U.S. newspaper in legal battle over support for I.R.A.

Press, 19 February 1983, Page 14

U.S. newspaper in legal battle over support for I.R.A.

By

HUGH BRACKEN,

in New York, for Reuter

A small weekly newspaper, published from a dimly-lit office in Manhattan, has entered its seventh year of legal battle with the United States Government because of alleged links with the Irish Republican Army (1.R.A.).

the Government says the 10,000-circulation paper, the “Irish People,” is an agent of the 1.R.A., outlawed in Britain and Ireland, and should register as such under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The paper’s editor, Martin Galvin, said: “To force us to register would be to force us to commit an act of perjury. We are not agents of the 1.R.A.” The Government began its suit against the “Irish People” in 1976 and it may end in the Supreme Court. One Government attorney said wryly: “The legal procedure may last as long as Ireland’s struggle.” As the case against. the paper continues, the Government is this month prosecuting four meh accused of trying to buy surface-to-air missiles for the I.R.A. Mr Galvin maintains the newspaper is being victimised because of pressure from

Britain, whose rule in Northern Ireland the I.R.A. is fighting to end.

“Who would have thought that this shabby little office could have mounted such pressure on the British Government,” he said in a recent interview.

The case against the “Irish People” arose from a probe by the United States authorities into the Irish Northern Aid Committee (Noraid). The Justice Department has said that Noraid is the main United States source of funds for the 1.R.A., but this has never been proved in court and Noraid denies it.

The “Irish People” shares its office with Noraid, and the walls are plastered with proI.R.A. posters. Mr Galvin, as well as being the newspaper’s editor, is chief spokesman for Noraid.

Washington wants the paper to register under z the act and make disclosures on who runs it and who finances it, items required by the act. The court action has forced the United States Government to reveal thousands of pages of documents about its investiga-

tion of Noraid, including information on how that probe was started at the request of the British Government. The United States Government charged that the “Irish People” was controlled and partly funded by Noraid and that the paper supported Noraid and the I.R.A.

The newspaper then sought the help of the American Civil Liberties Union to defend it, saying that the Government was threatening its fredom of speech: One court upheld the paper’s contention, but the United States Court of Appeals on July 2, 1982, reversed the decision and said the paper must register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The appeals court said the act was “inspired by national security, international political and foreign policy considerations" and was today employed “for disclosing links with international terrorists.” The court also said the “Irish People's” right to free speech was not being threatened because the paper was only being asked to register under the act and “no jail sentence looms."

The paper then asked for leave to appeal and the case has been brought to the United States Supreme Court. The court has not yet determined whether it will hear the appeal. If it does not. the Appeals Court decision would stand.

Mr Galvin says the Appeals Court decision is a threat to United States democracy. “Not much is said about the activities of other ethnic groups, nothing for instance about the purchase of Israeli bonds,” he said.

“The only group the Government has moved against is the Irish. It is because of British pressure,” Mr Galvin added.

The posters in his office show I.R.A. men in black berets holding M-16 rifles, and while the “Irish People” denies being an agent of the I.R.A. it is certainly a vocal supporter.

The paper has stressed in editorials that though it is not encouraging its readers to break laws, it' would like them to have the “right attitude” towards those who do so for the cause of Irish unity.