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Row erupts as special forces return to Northern Ireland
Saturday, 7 March 2009
A political row has erupted after it emerged that Sir Hugh Orde has enlisted the special forces to help the PSNI in the fight against terrorism.
Sinn Fein and the SDLP have clashed with Sir Hugh over his decision to deploy specialist Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) officers to mount round-the-clock surveillance on suspected dissident republicans believed to be planning attacks in Northern Ireland.
Both parties held separate meetings with Sir Hugh yesterday to discuss their concerns over the move, which Sir Hugh was forced to admit less than a day after a meeting of the Policing Board was told of a high threat level from dissident republican terrorists.
Meanwhile, a leading victims’ group said it is considering legal action against the Chief Constable’s controversial decision.
Relatives for Justice director Mark Thompson said: “The policy decision to deploy special forces is a matter of policing policy and therefore, under Section 6 of the NI Police Act, a policy decision is for the Policing Board and not a matter for the Chief Constable to arbitrarily act without the expressed and independent authority of the Policing Board, which he did. Effectively his decision undermines the Policing Board.”
The DUP and UUP defended the move and said deploying the Special Reconnaissance Regiment was a national security issue, not a matter for the Policing Board.
The SSR, which specialises in surveillance and intelligence gathering, has also been deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The SRR officers, who arrived in the region this week, are deploying the latest high-tech surveillance technology to monitor dissidents.
After a meeting with Sir Hugh, the SDLP’s policing spokesman and Policing Board member, Alex Attwood, last night said serious questions need to be answered.
“First, why did the British Government not tell the public and the political parties that Army special forces might be deployed? They were asked a number of times about Army support to the PSNI — never did they say that this could happen, even though they must have known of the concern and fall-out from doing so. This is not just being economical with the truth — it is bad faith.
“Second, why did the Chief Constable not tell the Board long ago, never mind yesterday, that the deployment had happened?
“This issue was too sensitive and too big not to mention. This should have happened. It didn’t. This was wrong. Is there anything else that we should know and are not being told?
“Third, the hands of MI5 are all over this development. No-one should diminish the security threat or deny that there is a need for a full policing response but the PSNI and the British Government have got this badly wrong. It will take serious effort, honest answers, new oversight and a different approach to turn things around.”
And Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey said: “Sinn Fein remains opposed to any such deployment of these forces and remains committed to ensuring that the PSNI is held to account for an effective, efficient and non-political policing service.”
However, Sir Hugh said: “There will be no troops back on the streets. I will die in a ditch over that — that is not going to happen.
“Every single one of those (SRR) people is under the control of the police. They have no executive powers and no executive capabilities.”
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The peace in Northern Ireland must be secured, why should any political party be concerned about special forces aiding our PSNI ?
These Irish republican terrorists are just plain psychopaths killing soldiers, Police and innocent people in the hope that Loyalist Paramilitaries will retaliate and thus bringing the dark days of the troubles back to our streets.
Its time the PSNI clamped down hard with the help of special forces to purge N.I of this blight!
There is no place for cowardly terrorists in todays world !
Posted by Paul | 11.03.09, 12:20 GMT
Deployment of the SSR in NI is important, or at least some kind of survielance team. The latest incident proves this. If the IRA or RIRA are not doing anything wrong then they have nothing to fear. Quite simply Northern Ireland and its people still needs to be protected from all aspects of terrorism, not just the republican terroists, this means that survielance is needed thier as much as it is in London or anywhere else for that matter!
Posted by John | 09.03.09, 15:00 GMT
In light of the tragic events in Antrim will Sinn Fein and the SDLP now congratulate Sir Hugh Orde on his foresight? I doubt it. Do they seriously think that there should have been a public announcement about Special Forces being deployed? Relatives for Justice now have 2 more families to represent. Perhaps Mark Thompson will now reconsider taking legal action against Sir Hugh Orde. Alex Maskey should concentrate on ensuring that dissident republicans are held to account, never mind the PSNI who are trying to protect all members of society.
Posted by Sue | 09.03.09, 01:48 GMT
Why did Sinn Fein not mind when MI5's new intel gathering role was announced and that they were building a super HQ spy-base in Holywood? Sinn Fein said that didn't matter and we shouldn't worry about it. Why was that? Come on Sinn Fein - I would love to know. Getting you knickers in a twist about this but not MI5. What is the difference?
Posted by Tell me please | 08.03.09, 17:08 GMT
This should never have been made public, now they know they are being watched they will stoop to even more devious tactics. A specialist force SHOULD be brought in to stop these scumbags and work alongside the PSNI to keep the streets and people safe.
Posted by a soldiers mum | 08.03.09, 15:56 GMT
I wonder how can someone call the independence militants in Ulster "terrorists", and the same criminals in Serbian Kosovo " the liberation army".
"Sinn Fein and the SDLP have clashed with Sir Hugh over his decision to deploy specialist Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) officers to mount round-the-clock surveillance on suspected dissident republicans believed to be planning attacks in Northern Ireland. "
Very "democratic" indeed.
Posted by Daren | 08.03.09, 07:43 GMT
FALSE FLAG!!! Ireland they are setting you up. This is not to prevent dissent but to provoke it and cause it. You don't need special forces to monitor you. You use tech guys good with computers and cameras. No, you use special forces to dress like terrorist and give the government the pretext to do what ever it is they like to do....
Posted by Steven | 08.03.09, 03:16 GMT
The solution seems obvious and it is to remove the military element of the special forces and create a police equivalent like the GSG-9 for domestic issues such as this. Deploying the military against your own citizens will always bring about criticism such as this, and frankly should be made illegal as it is in Germany.
Posted by Michael | 08.03.09, 03:05 GMT
Let's see what vultures descend on the corpses of the people who have been murdered in N.I. Undoubtedly, for some, these killings will be an opportunity for securicrats and purveyors of militant aggression. The people of N.I. from both communities should form a new kind of non-sectarian march - a march against those who will gain from the dynamics of disagreement, disharmony, fighting & war; who will inevitably rear thier heads at times such as this.
Posted by Justin | 08.03.09, 02:26 GMT
Row? not really. I welcome them back if thats what needed. Who else should be deployed to deal with the IRA dissidents ? Boy scouts? Boys Brigade? Scouts?
Posted by Jon | 08.03.09, 01:55 GMT
Why on earth was the issue made public in the first place. I do not understand why, in such a matter of national security, anyone needed to be told at all. These so-called "dissidents" need to be caught on the hop and in the act and not given notice that they are being watched.
Posted by lumina | 07.03.09, 23:57 GMT
What is the problem with SRR personnel working within Northern Ireland to try and thwart terrorist activities.
Surely the actions of the SRR are in the interest of all law abiding members of the community who want to see a country that is free from all forms of terrorist activity.
Posted by Robbie | 07.03.09, 17:54 GMT
Perhaps the Chief Constable should have divulged the action to the Policing Board, but if the special forces can prevent a single death in the Province then who would argue that the action wasn't justified. A simple apology should be enough, but then this is Northern Ireland.
Politicians should remember that the Irish people the world over will never forgive them if because of their pigheadedness and bigoted outpourings we return to the bad old days which we all hoped had gone forever. I have listened to both Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley Jnr. speak on the subject and quite frankly they both sound like annoyed schoolboys who are cross at not having got their own way. (Yawn.).
Please gentlemen, grow up and lets have some mature, well-intentioned politics for a change.
I speak as a Catholic, born and bred in Belfast, retired to live in England.
Posted by Anthony Campbell | 07.03.09, 16:47 GMT
See what happens when ideology gets in the way of solving problems. There is a problem that the PSNI apparently cannot deal with and for the safety of all the people of Northern Ireland have called on the services of specialists. Just as one does not have a vet do brain surgery on a human being , one obtains the services of those that are qualifed to do so.
Posted by RMS | 07.03.09, 15:04 GMT
As far as I know, the north of Ireland is still part of the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" and as such its citizens are entitled to the benefits of reasonable measures to ensure their security - including the Chief Constable's right to call on additional support from specialist military communications advisors as when and where he considers it necessary. Give the man a chance - he's doing a very good job in difficult circumstances.
Paddy Johnston
Newmarket
Posted by Paddy Johnston | 07.03.09, 14:08 GMT
What do Sinn Fein and SDLP want? Whats there alternative?
Do they want innocent people killed? Another Omagh?
The best people possible should be brought in to monitor these groups which have been increasing their threat recently. If the police are not up to the job then special forces need to be brought in to make the public safe.
Sinn Fein and SDLP response to this is just anti-british dross. Waken up!
Posted by kenny | 07.03.09, 11:19 GMT