No "Hierarchy of Victims", eh? At least, not if your surname's not Finucane...

[Evil Genius]

Meanwhile, the anniversary of another foul and barbaric massacre comes and goes, without the victims' relatives being heard, never mind heeded... 

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/twenty_years_on_teebane_families_voice_frustration_1_3423798
Published on Monday 16 January 2012 08:35

Twenty years on, Teebane families voice frustration



The families of eight Protestant men killed in an IRA massacre at Teebane have voiced their frustration and anger that 20 years after the murder of their loved ones, not one person has been brought to justice.

Twenty years ago tomorrow seven construction workers died instantly as an IRA bomb exploded at Teebane crossroads on the road between Omagh and Cookstown as they returned from work at Lisanelly army barracks.

The driver of the blue Mercedes minibus died four days later in hospital from his injuries.

Additionally, six other men also travelling in the minibus were left with serious injuries.

No one has ever been convicted of the murders, which were one of a group of Ulster's most horrific atrocities along with Kingsmills, Claudy and Darkley carried out by the IRA where the perpetrators have never been brought to justice.

Linda Clarke was 26 when her younger brother Nigel McKee was killed in the bomb at Teebane.

The 22-year-old had started working for Karl Construction just a few months before the deadly bomb.

Linda says he was typical of most young Ulster men. He loved cars, helping out on his uncle's farm and along with his girlfriend was looking forward to the rest of his life.

But as the Troubles raged on, Linda said Nigel didn't think about dangers, just his day-to-day life like most people his age.

"To him it was just a job," she told the News Letter.

"He would have been 43 in March. He had just got his HGV licence so that he'd be able to drive lorries. He'd always worked in construction. He'd been going out with a girl.

"My father had died when I was two, so after Nigel died, it was just my mother and I.

"My mother is now 71 and won't talk about it, she gets too annoyed.

"This year the 20th anniversary means a lot to us. However it is gut-wrenching to think that 20 years after my little brother was murdered we are still no closer to justice.

"Ten years ago we went to William McCrea and started asking questions. That was when we found out the police investigation had been closed."

The Historical Enquiries Team has re-investigated the atrocity but Linda says the families have been left disappointed.

"The main feeling among the families is frustration," she said.

"After all this time, still no one has been caught and now they say too much time has passed."

Linda's husband, DUP MLA Trevor Clarke, has challenged republicans to respond to what they did at Teebane 20 years ago.

"People have lost their lives. I condemn all murders both of Protestants and of Catholics," he said.

"So I would like to hear what republicans now, who have condemned more recent atrocities, say now about Teebane.

"I accept that I am an MLA and sit in Stormont with republicans, which does upset my wife and I.

"I believe if republicans are genuine about wanting to move forward, if they have consciences, then they should give any information they have which could help bring the perpetrators to justice.

"We are sick, sore and tired hearing about demands for inquiries for atrocities like Bloody Sunday, Rosemary Nelson and Pat Finucane, yet no effort from our government to find resolution to the scores of people murdered in attacks carried out by the IRA."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/2223042.stm

[screenexile]

Meanwhile, the anniversary of another foul and barbaric massacre comes and goes, without the victims' relatives being heard, never mind heeded... 

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/twenty_years_on_teebane_families_voice_frustration_1_3423798
Published on Monday 16 January 2012 08:35

Twenty years on, Teebane families voice frustration



The families of eight Protestant men killed in an IRA massacre at Teebane have voiced their frustration and anger that 20 years after the murder of their loved ones, not one person has been brought to justice.

Twenty years ago tomorrow seven construction workers died instantly as an IRA bomb exploded at Teebane crossroads on the road between Omagh and Cookstown as they returned from work at Lisanelly army barracks.

The driver of the blue Mercedes minibus died four days later in hospital from his injuries.

Additionally, six other men also travelling in the minibus were left with serious injuries.

No one has ever been convicted of the murders, which were one of a group of Ulster's most horrific atrocities along with Kingsmills, Claudy and Darkley carried out by the IRA where the perpetrators have never been brought to justice.

Linda Clarke was 26 when her younger brother Nigel McKee was killed in the bomb at Teebane.

The 22-year-old had started working for Karl Construction just a few months before the deadly bomb.

Linda says he was typical of most young Ulster men. He loved cars, helping out on his uncle's farm and along with his girlfriend was looking forward to the rest of his life.

But as the Troubles raged on, Linda said Nigel didn't think about dangers, just his day-to-day life like most people his age.

"To him it was just a job," she told the News Letter.

"He would have been 43 in March. He had just got his HGV licence so that he'd be able to drive lorries. He'd always worked in construction. He'd been going out with a girl.

"My father had died when I was two, so after Nigel died, it was just my mother and I.

"My mother is now 71 and won't talk about it, she gets too annoyed.

"This year the 20th anniversary means a lot to us. However it is gut-wrenching to think that 20 years after my little brother was murdered we are still no closer to justice.

"Ten years ago we went to William McCrea and started asking questions. That was when we found out the police investigation had been closed."

The Historical Enquiries Team has re-investigated the atrocity but Linda says the families have been left disappointed.

"The main feeling among the families is frustration," she said.

"After all this time, still no one has been caught and now they say too much time has passed."

Linda's husband, DUP MLA Trevor Clarke, has challenged republicans to respond to what they did at Teebane 20 years ago.

"People have lost their lives. I condemn all murders both of Protestants and of Catholics," he said.

"So I would like to hear what republicans now, who have condemned more recent atrocities, say now about Teebane.

"I accept that I am an MLA and sit in Stormont with republicans, which does upset my wife and I.

"I believe if republicans are genuine about wanting to move forward, if they have consciences, then they should give any information they have which could help bring the perpetrators to justice.

"We are sick, sore and tired hearing about demands for inquiries for atrocities like Bloody Sunday, Rosemary Nelson and Pat Finucane, yet no effort from our government to find resolution to the scores of people murdered in attacks carried out by the IRA."

That last statement is whataboutery . . . Those enquiries were to do with carnage caused by Government forces either through collusion or directly as with Bloody Sunday.

What about Loughinisland, Castlerock?? There are no inquests to be heard in relation to these. Of course the victims of the Teebane massacre have a right to justice but bringing up incidents that are not related is not going to help.

Your thread title is a disgrace also EG!!

[4father]

Why don't the Finucane family deserve the truth?

[4father]

"We are sick, sore and tired hearing about demands for inquiries for atrocities like Bloody Sunday, Rosemary Nelson and Pat Finucane, yet no effort from our government to find resolution to the scores of people murdered in attacks carried out by the IRA."

Why would they be angry at a family seeking the same answers and justice that they seek?

[Eamonnca1]

[tyssam5]

Sad day for those families. Knowing the identity of participants and seeing them not going to jail, maybe bumping into them as they might well be locals, would that really be a good thing for them?

[deiseach]

If you can't see  the difference between the state failing to catch murderers and the state committing murder . . .

[Oraisteach]

A succinct summary, Deiseach.  That's it in a nutshell.

[Evil Genius]

Meanwhile, the anniversary of another foul and barbaric massacre comes and goes, without the victims' relatives being heard, never mind heeded... 

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/twenty_years_on_teebane_families_voice_frustration_1_3423798
Published on Monday 16 January 2012 08:35

Twenty years on, Teebane families voice frustration



The families of eight Protestant men killed in an IRA massacre at Teebane have voiced their frustration and anger that 20 years after the murder of their loved ones, not one person has been brought to justice.

Twenty years ago tomorrow seven construction workers died instantly as an IRA bomb exploded at Teebane crossroads on the road between Omagh and Cookstown as they returned from work at Lisanelly army barracks.

The driver of the blue Mercedes minibus died four days later in hospital from his injuries.

Additionally, six other men also travelling in the minibus were left with serious injuries.

No one has ever been convicted of the murders, which were one of a group of Ulster's most horrific atrocities along with Kingsmills, Claudy and Darkley carried out by the IRA where the perpetrators have never been brought to justice.

Linda Clarke was 26 when her younger brother Nigel McKee was killed in the bomb at Teebane.

The 22-year-old had started working for Karl Construction just a few months before the deadly bomb.

Linda says he was typical of most young Ulster men. He loved cars, helping out on his uncle's farm and along with his girlfriend was looking forward to the rest of his life.

But as the Troubles raged on, Linda said Nigel didn't think about dangers, just his day-to-day life like most people his age.

"To him it was just a job," she told the News Letter.

"He would have been 43 in March. He had just got his HGV licence so that he'd be able to drive lorries. He'd always worked in construction. He'd been going out with a girl.

"My father had died when I was two, so after Nigel died, it was just my mother and I.

"My mother is now 71 and won't talk about it, she gets too annoyed.

"This year the 20th anniversary means a lot to us. However it is gut-wrenching to think that 20 years after my little brother was murdered we are still no closer to justice.

"Ten years ago we went to William McCrea and started asking questions. That was when we found out the police investigation had been closed."

The Historical Enquiries Team has re-investigated the atrocity but Linda says the families have been left disappointed.

"The main feeling among the families is frustration," she said.

"After all this time, still no one has been caught and now they say too much time has passed."

Linda's husband, DUP MLA Trevor Clarke, has challenged republicans to respond to what they did at Teebane 20 years ago.

"People have lost their lives. I condemn all murders both of Protestants and of Catholics," he said.

"So I would like to hear what republicans now, who have condemned more recent atrocities, say now about Teebane.

"I accept that I am an MLA and sit in Stormont with republicans, which does upset my wife and I.

"I believe if republicans are genuine about wanting to move forward, if they have consciences, then they should give any information they have which could help bring the perpetrators to justice.

"We are sick, sore and tired hearing about demands for inquiries for atrocities like Bloody Sunday, Rosemary Nelson and Pat Finucane, yet no effort from our government to find resolution to the scores of people murdered in attacks carried out by the IRA."

That last statement is whataboutery . . . Those enquiries were to do with carnage caused by Government forces either through collusion or directly as with Bloody Sunday.

So what you're implying is that the families of victims killed by paramilitaries have less right to justice than families of victims (who may have been) killed by paramilitaries acting in collusion with members of the security forces?

Well at least we know where we stand, then...

What about Loughinisland, Castlerock?? There are no inquests to be heard in relation to these.

"What about" - says the poster who in the previous sentence accused me of "whataboutery"... 

P.S. Re Loughinisland, an arrest was made, but the DPP declined to prosecute because of doubt whether a conviction could be achieved. Re Castlerock, Torrens Knight received four life sentences for those murders. Whereas with Teebane, there have been no arrests, never mind convictions.

Of course the victims of the Teebane massacre have a right to justice but bringing up incidents that are not related is not going to help.

My point about Teebane, on the 20th Anniversary btw, was that it is just one of many massacres which has effectively been forgotten by the State and Politicians etc (though not by the families).
Meanwhile, other killings/massacres such as Finucane, are ceaselessly kept in the headlines by Republican politicians following an Agenda, these being the self-same Republicans who assure us that there must be no "Hierarchy of Victims", yet remain conspicuously silent on the rare occasions when the likes of Teebane are mentioned.
Now for obvious reasons, I can see why the likes of SF would want the truth over eg Finucane, and anything but the truth to emerge over eg Teebane.
But it is the blatant hypocrisy of their claims to want "Truth and Reconciliation", or equal treatment for all victims etc, which sickens me to the core. 

Your thread title is a disgrace also EG!!

Why? Because you say so?

[Evil Genius]

Why don't the Finucane family deserve the truth?

They do.

But I brought up Teebane on its anniversary for two reasons.

First because I strongly suspect that younger members of this Board, or those not from NI, will possibly never even have heard of massacres like Teebane, whereas many (most?) will have heard of certain other killings, such as Ballymurphy, Rosemary Nelson or Pat Finucane - even where these latter involved individual, rather than mass murder, or were decades earlier.

Second because Finucane/Nelson/Ballymurphy etc are known essentially because of the campaigning of SF, whose selectivity in espousing certain causes, while ignoring most others, is striking in what it tells us about them (SF).

Indeed, when the Shinners would clearly like, if possible, to ignore the plight even of one of their former comrades-in-arms, Marian Price, it shows just what a cynical bunch of cnuts they really are. 

[Evil Genius]

"We are sick, sore and tired hearing about demands for inquiries for atrocities like Bloody Sunday, Rosemary Nelson and Pat Finucane, yet no effort from our government to find resolution to the scores of people murdered in attacks carried out by the IRA."

Why would they be angry at a family seeking the same answers and justice that they seek?

They're not i.e. it's the inequality which hurts.

Here is what one of the victim's widows, Jean Caldwell, said at the 10th Anniversary:
"All atrocities should be treated equally, whether it's mass murder, as in Teebane, Shankill, Omagh, Greysteel, the Ormeau Road bookies, or an individual killing," she says. "I know the Bloody Sunday families have suffered, and I wish them well, but our suffering is no different. "We want justice, and it makes me angry that people like us have had our feelings swept under the carpet. "

[Evil Genius]

Sad day for those families. Knowing the identity of participants and seeing them not going to jail, maybe bumping into them as they might well be locals, would that really be a good thing for them?

Perhaps not, but here is the reaction of two grieving relatives, 10 years after the event:

In the aftermath of her husband's murder, Mrs Caldwell had said those responsible should be hanged but now, she admits she would avail of any opportunity to meet them. "I would just ask them why?

Rosemary Dunseath the mother of a Magherafelt man murdered at Teebane, would also like to come face-to-face with her son's killers so she could tell them they had "Wrecked the lives of many people". "I would say to them that you have wrecked our lives - all the families - and that there's a day of reckoning," she added. "I wouldn't be bitter about it; I would just say well, whoever did that will have to answer for it."

[brokencrossbar1]

While the circumstances are different, i.e no state collusion in the Teebane killing, I agree with EG that a full and frank investigation should be made into what happened on that day and any other terrible event.  Unfortunatelty though there won't because it would create a political maelstrom.  The reality is that there are too many incidents over the 30 odd years where things were allowed to happen or were actively encouraged and these will never see the light of day.  I am not saying Teebane is one of them but the Government has too many skeletons in the closet and will not want them coming out.  It is a shame.

[Evil Genius]

If you can't see  the difference between the state failing to catch murderers and the state committing murder . . .

Of course I can see the need to hold the State to the highest possible standards of behaviour etc.

But you appear to have missed my point when bringing eg Finucane into it.

When it comes to the likes of Finucane, the Shinners demand the highest standards etc from the British Government, which would be fair enough insofar as that goes.

However when discussing The Troubles generally, they always claim that the IRA and the Brits were two (equal) combatants in a "war" [sic]. therefore if the Brits are to be held to account for their "war crimes", such as Finucane, then on what basis can SF/IRA be released from responsiblity for their own "war crimes", such as Teebane?

I personally have no problem with full disclosure over Finucane/Nelson/Bloody Sunday etc; indeed I would welcome it, as a means of healing the wounds of the past.

but I'll be buggered if I'll be told by Republicans that there must be openness eg over Finucane, but that it is time to "move on" when it comes to the likes of Teebane.

[Evil Genius]

While the circumstances are different, i.e no state collusion in the Teebane killing, I agree with EG that a full and frank investigation should be made into what happened on that day and any other terrible event.  Unfortunatelty though there won't because it would create a political maelstrom.  The reality is that there are too many incidents over the 30 odd years where things were allowed to happen or were actively encouraged and these will never see the light of day.  I am not saying Teebane is one of them but the Government has too many skeletons in the closet and will not want them coming out.  It is a shame.

You make a reasonable point about the political firestorm which would follow full disclosure etc.
And as the example of the Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday demonstrates, there is also the practical consideration of the financial burden to be borne.

Consequently, I am inclined to take the view that the HET should simply be allowed to continue their work as they see fit, whilst the politicians (of all stripes) butt out of the proceedings.

What I cannot accept, however, is the sound of SF/IRA bleating endlessly for justice when one of their own is murdered, whilst demanding silence over murders committed by their own...