Monday, January 22, 2007
NI police colluded with murderers
A damning report by NI's Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan has confirmed that NI's police colluded with loyalists involved in over a dozen murders in north Belfast.Nuala O'Loan's report said UVF members in the area committed murders and other serious crimes while working as informers for Special Branch.
It said two retired Assistant Chief Constables refused to cooperate with the investigation.
Special Branch officers gave the killers immunity, it said.
The officers ensured the murderers were not caught and even "baby-sat" them during police interviews to help them avoid incriminating themselves.
The Special Branch officers "created false notes" and blocked searches for UVF weapons.
Reacting to the findings, Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde offered an apology to the victims' families. He said the report made "shocking, disturbing and uncomfortable reading".
NI Secretary Peter Hain said it "shone a torch into a very dark corner".
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said republicans would "not be surprised or shocked by the revelations".
British PM Tony Blair's spokesman said:
"This is a deeply disturbing report about events which were totally wrong and should never have happened. The fact that they did is a matter of profound regret and the Prime Minister shares that regret."
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern branded the report "deeply disturbing" and stated:
"Its findings are of the utmost gravity. It paints a picture of despicable past behaviour."
Of course, the DUP couldn't let the truth get in the way of their bigotry and stupidity. The party's Jimmy Prat...sorry Spratt, himself a former Police Federation chairman, said:
"If this report had had one shred of credible evidence then we could have expected charges against former Police Officers.
"There are no charges, so the public should draw their own conclusion, the report is clearly based on little fact.
"This report is another clear example why both serving and former Police Officers have no confidence in the Police Ombudsman or her office, the goverment should immediately appoint an independent body to investigate complaints made against her and her office."
In other words, shoot the messenger rather than take on board the facts and criticise those involved in MURDER.
Murders such as that of Sharon McKenna. Described as a "Good Samaritan", she was shot dead while visiting a Protestant pensioner at his north Belfast home. Two men called to the door and forced their way in when the pensioner opened it. They demanded the keys to Ms McKenna's car and, as she turned to lift them from the fireplace, they shot her in the back.
This report in my opinion destroys any credibility the RUC may have had left as a fair and just police service.
In the space of the last three months, an international panel of experts, an Oireachtas committee and now NI's Police Ombudsman have confirmed that collusion WAS NOT an illusion, nor was it a "nationalist myth" as many unionists used to scoff.
We have had the British Prime Minister, NI's Secretary of State and even the Chief Constable damn the unionist police service known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
While we have witnessed one DUP moron continue to ignore the gravity of this situation, what I want to know is whether or not the majority of unionists will adopt this stance?
Both communities suffered immensely during The Troubles. The past was a nasty place, but how can we get over that unless the crimes of that time, committed on both sides of the island, are both acknowledged and condemned?
# posted by United Irelander @ 4:22 PM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
