Pair to face Massereene murder trial
The wheels of justice move slowly:
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Two men accused of killing two soldiers at Massereene army barracks in Antrim last year (March 2009) are to stand trial for the murders...The case against the men centres on DNA evidence found inside the car used in the attack.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11962757
Incidentally JMA a HVT assassination policy against the Republican splinter groups leadership is not a good option, leaving aside principles, politics (many I expect reside in the Republic), the key point is the retention of to date massive public opposition to renewed violence.
A decade and a half in shifting gears
Hi David,
Thank you for the update.
Martin McGuinness has been critical of these "Splinter IRA" for a relatively long time. Two years ago (in the context of another PSNI murder), he called the perps "traitors to the island of Ireland" - Monkey do; monkey do ...
As I commented here, the only legitimate descendants of the IRA are the Republic's defense forces. Those who today call themselves "IRA" are splinters of splinter groups.
I also don't recall Gerry Adams being "positive" on the PSNI in the past; but he clearly is saying that today. In retrospect, things have improved over the last 15 years, back when my teacher on Northern Ireland was a moderate man of peace - the former pastor of a former constable named Ronnie Flanagan.
Regards
Mike
United by the blood of one of its sons...
The article's full title 'United by the blood of one of its sons, Ireland, North and South, grieves':http://www.scotsman.com/news/United-...-of.6747350.jp
Not unexpected and as symbols vital:
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...respects were paid by the heads of the Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist churches; the commanders of the police forces in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; the new prime minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny; and Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness....Mr McGuinness was accompanied by Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who was also attending his first police funeral. They walked up to the church side by side with Mr Robinson and Mr Kenny.
More tellingly the family priest commented:
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Seeing him sitting behind the wheel of the police car, I thought to myself: There is the new symbol of Northern Ireland. A young man living out his childhood dream to be of service to others, to help protect others. To be a peace-builder in communities, and between communities.
Dissident republicans in Scotland?
In an unexpected development, with one man arrested and currently not charged:
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Police hunting the killer of a Catholic policeman murdered in a car bomb in Northern Ireland arrested a 26-year-old man in Scotland after uncovering a major arms cache containing high explosives and Kalashnikov rifles.
The arrest of the unnamed man - who was said to have been living near Loch Lomond for several months - raises (my emphasis) the possibility that dissident republicans could have been using Scotland as a base to plan their attacks.
In the past both Loyalist and Republicans IIRC had a presence in Scotland, not the dissidents though.
I shall watch to see what develops.
Link:http://www.scotsman.com/news/Scots-t...der.6747349.jp
Why sectarian fight persists in Northern Ireland
Here in the UK we had a few glimpses of some limited rioting in East Belfast last week, where a small Catholic enclave abuts a "hardline" Protestant 'Loyalist' area.
This article makes an intriguing observation that violence has gone up when all the political and para-military groups are in governance.
The graph of bombings and shootings 1995-2011, based on PSNI (police) data I've not seen before; there is a link to the data.
back to why the rioting:
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And more recent history is part of the explanation for the events of this week. An Historical Enquiries Team within the police is investigating crimes committed since the onset of the ‘troubles’. This may implicate UVF members who had thought they had escaped punishment when the Belfast agreement released their imprisoned confrères within a couple of years. The orchestrated rioting has been a very public way of saying ‘back off’.
Link:http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourking...rthern-ireland