N. Ireland - Night of shootings in Belfast

BBC Northern Ireland ^ | 25 September 2001 | Staff reporter

[Norn Iron]

Night of shootings in Belfast

Shooting followed a weekend of serious violence

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.

 

[Norn Iron]

While Blair struts the international stage the inter-communal struggle in North Belfast festers and burns.

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.

[Colosis]

Hmmm....I wonder I this has anything to do with those nice loyal to Britain people moving into the area after a murderous feud and deciding that young catholic schoolgirls make great targets.

[Norn Iron]

No. Read the report.

[constitutiongirl]

I am on the Nationalist side of the Irish conflict, but you are wrong in your assumptions of the loyalists in the Ardoyne area. That area has, until very recently, been a Unionist stronghold. Only in the last 10 years or so, as many Unionists moved up and out, did more Nationalists move to the neighborhood. The pent up frustration at becoming minorities in their own neighborhood is what prompted the attack on the Catholic schoolgirls.

[slane]

The residents of the Glenbryn estate have been on the receiving end of almost nightly pipe bomb attacks on their homes for the better part of a year, as well as being harassed whilst attempting to use the shops nearest their homes, which are located in a nationalist area. Protestant schools in the area such as Wheatfield have also come under sectarian attack, although this has gotten no mention in the news. I say this not to excuse the carry-on at Holy Cross, which was inexcusable, but to point out that the situation is not nearly as cut and dried as the media makes it appear. People do not hurl abuse at schoolgirls simply because they are from different religious backgrounds. They will, apparently, do so if they believe that the families and neighbours of the schoolgirls have been petrol-bombing their homes and attacking them on the streets. It's typical of the tit-for-tat violence that has turned North Belfast into a war zone, with no end in sight.

[Colosis]

Point taken. But we have to be careful here - in the same way that no justificationcan be given to the terrorists who bombed NYC, the same should apply to those who blastbomb 4 year old kids. The reasons these thugs done this are irreverent - it is the violent act that counts and there is NO excuse for this sort of naked sectarianism. Unfortunetly, the thugs that done this have been rewarded with a multi million pound government investment in their area. "Do you want a million, we got loads" is what they were taunting the catholic parents with recently.

[constitutiongirl]

As a one-time Belfast Catholic school girl, I'm very careful. There is no excuse for what happened to those girls. It's gotten to the point that there is no excuse for much of what goes on in Belfast, on both sides of the fence. The only thing that gets me going about this subject are comments like the one above this one. Always mentioning the IRA, but not a word on the loyalist paras that are just as vicious. If the new war on terrorism takes out the IRA and other nationalist splinter groups, it should coincide with the taking out of the half dozen or so loyalist terror groups also. That way, Norn Iron and I could meet for tea without having to worry about getting shot in the back for it.

[Colosis]

The heat is really on the IRA here at the moment. The loyalists think that the US is coming to save them or something and are realishing every moment of the current events. A lively conversation over tea with Norn Iron - sounds very interesting!

[arimus]

Does the "war on terrorism" include this conflict?
Is any conflict really outside the broad parameters of our "new war" as the networks like to call it?

[Norn Iron]

Blair and Ahern have been appeasing terrorism, loyalist and republican, but they now find themselves caught on the horns of a dilemma.

Can they continue appeasement at home while fighting a 'war against terrorism' overseas? They will certainly try. However, events in Manhattan, Cuba and Colombia mean that Bush may demand that they cease appeasement.

[sneakypete]

This is just typical behavior for those Muslim terrorists with their trash religion that worships a God who they think gives them permission to kill anyone who isn't a member of their sick,twisted cult!........Hey,WAIT a minute!

[Norn Iron]

I don't hear any calls from loyalists for US support.

Trimble [UUP] has been trying, often in vain, to get Ahern and Blair to sort out the problems created by terrorists in NI. Let's hope that the Bush administration will be less friendly to the terrorist polticians, loyalist and repulican ones, than Clinton was.

The National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) reaffirms the belief in inclusiveness that led us to invite the leaders of all political parties and paramilitary groups to the series of conferences that the organization initially sponsored and held in New York City during 1994.

NCAFP perceptions and analysis demonstrate a very poor understanding of NI politics. Let's hope they have a clearer idea of events in the Middle East and elsewhere.

[sneakypete]

If Bush sticks to his word the IRA may find themselves facing American guns as well.

Not if the "Professional Irishmen" who are American citizens have anything to say about this,and as long as there are politicians in the northeast part of this country,they will. Where the hell do you think the IRA gets the majority of their money and weapons from?

A terrorist is a terrorist..

Not to a drunken American fool who thinks he is "fighting the good fight for the old sod and the One True Church!".

[Norn Iron]

Can I choose the venue for the tea and chat? Some places are oases of tranquility, some are not.

[Norn Iron]

Sadly, US citizens are perhaps only now getting a real sense of the hurt that victims of the Troubles in NI have had to endure for over 30 years.

30 deaths in NI is equivalent to about 5500 in the USA. This has happened 120 times in NI.

300 police officers in NI have perished. That is equivalent to 55,000 in the USA.

[Norn Iron]

You have a better idea than I how people in Belfast felt as violence raged through the city.

My information was second hand but it came from those who had been in some of those very troubled places.

One of the rawest stories I heard came from a mother whose son had been tortured by his mates when he wouldn't join in the violence they wanted to inflict 'on the enemy'.

I've already told you that Gerry Adams put a bullet in one of his mates - and left him for dead - for similiar reasons.

[constitutiongirl]

There have been at least 5 loyalist bomb attacks in Belfast in the past 48 hours. The heat will have to be turned up on both sides because one side will not lay down if the other is violently active.

[Norn Iron]

Both are violently active. It's up to London and Dublin to decide if they want to turn up the heat. They're very slow to move. Look how long they waited before they acted against Adair.

 

[constitutiongirl]

It's much easier to let the natives go at each other than risk the 'battle' moving elsewhere. The Brits don't really want NI anymore and neither do most of the inhabitants of the Republic. Sometimes it looks hopeless all the way around.