Republican News · Thursday 9 January 1996

[An Phoblacht]

Loyalist Ceasefire Over

By Eoin O'Broin

Despite reassurances from loyalist political representatives, the CLMC ceasefire is over in all but name. Speaking in an Irish Times interview last week, the UDA threatened that their front organisation, the UFF, would embark on a campaign against ``the general nationalist population''. In addition it is widely believed that the assassination attempts on republicans Eddie Copeland from Belfast and Derryman Liam Duffy were carried out by the same organisation.

Copeland, who has been the victim of several assassination attempts, was taken to Belfast's Royal Victoria hospital after a booby trap bomb exploded as he reversed his car from his Ardoyne home on 22 December..

Although an ambulance arrived on the scene within minutes, it was over an hour before the RUC arrived. Angry neighbours shouted ``are you sure you could leave it long enough?'' and complained that no forensic tests were carried out.

Local Sinn Fein councillor Bobby Lavery told An Phoblacht, ``of course people are very angry. They have witnessed themselves how long it took the RUC to get here, and they are still shocked about the whole thing''.

Copeland, who is 26, has survived five murder bids, including one which left him seriously injured when a British soldier shot him as he left Thomas Begley's wake. His father, John Copeland, was shot dead by a British soldier in 1971.

Copeland has accused OUP leader David Trimble of putting his life at risk following remarks made in the House of Commons in 1993.

Although no organisation has claimed Copeland's attack it is widely believed that the UDA is responsible.

Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness told An Phoblacht that even though he believed the loyalist ceasefire had ended, the UDP and PUP should not be thrown out of Stormont when the talks resume on 13 January. He was however critical of the ``double standards'' which permitted loyalist politicians to attend talks while Sinn Féin was refused admission.

Meanwhile Gerry O'hEara, Sinn Féin's six county chairperson has called on nationalists to be vigilant in the face of what he described as the ``increasing number of loyalist attacks''. O'hEara also attacked the ``hypocrisy'' of John Major's reaction to the loyalist violence. ``Major's insistence on turning a blind eye to the activities of loyalists will not lull nationalists into a false sense of security''.

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