Police chief to quit if wrong about heist – ISN
January 21st, 2005
DERRY – The head of Northern Ireland’s police on Thursday vowed to resign if it turned out that he was wrong in his accusations that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was behind the theft of £26.5 million (€38 million) from a Belfast bank in December. Hugh Orde, Chief Constable of the Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI), stated publicly on 7 January that he believed that the IRA had carried out the robbery.
On Monday, the IRA proclaimed its innocence, after Sinn Féin, the political party linked to the IRA, had described the allegations as a conspiracy to undermine the peace process. (more…)
Political crisis deepens as IRA denies robbery – ISN
January 19th, 2005
DERRY – In its first official statement since the head of Northern Ireland’s police accused them of stealing £26.5 million (nearly €38 million) from a Belfast bank, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) last night denied that it took the money.
The comes amid a growing political crisis in Northern Ireland. The failure by Sinn Féin, the party linked to the IRA, and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), to forge a deal to restore the devolved government to Belfast has been compounded by the widespread belief that the IRA planned the heist, which is thought to be the largest in European history. (more…)
Robbery blamed on IRA, could derail talks – ISN
January 10th, 2005
DERRY -Politicians and the public in Ireland and the UK have spent the weekend coming to terms with accusations that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) was responsible for a massive Belfast bank robbery on 20 December 2004.
Last Friday afternoon, Hugh Orde, Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), stated that he thought that “[…] the Provisional IRA were responsible for this crime and all main lines of inquiry currently undertaken are in that direction’.
Orde was speaking after meeting key members of Northern Ireland’s policing board. Martin McGuinness, Chief Negotiator for Sinn Féin, the political party linked to the IRA, reacted to Orde’s comments by telling press that the IRA had told him that the group had not conducted the robbery, and that these comments were part of a politically-motivated campaign to undermine Sinn Féin and the peace process. (more…)
Police probe IRA robbery link – ISN
December 22nd, 2004
DERRY – Over £20 million (nearly €29 million) was stolen on Monday from a Belfast bank headquarters, in what was one of the largest robberies ever carried out in Ireland or Britain.
Sam Kincaid, Assistant Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), said the robbery “was a well-organized crime”, and “could be paramilitary-related”. Former Special Branch police chief in Northern Ireland, Bill Lowry, told the pro-Unionist daily Newsletter that the Provisional IRA was the most likely suspect. (more…)
Trying to picture peace – ISN
December 8th, 2004
DERRY – The latest attempts to forge a breakthrough in Northern Ireland’s peace process appear to have failed this morning, with the verification of IRA disarmament the remaining stumbling block.
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader, Reverend Ian Paisley, said while “we’ve never been closer to a settlement”, the IRA must “surrender”. However, it appears that the IRA will not consent to giving photographic evidence that their weapons have been destroyed – a key DUP demand.
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, whose party is regarded as the IRA’s political wing, said last night the IRA would not “submit to humiliation” by giving photographic evidence of disarmament. (more…)
Talks hit fever pitch – ISN
November 30th, 2004
DERRY – It has been two weeks since the Irish and British governments handed Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) their revised terms for the restoration of devolution to Northern Ireland. Since then, both parties have consulted their grassroots, come up with responses and requests for clarification for the governments, and engaged in a series of talks with relevant policymakers in Belfast, Dublin, and London.
However, their respective dealings have not included face-to-face meetings. The DUP refuse to meet with a party they see as indistinguishable from the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). All contacts have been mediated by the Irish and British governments. But the talks are delicately poised. (more…)
London recognises loyalist ceasefire – ISN
November 16th, 2004
DERRY – A busy week of activity in Northern Ireland culminated with the British government on Monday officially recognizing the ceasefire declared by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), Northern Ireland’s largest “loyalist” (Protestant) paramilitary group.
The recognition came despite the publication of an Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) report that said that the UDA continued to be involved in crime and internal feuding and exercised gangland-style control over loyalist urban areas in Northern Ireland. (more…)
London to launch Finucane murder inquiry – ISN
September 24th, 2004
DERRY – Last week saw the first conviction for the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane, one of Northern Ireland’s most notorious political assassinations.
Now, the British government has promised a judicial inquiry to discover the truth behind the killing, which has been one of a few such murders tainted by allegations of collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and elements of the security forces. (more…)
Kent talks fail – ISN
September 20th, 2004
DERRY – Three days of intensive talks on Northern Ireland’s political future ended on Saturday afternoon without a deal. However, the Irish and British governments remained positive in the aftermath of this latest failure to resolve the ongoing problems in fully implementing the Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland’s landmark peace deal forged in 1998. (more…)
Life sentence for Finucane murder – ISN
September 17th, 2004
One of Northern Ireland’s most controversial political assassinations reached a conclusion of sorts on Thursday with the jailing of a former loyalist paramilitary.
Ken Barrett, 41, admitted to being one a group of masked gunmen from the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), who in February 1989 shot prominent Catholic solicitor Pat Finucane 14 times as he ate a Sunday meal with his family. Finucane was a high-profile lawyer who represented republican clients – but also worked with Protestants. Barrett was given a minimum 22-year sentence. (more…)
