ger at British suspension
Haven't we been here before? It has been another week of loyalist attacks on nationalist and republican areas and of squandered opportunities in the political process.
This has become a recurrent theme. Families in vulnerable areas live in fear of loyalist bombings, yet are bombarded with media commentary about IRA arms. Meanwhile, the British government and the unionist parties are posturing in the face of political disaster. Nationalists and republicans are sick and tired of it.
It was not IRA arms that carried out attacks on Rosapenna Street, Newington Street, the Crumlin Road, North Queen Street, Hillman Street and many other areas throughout Belfast in the past week. It was not republicans who hurled fireworks and tea at children coming home from Holy Cross primaty school on Wednesday afternoon. This is not a case of `blame on both sides'.
British Secretary of State John Reid's remarks at the weekend, in which he concentrated entirely on IRA weapons and ignored the escalating bomb attacks by the UDA - including 12 at the weekend - beggared belief. The count on attacks perpetrated by loyalists on nationalist areas this year has rocketed to 250. Yet, with characteristic insensitivity, most politicians and the bulk of the media in this country and in Britain have ignored this onslaught.
Ronnie Flanagan's announcement that there was ``ample evidence'' that the UDA had re-engaged in ``acts of terrorism'' amounts to a cynical joke after hundreds of UDA attacks.
To further anger those concerned with protecting the Good Friday Agreement, John Reid's made the disastrous decision to again suspend the institutions - the third such suspension announced by a British Secretary since the Good Friday Agreement. Despite the options available to him of declaring a review of the Agreement or of calling elections, Reid instead chose to undermine the institutions and encourage Trimble's obstructionism yet again.
Together, David Trimble, the British government and the UDA have engaged in a strategy that amounts to a veto in the one hand and a pipe bomb in the other.
Political unionism, the UDA and the British government are effectively working together to destroy the Agreement.
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