Northern Ireland police shielded loyalist killers

[corksean]

A loyalist paramilitary gang was involved in up to 15 murders in the 1990s while being protected by Special Branch handlers, a damning report said today.

The report pointed to "disturbing" levels of collusion between the security forces and the paramilitaries.

The document was the result of a three-year inquiry by the Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan. It found that in return for acting as informers, members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) had escaped prosecution.

She found that information on their crimes had been withheld from detectives investigating the killings.

The man at the centre of the scandal, identified in the 160-page report only as informant number one but known to be the former UVF man Mark Haddock, was paid at least £79,840 during the period under investigation, from 1991 to 2003.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/Story/0,,1996126,00.html

[fasttense]

1. Yeah, we all suspected this. n/t

[Warpy]

2. Gee, what a surprise

The Empire protected its own.

[two gun sid]

3. This report is gonna make Sinn Fein's job harder....

although I don't think the Republican Community was ever in doubt about RUC/Loyalist Paramilitary collusion. I wonder if Adams will postpone the SF Ard Fheis now that this report is out?

Will the Irish people ever see real reconciliation in our lifetimes? I doubt it. Collusion is no Illusion.

[redqueen]

6. Not from what I've read

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/frontpage/2007/0122/1169247615975.html

[two gun sid]

14. Let's wait and see ...

SF held 4 of the 7 special meetings with it's electorate prior to the Ard Fheis this past weekend. Before the report was public. The Operation Ballast report has not been out long enough for Adams or a Republic newspaper to know what the reaction of the movement rank and file is going to be. I'd be willing to bet that Adams and McGuinness are going to be asked some tough questions over the next couple of weeks.

[redqueen]

15. Aha... thanks.

The timing of the release of this report sure is suspicious, don't you think? When they were so close to a policing deal?

[two gun sid]

19. I'm not sure. It has been in the works for some time...

and Mr. McCord Snr has been in the news just about every day for a month or more. Then again, you never know what goes on behind the scenes in the NI statelet. It is the most politically dirty place in the world.

I feel an agreement on policing has always been a hard sell for SF. Of course, I'm here in the US and maybe my views are a bit skewed.

Here's a link to the report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/22_01_07_ballast.pdf

[redqueen]

20. Thanks! n/t

[acmavm]

4. I read a book about the Irish people for a term paper. It described

the situation in Ireland as 'the world's longest continuing occupation' or something pretty much like that.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

5. That's basically what it is. nt

[LostinVA]

7. Oooo, big surprise

Apartheid-loving Orangemen. Ugh.

I wish the situation in Northern Ireland would elicit SOME of the protests the situation in South Africa and other apartheid regimes have.

[redqueen]

8. But most people up there are loyalists...

aren't they?

It's not quite the same as it was in SA...

[LostinVA]

11. It is still an apartheid system, which many people here don't realize

By here, I mean the US.

[redqueen]

18. Well I wasn't basing that on my personal opinion...

but rather on the opinion of a friend in Ireland.

According to them it used to be that way, but it's not that way now.

[sg_]

12. Different sites say different things for specifics

NILTS (Northern Ireland life and times survey) at http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2005/Political_Attitudes/NIRELAND.html

The 2006 survey results arent up yet, so only the 2005 one is there at the minute.

More results from it can be got here http://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2005/Political_Attitudes/

[redqueen]

17. Thanks! n/t

[sg_]

9. Not the same situation

Apartheid-loving Orangemen :eyes:. I know quite a few people here dont really look too fondly on us "prods" in NI (green tinted goggles?) but you can keep your snarky comments to yourself. Im not an orangeman incase youre wondering.


Now, back on topic. Its not really too surprising, nor should it come as a surprise really.

[LostinVA]

10. If you're not an Orangemen, then it wasn't directed at you, correct?

Yes, correct. I don't have "snarky comments" about this, I have the truth: these murderers were apartheid-loving Orangemen. And, of course there's apartheid in NI. And, of course not every Protestant is an Orangemen, nor is every Catholic a freedom-loving saint. I understand the situation up there, and it IS apartheid, it's just not based on the color of one's skin. And, just like many white South Africans hated apartheid, so do many Protestants in Northern Ireland hate the system.

Saying it's not "the same situation" doesn't make it a good situation.

And, I did stay on topic.

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[sg_]

13. I was referring to my own responce to getting back on topic, not yours

Anyway, sorry if I responded a bit "sharply", it irritates me just a bit sometimes here when I get the impression (sometimes wrongly) of people of having a go or a dig at Protestants/Unionists for one reason or another.

It could have been classed as apartheid in the past decades and before, but not any longer.

[redqueen]

16. could have or should have? n/t

[Henny Penny]

21. Hi sg

it is not surprising and yet it is very very depressing. This was just one guy in one unit in one organisation in a fairly brief period of time.

Hain today basically said two things that made me more depressed "I can't claim it was an isolated case.." and "I hope there will be at least one prosecution.."... just hope!

For Special Branch read British Intelligence.

Other than not being surprised what is the view of your circle on this?