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.

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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

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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.

[nunya bidness]

I would bet money that this was a cowboy operation a revenge/punishment attack

And more importantly, a footnote to a lost cause. On both sides.

The only true path to victory is proof of the failure of terror, yet some habits die hard.

Let's hope it doesn't set the political process back.

[Tulsa Brian]

Because the government refused to shoulder their responsibility and do away with this evil custom and instead tried to maintain the status quo by admitting on free and one slave state to maintain a balance of power. Sort of what we are still doing instead of tackling pressing problems until 'compromise' is no longer possible.

[Tulsa Brian]

Nationality has nothing to do with anything that I care about, Tony. I believe the point you were trying to make would have been better made with an example other than one which both our countries didn't have a disgraceful track record over, and at least in mine required a war to sort out.

[GregB]

Ok how about past british governments. Does not the current government have a stranglehold on the Ireland that wants to be free?

[GregB]

You must be british? Ok I will indeed read the whole post. I amstill for a free Ireland!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GregB]

OK I have not read all of this post yet,I have talked to veterans who have come back and I have heard none of that. The media seeks this soldiers out so they can tell the story the media wants you to see.
Let us Americans stay at home and let the terrorist come to us like they did on 911,no thanks.

[GregB]

Take a look at what food britan hauled out of Ireland,while children starved,that is terrorism!!!!!
I want britan out of Ireland, It does not belong to them

[Churchillspirit]

What about Lord Louis Mountbatten father of the British Commandos.

Bad move on the part of the boyos. They miscalculated the reaction to that barbarous act. Lord Louis loved Ireland, spent a lot of time there and was well liked by the locals.But heh....nobody ever accused the IRA of being smart.

[GregB]

Brovomwell said,geeze there sure are a lot of Irish haters on here!!!!!!!!

[GregB]

I am for a free Ireland and I support no terrorist,so watch your mouth............

[elc]

I'm well aware of Russell's policies of exporting food. It's easy in hindsight to say that his economic policies were misguided. But to suggest genocide or "terrorism" is to suggest that it was deliberate. And it was not. Why else would they have fed millions of people through soup kitchens?

BTW - Britian is not in Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is a separate country than the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland. If the citizens of Northern Ireland want the Brits out, they should handle that decision democratically.

[wardaddy]

What about the Prods in Ulster?

my ancestry.

Just toss em?

[slane]

Does not the current government have a stranglehold on the Ireland that wants to be free?

No. The people of Northern Ireland have voted to remain a part of the UK. And partition was passed by the Dail(with a majority of members being Sinn Fein) and so had the approval of the government of the Republic. Britain would love to dump the whole expensive mess that is Northern Ireland in the Republic's lap but if push came to shove the Republic would say no thanks. Forcing NI into union with the Republic if a majority don't want it would be a nightmare and both Britain and Ireland realise it. That's why you won't hear too much talk from the Irish government about a united Ireland - they really don't want it either. This notion that Britain is forcing the people of NI to remain in the UK against their will is pure bollocks. The opposite is true - NI is hanging on to the UK for dear life.

[tonycavanagh]

1) I support the war on Terror

2)I support the troops in Iraq.

3) we are using the same or similar tactics in Iraq as in North Ireland.

4) that goes for the American troops.

5) It is a dirty war but we have no other recourse than to fight it.

6) we are going to win

[Brit_Guy]

You wrote "I just wish the Brits would end their occupation of Ireland." and then gave a long cut and paste history lesson about the spud famine.

How would you feel if I said, "I just wish the US government would end its occupation of native American lands" and then gave a cut and paste of the history of the 19th Century US land grab? It wouldn't exactly rub as a reasonable argument would it!

The United Kingdom for all its ups and downs in history, and for all it moments of both glory and infamy has, on balance, been a tremendous force of good in influencing the modern world. For all this history the current United Kingdom is a well balanced mature democracy where all citizens have fair access to democratic political process to address grievances. Not everyone can be happy all the time - that is democracy! However, nobody, but nobody from the second half of the 20th century to the present way can justify the use of terrorist tactics to influence the outcome of the democratic process.

[Brit_Guy]

"I am for a free Ireland and I support no terrorist,so watch your mouth............"

Which part of Ireland is currently not 'free'?

[propertius]

cutting off his hand and then murdering him is ok with you is it?