Sinn Fein British agent shot dead

BBC News ^ | 4 April 2006

[bd476]

Denis Donaldson was expelled from
Sinn Fein in December

Mr Donaldson was expelled from the party last December after admitting he was a paid British spy for 20 years.

The IRA issued a statement saying it had "no involvement whatsoever" in Mr Donaldson's death in County Donegal.

Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern described the death as a "brutal murder", while NI Secretary Peter Hain said it was "barbaric".

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he wanted to "disassociate (his party) and all republicans who support the peace process from this killing".

The death of Mr Donaldson came hours before a planned visit to Northern Ireland by Prime Minister Tony Blair and Mr Ahern to unveil their blueprint for reviving the assembly at Stormont.

A Downing Street spokesman said that Mr Blair "strongly condemned" the killing and had noted Mr Adams' statement of condemnation.

---

TIMETABLE OF EVENTS

4 October 2002: Three men including Mr Donaldson arrested following raid on Sinn Fein's Stormont office. Power-sharing executive collapses and government restores direct rule to NI a week later

8 December 2005: Charges against three men dropped "in the public interest"

16 December 2005: Sinn Fein says Mr Donaldson was a "British agent" and expels him from the party: he later says he worked as a spy since the 1980s Government and police reject the party's claim raid was politically motivated

4 April 2006: Donaldson found shot dead in County Donegal

---

Irish justice minister Michael McDowell said he understood a neighbour had found Mr Donaldson's body on the floor of his house with a gunshot wound to the head.

He said that he had been lying there for some time and was last seen alive on Monday evening by Irish police.

Mr Donaldson moved out of his Belfast home last December, and had been living in a run-down cottage without electricity or running water in County Donegal.

His body was found near the village of Glenties at about 1700 BST.

Mr Donaldson had been Sinn Fein's head of administration at Stormont before his 2002 arrest over alleged spying led to its collapse.

Mr Donaldson and two others were acquitted of charges last December "in the public interest".

One week later, Sinn Fein expelled Mr Donaldson from the party.

At the time, he told a news conference that he was recruited in the 1980s as a paid British agent and deeply regretted his activities.

He said there had not been a republican spy ring at Stormont.

Gerry Adams told the same news conference that Mr Donaldson was not under any threat from the republican movement.

Mr Adams said on Tuesday he had spoken to the Donaldson family just before news of his death broke.

He said he was not prepared to speculate on who might have been responsible.

"It has to be condemned. We are living in a different era, and in the future in which everyone could share," he said.

"This killing seems to have been carried out by those who have not accepted that," he said.

DUP leader Ian Paisley said Mr Donaldson's death would be a setback for the political process.

"If this man has been murdered because of his connection with the IRA/Sinn Fein, and because of the past happenings, then it strikes a blow at what the two governments are trying to do," he said.

[OldFriend]

Peter King's favorite group, the IRA

[Gay State Conservative]

The IRA issued a statement saying it had "no involvement whatsoever" in Mr Donaldson's death in County Donegal.

Yah,sure...you filthy,psychopathic Marxist murderers.

[bd476]

BBC NEWS | UK | Reaction to death of Denis Donaldson

Tuesday, 4 April 2006, 20:02 GMT 21:02 UK

Reaction to death of Denis Donaldson

Former Sinn Fein member Denis Donaldson, who admitted spying for the British, has been found shot dead in the Republic of Ireland.

SINN FEIN PRESIDENT GERRY ADAMS

The Sinn Fein leadership had said
Mr Donaldson was not in danger

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, who spoke to the Donaldson family just before news of the death broke, said the killing had to be condemned.

"We are living in a different era, and in the future in which everyone could share.

"This killing seems to have been carried out by those who have not accepted that."

He added: "I want to disassociate Sinn Fein and indeed all those Republicans who support the peace process, if this man was murdered, from that killing."

IRA STATEMENT

"The IRA had no involvement whatsoever in the death of Denis Donaldson."

DOWNING STREET STATEMENT

"The prime minister condemns this as much as anyone but equally we note Gerry Adams has strenuously condemned this and distanced peace process republicans from it.

"Thursday's visit [Tony Blair's visit to Armagh to meet Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern] will go ahead as planned."

NORTHERN IRELAND SECRETARY PETER HAIN

"I am completely appalled by this barbaric act."

NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE

"Nothing will deflect the government from its aim of ensuring political progress in Northern Ireland."

IRISH TAOISEACH BERTIE AHERN

"We condemn this brutal murder. The matter is now under investigation by An Garda Siochana.

"We hope that whoever was responsible for this callous act will be brought to justice as soon as possible."

DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY LEADER IAN PAISLEY

Mr Paisley said he had heard Mr Donaldson's hand had been cut off.

"If what I have heard is true that they cut his hand off, that would show that they were saying 'here is a hand that signed away, what we would say, his obligation to IRA/Sinn Fein and we will deal with him' - it looks like that sort of murder.

"There are serious talks that are going to take place and I would say that this has put a dark cloud over those talks.

"If this man has been murdered because of his connection with IRA/Sinn Fein and because of the past happenings, then it strikes a blow at what the two governments are trying to do - to say that the IRA has forsaken these ways and they are seeking peace."

ULSTER UNIONIST LEADER SIR REG EMPEY

"There was an inevitability about this. A lot of people both in the Republican movement and other organisations will sleep better in their beds knowing he is out of the way.

"Some people will see it as a tidying up of loose ends."

Reaction to death of Denis Donaldson

Published: 2006/04/04 20:02:11 GMT

[robowombat]

Really a case of the man who knew to much for his own good.

[aculeus]

ALL: Note this: "There are unconfirmed reports from the scene that the killers cut off one of Mr Donaldson's hands."



Ex-Sinn Fein man found shot dead
(Filed: 04/04/2006)

Denis Donaldson, the ex-Sinn Fein official banished from the party for spying for the British, has been found shot dead in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.


Mr Donaldson was outed as a spy last year
His body was discovered near the village of Glenties, not far from a run-down cottage which had become his home since he was expelled from Sinn Fein after admitting working for British intelligence for more than 25 years.

There are unconfirmed reports from the scene that the killers cut off one of Mr Donaldson's hands.

Irish police sealed off the area as forensic experts were called in to carry out an inspection. A pathologist was also called to the scene to carry out a post-mortem examination.

Mr Donaldson, 56, was a convicted IRA bomber who spent time in prison with Gerry Adams, now Sinn Fein leader, and was head of Sinn Fein administration at Stormont.

But at the end of last year it emerged that he had in fact been a mole for the British inside the IRA for two decades.

The IRA tonight denied murdering Mr Donaldson. "The IRA had no involvement whatsoever in the death of Denis Donaldson," a statement from the leadership said.

Mr Donaldson was the cause of the collapse of the power sharing administration at Stormont in 2002 when he was accused of running an IRA spy ring at the heart of government.

Charges against him were dropped last year and shortly after that came the news that he had in fact been a British spy.

At the time Mr Adams insisted Mr Donaldson would face no threat from the republican movement, but individual republicans vowed that he would never be allowed to return to live in Belfast.

Mr Adams spoke to the Donaldson family just before news of the death broke, and said he was not prepared to speculate on who might have been responsible.

"It has to be condemned," he said. "We are living in a different era, and in the future in which everyone could share. This killing seems to have been carried out by those who have not accepted that."

Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary, said: "I am completely appalled by this barbaric act."

The Irish Government also condemned the "brutal murder".

"We hope that whoever was responsible for this callous act will be brought to justice as soon as possible," Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said.

17 December 2005: Sinn Fein man was British agent

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/04/udonald.xml

[Tax-chick]

Oops!

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Another man murdered by the IRA.

[GregB]

lets count how many people in Ireland,the british have killed?

[fanfan]

They sound as bad as the Mafia.

[bd476]

My thoughts exactly.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

They are a Mafia - we nicknamed them the 'Rafia' - as in 'Ra + Mafia, but of course they are worse than that, they are trying to overthrow Irish democracy!

[bd476]

Thanks for posting the Telegraph UK version of this story.

Also thank you for noting the disclaimer from the story which is horrific if true.

[Moleman]

lets count how many people in Ireland,the british have killed?

Thanks Greg, worth repeating.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

The IRA have more people on this island than anyone else (1800), their Loyalist counterparts come second (1200) - and the British security forces have only killed a couple dozen!!

[Irish_Thatcherite]

See post #15.

[JimRed]

Mr Donaldson was expelled from the party last December after admitting he was a paid British spy for 20 years.

Did he out himself, or did someone pull the "Plame game" on him?

[Axlrose]

Yes, to the time machine, all historical wrongs must be righted NOW !!!!

[Irish_Thatcherite]

LOL, travel back in time to save the American Indians!!

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Long story... I'll get a link as soon as possible.