Fears over Britain's security agenda
Gerry Adams met British Security Minister Adam Ingram this week
about recent targeting of nationalists by loyalists, continuing
militarisation of nationalist areas and collusion.
Patrolling patterns of British forces in nationalist areas,
continuing overt and covert surveillance, the construction and
reconstruction of military fortifications and Crown force
harassment of nationalists has an ``eroding impact on the peace
process,'' Adams told Ingram. ``In my view the only armed group in
cessation at this time is the IRA,'' said Adams. ``The securocrats
within the NIO continue to pursue a security agenda. This is
extremely dangerous at a time when we are seeking to negotiate a
democratic peace settlement.'' Adams described the British
Minister's response as ``not good'' and called on the British to
decide ``whether there is to be a new political agenda which
places the demands of peace above the old failed agenda of
security.''
The Stormont meeting took place following news that the car
number plate of a Sinn Fein councillor was found in a raid in the
Shankill and a number of individuals have been recently informed
by the RUC that their lives are at risk from loyalist death
squads. ``In recent weeks, more than twenty people have come
forward to say they have been informed by the RUC that their
lives are in danger. There may be many more, said Adams. ``Some of
those contacted are members of Sinn Fein, a number are Sinn Fein
Councillors but others are nationalists with no links with our
party.''
Describing the current situation as ``serious'', Gerry Adams said
he raised a number of issues with the British minister. ``I put it
to the Minister that people informed by the RUC that their lives
are in danger have not been given any details about the
information held by loyalists.'' People under threat need to know
if the information includes their home address, place of work,
car registration etc. ``Citizens should be given the maximum
information about the threat to their lives,'' said Adams, ``and I
am pleased to say that the minister accepted this point.'' Adams
urged all those who have been told by the RUC that their names
are on loyalist death lists to contact their solicitor
immediately to seek from the RUC all the details which they hold
on these threats. Ingram also promised to investigate recent
cases of possible collusion.
In recent years over 2,000 nationalists have been told that
Crown force files containing their personal details or
information about them was in the possession of loyalist death
squads. Collusion between the British army/RUC and loyalist
paramilitaries, suspected by nationalists for many years, was
finally exposed following the loyalist murder of Loughlin Maginn
in August 1989. After the murder, crown force files containing
Maginn's details were posted on a wall by his killers. After a
series of media revelations, the RUC gradually admitted hundreds,
if not thousands, of files were ``missing'' and in the hands of
loyalist death squads.
Systematic Crown force collusion became a matter of public record
during the trial of British agent Brian Nelson. Working through
Nelson, British Intelligence rearmed, reorganised and selected
targets for the UDA.
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