RIR soldier arrested at Drumcree
Sinn Fein's Dara O'Hagan has called for the British soldier from the
RIR regiment arrested at Drumcree last week to be dismissed
immediately and for the rest of the regiment to be withdrawn from
operational duties pending its disbandment.
The soldier, Ian Thomas Ernest Marshall of Doogary Road, Omagh, was
charged with having resisted Constable Nigel Loughlin and assaulting
him in the course of his duty on Thursday 14 January 1999.
O'Hagan was sceptical of the British Army claim that pending the
outcome of the case, Marshall would not be performing operational
duties asking, ``does non-operational duties include access to
personal files on nationalists and republicans?''
Speaking of Marshall, O'Hagan pointed out that, ``when he was not
protesting at Drumcree he was out patrolling, most probably in
nationalist areas. What sort of attitude did he approach his
so-called impartial duties with? The regiment throughout its history
and many name changes from the `B' Specials to the UDR and now the
RIR has been the training ground for Loyalist Death Squads. This is
just one more instance of the `traditional' linkage between British
Security Forces and extreme Loyalism''.
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