemen or plant bombs, would you have a

Gerry & Kate, thanks for the linkAnthony

2009-02-18T19:36:00.844Z

Gerry & Kate, thanks for the link

Anthony

Sorry I should have posted this link:http://www.ge...

2009-02-18T13:12:00.000Z

Sorry I should have posted this link:

http://www.gerryandkate.com/

Anthony, here is a video of the remembrance garden...

2009-02-18T13:11:00.000Z

Anthony, here is a video of the remembrance garden, and some pictures of it, and a report on the actual dedication from the ATN.

We weren't able to get either.

Gerard.

Another nice story about An Dorcha....He'll always...

2009-02-18T12:11:00.000Z

Another nice story about An Dorcha....He'll always be remembered with pride and respect by fellow soldiers in Ardoyne.

Thanks for another eloquent piece. I only wish I c...

2009-02-17T19:57:00.000Z

Thanks for another eloquent piece. I only wish I could have stood him a round and met him more than once. The candles are indeed a thoughtful tribute to his name and legacy.