Uproar - Terrorists allowed MORE time to hold onto deadly weapons.

[Luke Skywalker]

Back in December 1998, a fake show was put on in amidst a hail of sparks two men with angle grinders destroyed a handful weapons in front of the TV cameras.

This was trailed as the beginning of loyalist decommissioning.

In reality the LVF had handed over nine elderly guns to the authorities.

The decade since that first arms handover has seen some remarkable developments, not least the decommissioning of IRA weapons.

The repeated mantra of "no guns, no government" put pressure on republican paramilitaries in a way that has no parallels in loyalist circles.

Loyalists have held onto their weapons for over a decade since, have killed since then and are currently involved in drug dealing, threatening PSNI members from their homes and terrorising communities.
In over a decade they have ignored deadline after deadline and no attempts have been made to disarm them despite certain PSNI officers claiming to be able to locate their arms.

Shaun Woodward found himself under considerable pressure during Northern Ireland question time last friday, with the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, DUP, SDLP and even some of his own backbenchers putting him on notice that they will oppose the extension of the law which grants paramilitaries immunity from prosecution for holding weapons if they are seeking to decommission them voluntarily.

The Secretary of State defended his position by insisting that General John De Chastelain's Commission was looking for another year because it was involved in meanigful dialogue with loyalists which could soon lead to guns being taken off the street.

The Shadow Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, stated his party's opposition to extending the deadline.

'Parasitical gangsters'

"By extending the amnesty period, the Government are letting down local communities and the police who are trying to protect them. These are parasitical gangsters, drug dealers and protection racketeers.

"They do not deserve another extension," he commented.

One of the main objections to extending the deadline has been threats made by loyalists to the lives of police officers.
Five officers and their families have had to move house as a result of such threats in the past year

The UDA has stated that decomissioning is 'unfair' on them and no loyalist terror group has expressed a desire to hand over any of their deadly arsenals.

[5intheface]

I understand the delay has been caused by the British Government's reluctance to honour the 'money back guarantee' the Loyalists were promised.

[Luke Skywalker]

I'm sure they'll line the pockets of the gangsters in return for guns, but this wont solve the problem.

Those who have the guns and are involved in drug dealing etc. should be arrested and prevented from terrorising their communities anymore.

These groups are disorganised and the weapons are used in rival fights, extortion and drug deadling.
I dont see how they will get hold of all of their weapons when theyre so involved with fighting eachother and they have no chain of command.

It would be like trying to take all the guns from the gangsters in Limerick, there is no chain of command, they dont all collectively take orders etc.

It's a mess and these groups shouldnt be treated as military groups by the British government, they should be treated for what they are.

They had their chance to decomission, its time to round them up and lock them up.

[merle haggard]

i think people have lost the plot completely as regards this issue considering the fact it was the British state and its agencies which supplied these people , many of them employees of British state agencies also , with the vast bulk of their terrorist arsenal in the first place .
One should also consider the fact that 2 of 3 terrorist organisations which the British governemnt supplied the weapons to were perfectly legal terrorist organisations at the time under British laws . Namely the UDA and Ulster Resistance .

The Shadow Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, stated his party's opposition to extending the deadline.

Owen Pattersosns Party were in power when the British state imported this deadly arsenal into Ireland from aparthied south africa and distributed it amongst various terrorist organisations , the majority of them perfectly legal organisations under British law . They have yet to apologise to the victims of these weapons for doing so .

In short the whole thing is farcical .

[Mr Crowley]

i think people have lost the plot completely as regards this issue considering the fact it was the British state and its agencies which supplied these people , many of them employees of British state agencies also , with the vast bulk of their terrorist arsenal in the first place .
One should also consider the fact that 2 of 3 terrorist organisations which the British governemnt supplied the weapons to were perfectly legal terrorist organisations at the time under British laws . Namely the UDA and Ulster Resistance .

The Shadow Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, stated his party's opposition to extending the deadline.

Owen Pattersosns Party were in power when the British state imported this deadly arsenal into Ireland from aparthied south africa and distributed it amongst various terrorist organisations , the majority of them perfectly legal organisations under British law . They have yet to apologise to the victims of these weapons for doing so .

In short the whole thing is farcical .

The Loyalists will never be forced to decommision, even though the PSNI have stated that they know where the bulk of the weapons are.
The Brits armed their proxy death squads and they have been stood down for the present; given a greenlight to engage in gangsterism in the meantime. Britain will maintain the capability to turn the orange terror back on at any time they consider it strategically expedient.
What is being played out for the benefit of the public is indeed a farce but the brutal reality is much more sinister.

[Luke Skywalker]

Surely the Brits should take their guns back, they could hand them over to the Iraqi's so they can fight eachother.
Afterall there's a recession on so surely its too expensive to keep buying them new ones, you can't dress your murderers up as peacekeepers unless you push the natives to kill eachother.

[Mr Crowley]

Surely the Brits should take their guns back, they could hand them over to the Iraqi's so they can fight eachother.
Afterall there's a recession on so surely its too expensive to keep buying them new ones, afterall you can't dress your murderers up as peacekeepers unless you push the natives to kill eachother.

Iraq is full of gear, they had their own AK factory.
It suits the Brits better to keep their armed bulwark in place should the Fenians quit getting with the program and get 'uppitty'.

[Luke Skywalker]

Unless a group of drugged up psycho's with lots of guns start picking off pub stragglers or gaelic footballers there wont be another conflict, but sure there's no-one fitting that description sitting around with lots of guns and a chip on their shoulder.....Oh wait!

Failing that the British could murder a few more solicitors here, or maybe even their own employees in the dole office - afterall they were working with terrorists!

[merle haggard]

the last time they did that they were doing it on the instructions of a foreign governemnt in Ireland . Theres nothing to suggest that foreign governemnt wont instruct them to do it again should that foreign governemnt again deem it necessary to their interests in Ireland . As long as that foreign governemnt remains in Ireland the potential for conflict is very real , which that foreign governemnt knows very well is the case .

[Belfast-citizen]

What about SF/IRA Weapons ??