Irish Republican News, 2.10.2007
Pro-british paramilitary group UDA still actively involved in sectarian violence:
Sinn Féin leaders threatened
Bullets have been sent to news studios in Belfast with the names and
details of six people, including Sinn Féin party president Gerry Adams
and the party's senior press officer Richard McAuley.
The threat sent to UTV television claimed to be from the Red Hand
Commandos, a cover name normally used by the unionist paramilitary UDA.
Last week, unionist paramilitaries again threatened Sinn Féin members
in County Fermanagh as part of an ongoing intimidation campaign in the
area. A brick was thrown through a window of Sinn Féin offices in Lisnaskea
on Thursday last week. A note on it threatened to kill three party
members, including elected representatives.
The same office was badly damaged in an arson attack earlier this
month.
Sinn Féin West Belfast Assembly member Paul Maskey said the recent
threats were "a sinister development" and "not in isolation."
"I urge Unionist politicians to show mature leadership, condemn these
threats and use whatever influence they have to stop these actions,"
he said. Fermanagh MP Sinn Fein's Michelle Gildernew has lodged a complaint with
the Dublin government after the PSNI failed to provide information on
the death threat against her.
Ms Gildernew said she was unable to take preventative action because
the PSNI did not detail the nature of the danger posed by the Red Hand
Defenders group.
The Agriculture minister in the Six County Executive is among those
identified in death threats by the Red Hand Defenders as being part of
a "pan-nationalist front" in the area. The same group claimed the
assassination of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson in 1999.
"I have spoken with senior members of the PSNI about this," said Ms
Gildernew. "The PSNI have refused to provide information about the extent and
nature of the loyalist death threats against me and other party members
in the Fermanagh area.
This conceivably heightens the risk because I am unable to take
preventative measures. This is totally unacceptable."
Sinn Féin Fermanagh Councillor Thomas O'Reilly urged unionist
representatives and clergymen to help stop the threats. He said:
"This is obviously very worrying. Less than two weeks ago the
offices in Lisnaskea were badly damaged in a fire and now there is this
threat against three named individuals and the wider nationalist
republican community in this area.
There is a clear responsibility on local politicians, community and
church leaders to use their influence within the unionist/loyalist
community to come out against all sectarian threats or attacks."
DERRY ATTACK
Meanwhile, a petrol bomb attack on the Derry Sinn Féin Constituency
Office last week is also being blamed on unionist paramilitaries.
Local Sinn Féin Assembly member Martina Anderson said the attack would
not prevent Sinn Féin activists and elected representatives from
"delivering a first class constituency service to the community".
