From: darragh@retix.com (Darragh Stokes)
Subject: Re: Update on the Caraher shooting
Originator: darragh@kirk.retix.com
Organization: Retix, Santa Monica CA
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 20:07:43 GMT

In article <1992Apr9.123937.6164@e2big.mko.dec.com> holohan@mark.enet.dec.com (Mark Holohan) writes:
>
>
>                          Caraher Shootings Update
>                          by Sandy Carlson (Belfast)
>
>
>Two Royal Marine Commandos were charged in February for murdering 20
>year-old Fergal Caraher and attempting to murder 24 year-old Michael
>Caraher on December 30, 1990, in Cullyhanna, South Armagh.  Richard
>Elkington (23) and Andrew Callaghan (20) both responded "Not Guilty",
>after a 5-minute hearing and were remanded until March 4.  The charging
>followed Belfast barrister Reginald Weir's review of the RUC's file, on
>the request of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
>
>At the time of the incident, the British armed forces alleged that the
>Carahers drove through a checkpoint and injured a soldier, but Michael
>Caraher, who was driving, was never charged for driving through a
>checkpoint or for injuring a soldier.  In addition, eye witnesses and
>family members have consistently denied this allegation.  Michael
>Caraher testified at the June 1991 Public Inquiry into the shooting
>that, at the checkpoint, Fergal asked, "Are we right?". Then, when the
>brothers drove out, soldiers opened fire.
>
>The report of the Public Inquiry, published January 1992, called for the
>prosecution of the soldiers involved.  Margaret Caraher, Fergal's widow,
>has said, "We feel that this decision [to prosecute] is largely due to
>the pressure by the Cullyhanna Justice Group and the Inquiry (citizen
>organized inquiry) held by them and the Irish National Congress; the
>publishing of their report; and international pressure placed on the
>British government and the authorities.  The Irish National Congress
>points out that a recent Congressional hearing into shoot-to-kill heard
>evidence from the Caraher family.  "That could also have had something
>to do with it, as the British came out of it very badly," said an INC
>spokesperson.
>
>However, Peter John Caraher, the brothers' father, said, "From
>happenings over the past two decades and because of the way we have been
>treated by the authorities since this shooting, we have very little
>confidence in British justice."
>
>There is a widely-held belief that the British operate a shoot-to-kill
>policy throughout northern Ireland.  According to Amnesty
>International's June 1991 report: "339 people have been shot dead by the
>security forces in Northern Ireland...many of these in disputed
>circumstances.  Since 1969, 27 members of the security forces have been
>prosecuted, 19 found not guilty, one found guilty of manslaughter and
>given a suspended sentence.  Private Ian Thain was convicted of murder,
>given a life sentence, released after two years and three months, and
>reinstated into the British Army."
> 
>Thus, whether or not justice will be done in this case remains to be
>seen.
>
>


As a regular reader who finds Mark Holohan's posting usually to be based on
historical inaccuracies etc.,  I feel that I have to commend him on a very rational article.  Give the facts ( trying to minimise the emotion ) and the facts
will speak for themselves.  

I personally don't feel that justice will be served, in the same way that it
has not been served in any of the "shoot-to-kill" pseudo-prosecutions.

Also, anyone got the latest on the compensation claims by the Gilford-4, 
Birmingham-6 or the Maguire family ??   I would just like to see how 
British-Justice ( an oxymoron ?? ) handles its own flaws ( 16 years in
jail for being Irish, a flaw ?? ).

Anyway, Keep the postings like your last one, Mark, and people will start
listening to your opinion, instead of rejecting an article because they see
your name on it.  (  Hey, that's just my opinion, but it is MINE ;-)  )


>  Mark Holohan, DEC, USA        "Character is what you are in the dark" - BB
>  holohan@epik.enet.dec.com
>  

Darragh Stokes
				" A signature should always be handwritten "