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.
Grassy Noel
As I lived through the latter half of the conflict and am bearing the trauma that it had on me, I can tell you that I don’t want the war to start again.
I may be against the current political scenario and the framework that sets it, but Im not stupid enough to believe that sending young, idealistic men and women up country lanes with firearms is the way that will change it.
I am however appalled at the social luddites on this blog who spill their crisps in indignation when these things happen from their subjective position of moral authority and call for the return of certain measures that caused and accelerated the conflict here in the North.
These two failed attempts are not indicative of a mass armed campaign by oppositional republicans yet…..but they are a symptom of disgusting partition of this country. I would strongly argue that unless there is a serious political addressing of this, then violence will spread…and who wants this?
Turgon only underlines how off the mark his brand of unionism is by wrestling with the non argument of a 500 man reserve whilst the main issue goes much much deeper.
One question for all bloggers – had the PSNI officers involved on Friday evening shot the “Terrorists” involved would this have amounted to a shoot to kill policy?
In the event of shots being fired at PSNI officers in this new dispensation will NAtionalists/Republicans support the use of lethal force in such circumstances?
Unionists broadly do and have always done – so have Nationalist/Republican attitudes really chnaged?
Well said, Halfer. I lived through the latter half of the conflict and feel exactly the same way – and I also take your point about the hang them, flog them brigade on here.
IWSMWDI: “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.”
Agreements, sadly, only work if both sides are keeping up their ends of the bargain — what you call a “reasonable peace” seems to have been punctuated with such “reasonable” acts involving shot cops, shot soldiers and bombings, both successful and failed.
The clinging to schedules that do no recognize the facts on the ground may be an act of faith, but it will do nothing to stop the bombings and shootings, sad to say — no matter how hard you click your heels and chant, you’re still stuck in Oz amongst the little people.
I would like to hear from Republicans with their proposals for dealing with the dissident terrorist threat. I don’t want to hear what not to do; that doesn’t get us very far. And I don’t want to hear the usual “British withdrawal” shyte, as if a million Irish Brits are suddenly going to pretend they’re not Brits.
So let’s hear you, what are we (together) going to do?
Skintown Lad,
as an alleged ‘water carrier’ (as alleged by half-retraction-man Dread Cthulhu above ) I go with what the SOS (presumably another water carrier?) says that the best way to undermine the disers is to complete the peace/political process – it will be a long fight and will be won politically as well as by good police work which seems to have taken place last night.
But some Unionists, and those who use some arguements typical of Unionists e.g. half-retraction-man Dread Cthulhu, seem to have difficulty accepting that it will take this twin approach.
Sammy
1. By peace/political process, I assume you mean (mostly) the devolution of policing and justice. I agree it would be good to get this settled but appreciate people’s concerns when Sinn Fein wade into criminal investigations such as the Hughes arrest. Sinn Fein don’t inspire confidence that they are against ALL crime. They give the impression they are against crime so long as the criminal isn’t one of their own.
2. I am glad you mentioned good police work. what was it about the police work last night that you praise? What made it a success?
I’m not leading you into anything here – I am interested in your views.
What made it a success?
Skintown Lad,
Seems like it was inside information that led to the success. Thanks to the lads and lasses of MI5?
Skintown lad,
I believe that a timetable for an all Ireland Constitutional referendum is scheduled without external preconditions nor the minority unionist veto.
If this is the case then we may have progressive politics on this island rather than the zero sum, backwater politics of division.
halfer’s version of democracy: 2 wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
The unionist tried it and it didn’t work, and it ain’t gonna work the other way round either.
halfer: “I believe that a timetable for an all Ireland Constitutional referendum is scheduled without external preconditions nor the minority unionist veto.”
Ain’t it funny that Republicans expect Unionists to follow their political agreements to the letter, yet, when defenstrating the very same agreements is perceived to their benefit, advocate doing so?
Funny ol’ world, innit?
Er, thanks for that halfer…very progressive!
……and a minority holding sway over an entire nation is progressive then?? I see.
Sorry for a second there I thought I was living in a self perpetuating political backwater where climate change deniers, homophobic fundamental christians… (example; DUP’s Maurice Mills explaining Hurrucane Katrina as an act of God, designed to punish the practice sodomy in New Orleans)are the main partners in an arse-achingly inept, stagnant consociationalist assembly that administers a pre-designed agenda set by a load of politicians, in another country, without a local mandate.
The people of this country voted for progress and hope 11 years ago. 11 f*cking years. This situation is not progress nor hope and it’s time it was given a serious look at.
halfer: “The people of this country voted for progress and hope 11 years ago. 11 f*cking years. This situation is not progress nor hope and it’s time it was given a serious look at. ”
What, you thought politics was quick and easy?
No one had to stomach to grasp the nettle back in the day an’ you thought y’all could wave a wand and make it all better, for one-eyed definitions of “all better?”
Eleven years is not that long a time in politics, especially given all the water and blood under the bridge.
11 years isn’t a long time in politics?
with all respect Dread….thats utter bullshit.
halfer: “11 years isn’t a long time in politics?
with all respect Dread….thats utter bullshit. ”
Is it? How long did it take to de-partition the Germanies? How about the Koreas?
Neither the Irish Free State nor the British Empire had an answer for the final status of Northern Ireland and they punted. There has been a lot of water and blood under the bridge since they punted, hardening the hearts and the partition.
Societal progress is a little like turning a super-tanker… no matter how fast you turn the wheel, the damn thing will only turn so fast.
Actually, its worse than a super-tanker — with a super-tanker, half the crew doesn’t bitch about the rate or direction of the turn.