Belfast – Im besetzten Norden Irlands haben zwei Männer ein Taxi entführt und mit dem Fahrzeug einen Anschlag auf eine Polizeiwache verübt. Wie ein Behördensprecher mitteilte, stiegen die beiden Männer am frühen Dienstag morgen im irischen Derry in das Taxi ein und zwangen den Fahrer mit vorgehaltener Waffe, zu der Wache zu fahren. Im Fahrzeug deponierten sie demnach einen Sprengsatz, der nach einer telefonischen Warnung explodierte.

Da die Gegend rechtzeitig geräumt worden sei, gebe es keine Verletzten, teilte die Polizei mit. An der Wache, die bereits im Mai Ziel eines Angriffs mit Mörsergranaten war, sei Schaden entstanden. Es war der fünfte Autobombenanschlag seit Februar. (AFP/jW/IRC)

Statement by Dieter Blumenfeld, RSF International Bureau

In the spring edition of the Provisionals theoretical journal IRIS the historian Paul Bew from Queen’s University Belfast points his finger on German re-unification as ‘a good evidence of the intellectual humility required for such a project’, meaning Irish unification.

Just lines above he calls German re-unification a ‘relatively successful unification’. Bew writes: ‘German, after all, is a case of one people whom the great powers wished to see divided for much of the second half of the 20^th century. Ireland is a case of two people whom the great powers wish to see united, if at all possible.’

‘Who are these two powers mentioned?’ asks Dieter Blumenfeld, spokesperson of the Republican Sinn Féin International Bureau.

‘Germany has been unified at the expense of the ordinary people. 20 years after the German re-unification, the unemployment rate is tremendous in former Eastern Germany. The industry and jobs are destroyed, the social system was smashed, and a whole generation has been left alone by the ruling elite and driven into the hands of the extreme right, neo-fascist NPD. To rebuild what was destroyed through re-unification the western German states had to pump billions of Euros into the eastern states – all paid by the ordinary people who already had too little. This had to happen to establish Germany, 50 years after the end of the Second Imperialist World War, as an imperialist superpower supporting the barbarian US- and NATO-invasions of former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq. This situation can hardly be called ‘successful’. German re-unification achieved nothing positive for the people of German, hence it was a failure.’

Blumenfeld said: ‘Taking German re-unification as an example for Irish unification would merely mean the enlargement of the 26-county Freestate on the expenses of the ordinary people, mainly the nationalist working class.’

‘This is not what republicans are fighting for. The unjust and corrupt economic and political system of the Freestate cannot provide social and democratic equality for all people living in Ireland. The only way to a lasting peace in Ireland is a complete change of the political and economic system in Ireland as outlined in Saol Nua and Éire Nua.’

‘Such a democratic-socialist republic on the western corner of Europe can hardly be what the superpowers want. The lessons of German re-unification are clear: Not any foreign imperialist power will bring a just unification, only the people of Ireland can be the vehicle for a new, democratic-socialist All-Ireland Republic. That’s the fault line between revolutionary republicanism and the opportunism and reformism of the Provies.’ Dieter Blumenfeld said.

From August 2010, the FELTRINELLI bookstore located just hundred meters from St. Peter’s Basilica, will stock the republican paper SAOIRSE.

FELTRINELLI, owning 97 bookstores, is Italy’s major distributor of books and music. In Rome, there are 17 FELTRINELLI bookstores. FELTRINELLI ranges in it proposal from culture to history, from economics to political publications. An extensive area is dedicated to foreign books. Among those a discreet number of books concerning Irish history and politics can be found.

FELTRINELLIs company published the Italian edition of Bobby Sand’s “One day in my life” (“Il diario di Bobby Sands”).

Massimiliano Vitelli, RSF spokeperson in Italy said: “I wish to thank the management of FELTRINELLI for accepting our proposal. I believe that such an important distribution post for SAOIRSE, right in the center of Rome and in such an important Bookstore is a leap ahead in the direction of getting our paper out to the people, and to deliver the Republican voice to the widest audience.

LA FELTRINELLI - viale Giulio Cesare, 88 - 00192 Roma

Last week refuse collection workers at Dublin City Council have voted for industrial action in a move they say is aimed at protecting waste services in the greater Dublin area. Waste collection workers in all four Dublin local authorities have now voted for industrial action.

Earlier Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council agreed to defer the signing of contracts with a private waste collecting firm in a bid to help resolve a dispute over refuse services in south Dublin. This followed talks at the Labour Relations Commission between unions and management in the county council.

The council planned to outsource part of its waste collection service to Panda Waste, but refuse workers had threatened to take industrial action in response. The union deferred the strike plan.

Discours prononcé par Shane O’Toole le 10 juillet à Dublin, dans le cadre de l’hommage rendu aux grévistes de la faim de 1981. Source : Irish Republican Information Service, 244.

Chers amis,

C’est un honneur pour moi de m’adresser aujourd’hui à vous, le peuple républicain d’Irlande. Il y a vingt-neuf ans, dix soldats irlandais ont fait le sacrifice ultime pour la liberté de tous le peuple irlandais. L’un après l’autre, les dix jeunes volontaires irlandais se sont embarqués dans une grève de la faim jusqu’à la mort pour affirmer les droits de l’homme élémentaires et leur dignité, en revendiquant le statut politique de prisonnier de guerre républicain.

Erklärung des Präsidenten von Republican Sinn Féin, Des Dalton

Der lange erwartete Saville-Report zur Untersuchung der Vorfälle am sog. Bloody Sunday (dt.: Blutsonntag) gesteht zum ersten Mal ein, dass die 14 am 30. Januar 1972 in Derry ermordeten Menschen, unschuldige Bürgerrechtler. Trotzdem scheitert sie an der Frage der Verantwortlichkeit des britischen Staates für die Morde.

Das späte Eingeständnis der Unschuld der Ermordeten und Verletzten am Blutsonntag ist den Angehörigen der Opfer willkommen, aber die Untersuchung scheitert an der kritischen Frage der Identifizierung und des Eingeständnisses der Verantwortlichkeit des britischen Staates für die Morde an unschuldigen irischen Bürgern, ermordet auf den Straßen ihrer eigenen Stadt.