Shooting followed a weekend of serious violence
Posted on 09/25/2001 1:35:46 AM PDT by Norn Iron
Unionist politicians in Northern Ireland have called on the government to review the status of the IRA ceasefire after a number of shootings overnight in north Belfast.
More than 20 shots were fired during three incidents, apparently carried out by republican gunmen.
The incidents followed fierce rioting in the area over the weekend.
Sinn Fein has accused loyalist paramilitaries of stoking up the recent violence.
Eight shots were fired at police on Monday evening as they were called out to investigate a report of a suspect bomb in the back yard of a house.
The RUC said the shots were fired from the nationalist end of Hallidays Road. No-one was injured in the attack.
Later on Monday night, 15 shots were fired at a Protestant home at the loyalist end of the same street.
Blast bombs thrown
Shortly afterwards, police started investigating reports of two loud explosions at Clanchattan Street amid Sinn Fein claims that blast bombs had been thrown across the interface at Catholic-owned homes.
A pipe bomb also exploded near a house at Hallidays Road. There were no reported injuries.
Meanwhile, army technical experts have made safe an explosive device found in Newington Avenue just before 2300 BST on Monday.
Democratic Unionist MP for north Belfast Nigel Dodds urged the government to review the IRA ceasefire.
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Tuesday, he said: "They are the only people who have access to such material, to bombs, to pipe bombs, to guns, to automatic rifles.
"It is very clear that we are not talking about ordinary residents here on either side."
Northern Ireland Security Minister Jane Kennedy said the incidents were a further serious escalation of the intercommunal dispute in the area and "no right thinking people" would tolerate the violence.
She said: "This disgraceful and indiscriminate attack could have cost the life of a police officer or member of the public.
Condemnation
"Anyone carrying out such an attack is attacking the will of the vast majority of law-abiding citizens who want to live in peaceful co-existence."
However, Sinn Fein's north Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly has renewed his calls for the UDA ceasefire to be reviewed.
He said the situation in the area had been allowed to escalate because the Northern Ireland Office had so far failed to take action.
"I spoke to Jane Kennedy from the Newington area in the middle of these attacks happening on Catholic homes and she did not say anything about the attacks.
"Then, as soon as there is this alleged attack on the RUC, we get this cacophony of condemnation.
Weekend of violence
"That they want to review all and any ceasefire, then it is okay with me."
Ulster Unionist Lord Mayor of Belfast Jim Rodgers also condemned the shootings, saying there was "clear evidence" that early release prisoners were involved in the violence.
More than 100 loyalists blocked the Crumlin Road for a time on Monday evening in what they said was a protest against attacks by republicans.
The latest violence comes after a weekend of sectarian trouble in north Belfast, in which 14 people were injured on Sunday.
The loyalist Red Hand Defenders admitted responsibility for several attacks in north Belfast on Sunday night.
RUC Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan said the rioting, which followed similar disturbances throughout the summer, was the worst the city had seen for 20 years.
Why is the US ambassador to Ireland, Richard Egan, attending a terrorist convention in Dublin?
The convention includes people from Sinn Fein-IRA, ETA, PLO and the FALN from Porto Rico. The first three have close links to Colombia's FARC.
Now, now. Is that any way to talk about the senior Senator from Massachusetts?
;-)
I'm HOPING it was because the airhead Kennedy woman he replaced had already accepted the invitation,so he was pretty much obligated to follow-through.
I didn't know it would be that obvious.
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