Police return fire after attack in Fermanagh
The BBC have a brief report online of police returning fire after coming under attack this evening in the village of Garrison, County Fermanagh. Update Three Four arrested on both sides of the border in connection with the attack, and there was also a 400lb car bomb which partially exploded after being driven through the security barriers at the Policing Board headquarters last night. Adds On Thursday Army technical officers made safe a “horizontal mortar type device” discovered in Armagh. And According to a BBC report undercover police foiled the attack in Garrison. And there’s a security alert in Armagh.
i see the british/english/unionist paramilitarys are at it again. trying to frame the irish. get over it!!! you british people are NOT going to get the english army back on the streets in ireland.
i hope the police involved are ok though…
Hopefully they will be enjoying some cookies back in the station. Bit of a shocker for the republicans though. Getting shot back at and all.
There are clearly significant security problems in Fermanagh. Many have centred on south Fermanagh especially Rosslea and Derrylin. However, this is in north west Fermanagh which shows that many parts of the county are affected by these problems or that the terrorists feel able to travel large distances to commit crimes. Either way it shows the folly of decisions like ending the police reserve. For Baggot to have scrapped the reserve in the teeth of the continuing terrorist threat was an inept decision which smacks of an excessive and politically motivated clinging to Patten.
I’m wondering who is best placed to face this threat at the minute.
Someone who has been in an office and forced back onto the streets or someone who has been involved with facing the security issue for the last 20 years albeit with an ‘R’ on their shoulder.
Answers on a postcard please.
Bring back the ‘B’ Specials!
“Fermanagh similar to Afghanistan.” — title of recent Slugger post…
I think consideration will need to be given to those police officers currently serving being acknowledged with a peace time Operational Service Medal if this hostility continues.
This is above and beyond what is expected of a ‘normalised’ police service.
‘Bring back the ‘B’ Specials!’
Lets not go straight for the Nuclear option, lets try something more palatable first, such as the Black & Tans.
With that said, I hope they catch these losers.
I have to say, as a nationalist, I wouldn’t lose any sleep if a couple of these dissers caught some buckshot tonight. I hope the Gardai on the other side of the border are armed and ready to use appropriate force when necessary. These clowns need to be taken out of circulation before some child won’t have a parent for Christmas.
The dreary steeples…..
Quite surprised by how off-hand a lot of posters on this site are. Basically, the border counties are turning into the wild west. Obvisouly we don’t want to go down the road of having the army on the streets again but something has to be done to protect the police.
Look, the PSNI should be well capable of apprehending a couple of raggedy arsed halfwit renegades. There are not many of them according to the PSNI reports. Troops are coming home dead from Afghanistan yet this incident seems to get more attention on the news. Are folk gonna inflate the image of such disadents. Then again if they pose such a threat, how about a scorched earth policy for Fermanagh? Napalm was effectively used in the Vietnam War.
Gas how this shoot-up comes at a time when Robinson stalls the policing issue.
hmmm, these would be the same halfwit renegades that shot dead a police officer and 2 soldiers last year? Perhaps you should go around to their families and tell them how piss poor these ‘freedom fighters’ are.
Afghanistan is a was zone, NI is ‘meant’ to be at ‘peace’. I think it is very newsworthy when the police get shot at. Indeed, I would go as far as saying that these incidents are being under-played. It is only time before someone else gets murdered – I wonder how many more dead cops are required before something is done about it…
Hopefully the police on both sides of the border can arrest these idiots and lock them up.
My my my…. I don’t know where to start.
Getting past the confusion of who these British people that Bert refers to are, I sincerely hope that the other posts of ‘hang em high’, ‘bring back the B specials’, are in jest. Or would some of you actually relish the thought? Maybe the police forces should arrest them and tie them to a log in Ballyseedy. That worked before didn’t it?
From what position are you opposing this armed attack? It certainly doesn’t come from a moralistic opposition to violence.
the future’s bright, the future’s orange…. please stop moping!
Sooner or later, a ‘dissident’ terrorist is surely bound to be killed by security forces.
Sinn Fein’s response will be interesting, for it will be time to piss or get off the pot.
greagoir o frainclin – the PSNI are a police force – not a territorial army. They shouldn’t have to deal with terrorists shooting at them (and good for them being able to shot back).
Any other part of the civilised world would have an army presence there asap but alas…
the freedom fighters are at it again…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8372713.stm
Dissident republicans have been blamed for leaving a car containing a 400lb bomb outside the Policing Board’s headquarters in Belfast.
The device in the car, which earlier on Saturday night had been driven through a barrier by two men who then ran off, partially exploded.
Meanwhile, four men have been arrested following a gun attack on police officers in Garrison, County Fermanagh.
“Meanwhile, four men have been arrested following a gun attack on police officers in Garrison, County Fermanagh.”
Good stuff!
Turgon,
For Baggot to have scrapped the reserve in the teeth of the continuing terrorist threat was an inept decision which smacks of an excessive and politically motivated clinging to Patten.
I’m looking for evidence that the Reserves have some role in stopping terrorist attacks, and last night suggests that there isn’t any.
The Gardaí arrested another man a short distance away in county Leitrim.
Turgon,
I agree, although no one involved is likely to admit it – the scrapping of the reserve indeed does look like a “politically motivated clinging to Patten”.
This is however, surely the right decision in the long term, as is having “terrorists” in government. Although Unionists such as yourself and many more in the UUP and DUP will never agree – we are in the middle of both a peace process and a political process that has to be gone through as per the results of the referenda in both parts of Ireland and the declared will of both governments even, and perhaps especially so, in the face of sporadic outbreaks of violence.
During the IRA “campaign” although they had some spectacular bomb “successes” (only for those who think that blowing innocent people to bits is a success), they also had quite a few duds. It was put about at the time that some of these duds were bombs rendered ineffective by inside agents “tampering” with them. Hope that is why the bomb didn’t explode.
Quick arrests too; hope due to infiltration .
joeCancuk,
re. “During the IRA “campaign” although they had some spectacular bomb “successes” (only for those who think that blowing innocent people to bits is a success”
Does the British “successes” in their bombing campaign in Iraq also spring to mind?
They could do, Sammy, and the US drone attacks in Pakistan too, but hardly relevant to this thread.
“I’m looking for evidence that the Reserves have some role in stopping terrorist attacks, and last night suggests that there isn’t any.”
If a few of them had been standing at that barrier last night would the brave volunteers have driven through? Perhaps not.
Igor, the CC says he has enough policemen and women to counteract the dissidents without using the Reserve and surely he knows. If he made a pitch to roll them into the regular complement I’m sure he would be listened to; but he hasn’t.
joeCanuck,
re. “They could do, Sammy, and the US drone attacks in Pakistan too, but hardly relevant to this thread”
You are right there Joe, and that’s exactly what I was thinking as well when I read your remarks about the “only for those who think that blowing innocent people to bits is a success”.
It is just so easy to stray off topic is it not?
I detect a slight rebuke there, Sammy. However, the blog did reference a bomb which failed to detonate. Had it gone off, I am sure some (not yourself) would consider it a success regardless of innocent victims.
The dismissive tone of certain posters to these murderous attacks is appalling.
‘Tut, tut them boyos are little rascals’ pretty much sums up Republicans’ attitude to terrorism and murder, or is that “armed struggle” against “legitimate targets”?
JoeCanuck,
as per your astute observations on the Belle de Jour thread on whoring you are again spot on the money when you suggest that it was my indeed my intention to aim a slight rebuke at your goodself.
As per your remarks below which speculated on what constituted a success in the unrelated “IRA campaign” were off-topic it was therefore reasonable for me to carry on in the same fashion as yourself and consider another unrelated campaign conducted by the British which also resulted in many (in fact far far more ) civilian casualties. If you go wandering off topic and others join you it is extremely poor posting etiquette to remonstrate with them.
“During the IRA “campaign” although they had some spectacular bomb “successes” (only for those who think that blowing innocent people to bits is a success”
Back on topic again, I hope the people involved are rounded up and convicted as soon as possible.
Comrade Stalin: “I’m looking for evidence that the Reserves have some role in stopping terrorist attacks, and last night suggests that there isn’t any.”
Sure they have a potential role — take up the slack in more mundane areas of law enforcement, releasing permanent officers to address the terrorist issue.
IWSMWDI: “This is however, surely the right decision in the long term, as is having “terrorists” in government.”
Sure it is — if only to permit full employment for political commentators and cartoonists.
Terrorists is government — no need for inverted commas — is an unfortunate consequence of the choices of both sides of the conflict. Dissolving the Reserve, however, would seem to be pre-mature, all things considered.
Building mutual confidence is a delicate process — this looks and feels to some more like a concession / capitulation — it doesn’t make sense on its face, given current events. Airy comments on the “long term” benefits, which you don’t bother to enumerate or do more than allude to — don’t sell the bad idea.
With respect, we’ll just have to disagree, Sammy. I think, taken in the whole, that my comments were on-topic.
joeCanuck: “I think, taken in the whole, that my comments were on-topic.”
Aye, mayhap… but they didn’t support Sammy’s preferred outcome and harken back to “regrettable” truths that some would prefer forgotten.
joeCanuck,
I have my beady eye on you – you slippery fecker.
Dread Cthulhu,
re. “Airy comments”. I have pointed out, as has Turgon, that the reserve was part of the Patten proposal which itself is part of the wider peace and politcal process which has delievered us 10 years of reasonable peace – there is nothing airy about that and we should stick to the deals we make unless the following 2 conditions are met. Firstly, their is overwhelming evidence that it is advantageous to do otherwise and secondly, political consensus exists between both communities to do otherwise.
Clealy in this case neither the second of those condicitons is not met and the first one is disputed by many even if dont include the Chief Constable.
Is it just me or is Northern Ireland full of ‘arm chair generals’? How about we leave the decision about the Army or the Reserves to the person who actually gets paid to make it and who is in a much better position to say what the PSNI need. I think we need to all stand with Mr Baggot and every other Police Officer to help take these ‘morons’ off our streets.
correction last para:
Clealy, in this case, the second of those conditions is not met and the first one is disputed by many even if we dont include the Chief Constable views.
correction last para:
Clealy, in this case, the second of those conditions is not met and the first one is disputed by many even if we dont include the Chief Constable views.
I have my beady eye on you
Your chances of finding me are slim, Sammy.
I spend most of my time under the bed with the dawg for protection from all those asteroids etc that Pete B keeps reminding us about.
Sounds very like an SRR ambush to me.
Afraid the peelers need to bite the bullet and bad as it seems be prepared to get killed to deal with the dissidents. Same as the soldiers in iraq etc. That’s part of what they get paid for and part of why many of them join. Ni is not at peace and won’t be for a long time yet. That means on the ground policing in the areas where it is hard and taking the dissidents on when possible. Firing one shot back is hardly a good response. I ‘ll bet that not too many nationalists in fermanagh would shed tears when shots fired were answered with overwhelming force and a rapid response( assuming innocent people were not at risk). Where were the helicopters etc last night? In respect of the bomb, hard not to beieve that it was a dud . But only takes one success and I fear another Omagh before long.
JoeCanuck,
re. ” spend most of my time under the bed with the dawg for protection from all those asteroids etc that Pete B keeps reminding us about. ”
As soon as new release of Google Earth comes out I’ll ‘ave ye.
From what position are you opposing this armed attack? It certainly doesn’t come from a moralistic opposition to violence.
And from what position do you oppose it? If indeed, you do. Let’s here it, friend. And I say friend and mean it, as you seem a decent fella, and I was harsh in debating with you before on this site, and for that I spologise, but now, I’d like you to come clean and state whether you believe restarting the ‘war’ is something you agree with, or don’t.
Rapunsel,
They nabbed them red handed. What more would you like? A Loughall scenario? Endless terrible ballads?
These are Irish Freedom fighters in what way are they different from Marty Gerry etc..
The difference, Barnshee, is that the population, North and South, finally got to vote on the new dispensation and endorsed it overwhelmingly. Prior to that, they had no real chance to say what they thought of the “campaign”. A minority, very small minority indeed, have no moral right to try to enforce their narrow views on the vast majority. That was true of the PIRA “war” and is even more true now.
So, go away and suck or sulk.
Returned fire??
Is this for real?
You sure this isn’t a nipsie invention to make themselves sound hard.
Freddie
Yes, I was wrong there and was commenting based only on what the early media reports were. From papers today looks like caught red handed and can’t get better than that. Thank god
It appears that they were more than caught red handed. The BBC is suggesting that the police had intelligence that the attack would take place and were waiting undercover for them.
It’ll be interesting to see if there are charges.