UDA man killed with own bomb
By Eoin O'Broin
The death of Brian Morton, blown up by his own bomb last Monday 9
July is another sign of continuing loyalist violence against the
nationalist community.
Morton's death occurred two days before a no warning bomb attack
in Andersonstown, thought to be the work of loyalists. That
attack was on Wednesday 9 July when three men wearing dark
glasses and carrying walkie-talkies abandoned a Volvo at shops on
the Andersonstown Road. They sped off in a second car which went
in the direction of Finaghy Road North.
Sinn Féin members cleared the area as the RUC took almost an hour
to answer a call from a member of the public. Councillor Michael
Brown who represents the area has urged nationalists to be
vigilant.
Morton, aged 28, who was a member of the UDA, was believed to
have been handling a pipe bomb when it exploded prematurely,
killing him and injuring at least one other man who managed to
escape.
The explosion happened near the Lagan tow-path not far from
Seymour Hill in South Belfast where Morton lived.
The next day during a follow up operation the RUC found a number
of similar devices at the scene.
d Sinn Féin councillor Alex Maskey has accused the RUC of
deliberately putting a spin on the intentions of the loyalist who
was killed. Maskey maintains that the bomb was to be used in an
attack on nationalists and dismissed RUC assertions that the
device was being defused at the time it exploded.
Later on Monday night, members of both the UDA and UVF staged a
show of strength in North Belfast.
Masked men armed with assault rifles and machine guns were filmed
patrolling in Woodvale, saying they were there to protect
Protestants. A similar incident took place on Tuesday night in
Mid Ulster involving members of the LVF.
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