THE NEW BOSS appeared as witness for the Loyalist fanatie lan Paisley? This is one conseouence of the shake-up in 'security' in the North of Ireland undertaken by the new Tory government.
OUT has gone Kenneth Newman, the Chief Constable of the RUC. Newman's resignation was announced some time ago after the public exposures of the RUC's Castlereagh torture centre. Newman is off to teach his skills at the British Police Staff College at Bramshill near London.
OUT as boss of the Army goes Lt-Gen Tim Creasy. When he was appointed as General Officer Commanding Creasy brought with him a record of overseeing torture in various other campaigns — notaDIy in Oman.
IN comes Jack Hermon as new Chief Constable of the RUC.
IN comes Maj-General Richard Lawson as of the Royal Ulster defence Northern GOC of the Army.
IN comes Sir Maurice Oldield, former head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, as "security co-ordinator'.
Hermon's appointment
scandalous. He is a religious fanatic who shares the same born again' evangelical Protestant views as Ian Paisley. Even more astonishing is the fact that Hermon appeared as a defence witness for Paisley during a trial in March 1978. At the time Paisley was on trial for incidents arising out of the Loyalist strike in May 1977.
setting up barricades in the town of Ballymena. But Hermon testified that he had made a secret deal with Paisley by which the latter would be arrested and then use his influence to see that the barricades were taken Paisley said at his trial that it was a face-saving situation', in that once he had become a martyr his followers would feel something had been achieved.
When Hermon took the witness stand he Commission on oi the deals the Labour government European Commission. suggesting on some occasions that in press ahead with the retorms. Finally, however, it went to and defended the denial «f gas rights. The manner in waged that defence has Britain as well as those in the forth of The usernment's argument was profection vi addition. ihar 'the designed in part to proteit yunz males from influence: and pressure nf an undesirable kind.., which could be psychological developHElIUCILLes pressures do not exist in relation co This slanderous argument is not just a defence of the lack of gay rights in the North of Ireland bur contains rights generally. It is for this reason that the turopean Commission's judoemeni will have an importance far beyond the most wanted Paisley's acquittal.
Antrim authorship the British implemented Irish Times, agreed that he had two secret meetings with Paisley to work out the arrangement. His aim; ne salu, was to use a mimum of orce agalls! the Loyalists, and 'this differed in no way with the views expressed by Dr Paisley'.
Hermon went on to testify that he had not to remove the barricades Paisley's permission because 'this could have been readily misconstrued', Heaping praise on the Loyalist leader, Hermon said that Paisley's "sole aim was to avoid trouble'. The result was Hermon's other main claim to fame is his of The Way Ahead, a document printed in 1977 which argued that the should take over final control of security from Army. Since this policy has been beer demands from the big-wigs in the British Army that they should be in charge.
The now deposed GOC Tim Creasy was particularly hot on this issue. According to a military source quoted in a recent edition of the Creasy 'freaked out' RUC. It Ireland following Warrenpoint.
appointment of Oldfield. They role is "intelligence' skills go, the IRA head of Ml6, restaurant in London, without Oldfield is probably insurance.
security triumvirate RUC wal ne was Amnesty increasine to the North of Ireland in 1978.
Military pundits may after the COLILLY killing of the 18 soldiers at Warrespoi threatened to go public with his criticis calm Creasy dom Thatcher hastily arranged to visit the lord Although the Army have also for sonne been advocating the appointment of a 'sec ri supremo, they cannot be very happy wanted s ranking member or tae army to rut sic a Just what skills Oldfield will brim difficult to say. But as far •CanDOl impressed. In October 1975, while Oldfick the IRA bombed Lod just beiow Old flat. If Mio were unable to defend i offices against the IRA, the best advice to The final character making up IS Richard Lawson's most notable camosieg wasas of Staff in Aden in 1967. An interesting I given the post the indicted torture techniques in Aden very similar te exnosed by the same oroanisaton wil jw be poul hether this similarity can be extesded. Wi months of Lawson's appointment in Ades British Army was finally booted out of la *Jack Hermon, new RUC boss.