Irisch Republikanische Solidarität








TC

UVF blamed for attempted murder




A man was shot and seriously wounded in his Belfast home days yesterday
in an attack blamed on the unionist paramilitary UVF.

Three masked gunmen pumped several rounds into the victim, aged 48, in
front of his wife in the east of the city.

The Ulster Volunteer Force was blamed for the attack, apparently in
retaliation for an attack on the daughter of one of the organisation's
leaders earlier this month.

The gun attack was an apparent attempt to kill the man, in what was
described by one loyalist as "a full operation, with a burnt out
getaway car".

David Ervine, leader of the UVF-linked Progressive Unionist Party,
condemned the attack.

Though he was waiting for more information, Mr Ervine added: "I won`t
refute that it was the UVF."



BUS BOMB

Meanwhile, dissident republicans are being blamed for abandoning a
large incendiary device aboard a hijacked bus in west Belfast at the
weekend.

Two masked gunmen left the device in a sports holdall on the bus late
on Saturday afternoon and told the driver to abandon the vehicle
outside Woodbourne PSNI police station.

However, the driver quickly stopped the bus on the Stewartstown Road.
British army bomb experts later carried out a controlled explosion.

Meanwhile, in east Belfast, pipe bombers attacked the homes of two
retired prison officers and two police officers were hurt in violent
clashes in Antrim town.

The attacks on the prison officers coincide with the "dirty" protest at
Maghaberry prison, County Antrim, by republican dissidents demanding
segregation from loyalists also held in the prison. Earlier this month
prisoners carried out a roof-top protest. Prisoners supporters say the
dispute could escalate and they refuse to rule out the possibility of a
hunger strike.

One pipe bomb was left at an address on the Bloomfield Road, the second
incident was at a home on Holywood Road. No one was injured in the
incidents.


SECTARIAN ATTACK


Sectarian incidents have continued following the height of the marching
season earlier this month. Catholic mother of three young children had
a terrifying experience as loyalists youths targeted her Gortanure Park
home in County Fermanagh after the Twelfth of July marches last week.

Two other houses belonging to Catholic families with young children
were also attacked.

Denise Crudden told how loyalist youths bombarded her home, in the
mainly Protestant village of Magheraveely, with bottles, bricks and
other rubble during the three hour long sectarian attack as she and her
children hid in one room.

The young woman explained how her children were "all in hysterics" and
that she put them at back of the house while she kept guard in the
hallway.

Ms Crudden said that she feared her family would suffer the same fate
as the Quinn children in Ballymoney who were burned to death by
loyalists who petrol bombed in their home at the Twelfth 1988.

"I was terrified, I thought they were going to burn us in the house
like they did to the Quinn children. They were calling us Fenian scum
and telling us to get out, it was terrifying. Now the children don't
want to play outside and I can't let them out of my sight".

The young mother criticised the inaction of the PSNI who she says
refused to arrest the attackers, "the PSNI arrived and could have
arrested these youths but they did'nt, they just let them go".

She always told how she got on well with her Protestant neighbours but
was disappointed that none of them called at her home.

"No one called or asked us how we were. I never had any grievances with
my Protestant neighbours but it has been disappointing no one even
called".

McCrudden says she fears more sectarian attacks in August as there are
more Loyalist marches.

"We can't leave our homes during these marches because we won't have
any to return to".

Sinn Fein's Gerry McHugh condemned the sectarian attack saying, "this
was a disgrace, these sectarian attacks should stop at once".


KILLER HONOURED

Meanwhile, the Orange Order's reverence for loyalist killers was once
again exposed when a new banner dedicated to UDA killer John "Grugg"
Greg was paraded during the Twelfth march through Glengormley, North
Belfast.

The banner was carried along with Gregg's sectarian band the Cloughfern
Young Conquerers which took part in the Orange parade in Glengormley.

Other UDA and UVF flags were also unfurled during the massive loyalist
show of strength.

Leader of the South Antrim UDA John Greg along with UDA member Rab
Carson were shot dead earlier this year in Belfast docks by Johnny
Adairs notorious 'C' Company during the loyalist feud.

Over the last two weeks the Orange Order has come in for criticism
after it was disclosed that Shankill Butcher Eddie McIlwaine was
pictured carrying a banner honouring UVF killer Brian Robinson at an
Orange Parade on the Springfield Road in West Belfast.

Letzte Änderung:
06-Sept-03