Thursday, November 08, 2007
Off-duty police officer shot in Londonderry
The BBC report that an off-duty police officer has been shot with a shotgun leaving his child to school in Londonderry - Lumen Christi Grammar School according the report here. Security sources [and the deputy First Minister - Ed] are blaming “dissident republicans”. According to the reports - “A car believed to have been used in the attack was found burned-out in the Creggan area of the city at 0900 GMT.” The officer’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Adds From the RTÉ report
East Derry DUP MP Gregory Campbell said the shooting had all the hallmarks of an attack by dissidents. Condemning the attack, he said ‘if it was wrong to shoot a policeman 10 years ago, then it is wrong today. There needs to be absolute condemnation of this shooting as well as total support for the police throughout the entire community’.
Pete Baker @ 10:51 AM
shotgun, burned out car- a forensically aware team of would be murderers indeed.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 11:03 AMIn the last Assembly this would be enough for the DUP to bring out all of its supporters in demanding that the institution was Anti-Christ etc. Now look at what they are doing! The DUP are the greatest traiters to Orangism and all the good that it stands for.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 11:04 AM“i beats me why people who know they are targets hang around schools. how irresponsible and i hope al hutchinson investigates this”
Is this clown for real or is this what is known as a troll? :-/
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 11:05 AMI rather suspect he’s for real.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 11:18 AMOr rather, Real.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 11:19 AMTroll alert.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 11:20 AMYes. oh yeah is a well known troll.
(Hint) He really hates being ignored.Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 11:25 AM“In the last Assembly this would be enough for the DUP to bring out all of its supporters in demanding that the institution was Anti-Christ etc. Now look at what they are doing! The DUP are the greatest traiters to Orangism and all the good that it stands for.”
What utter garbage.
Another troll, methinks.Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 11:33 AMPete,
Do you have a particular reason for mis-spelling the constituency which Gregory Campbell represents?Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 12:55 PMThis cowardly shooting is clearly an attempt to destabilize the Assembly. It’s also clear that such people are so wedded to evil that they must truly regret the stability of the past decade and more.
I suppose the only way we can rid ourselves of such evil is to tell the dissidents as often as possible, and from as many platforms as possible, that nobody but the evil wants them.
So here’s my message to them: Fuck off, boys.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 12:59 PMInterested,
“Do you have a particular reason for mis-spelling the constituency which Gregory Campbell represents?”
I believe it’s called “abbreviation”. The Los Angelinos and Johannesburgers do it all the time.
BTW, your “mis-spelling” is a misspelling of “misspelling.”
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 01:03 PMDawkins
Your pedantry is much appreciated, point taken.However, it doesn’t answer the original point. An abbreviation it may be, but one with connotations in Northern Ireland.
It has a name - one which there is no reason, historically or otherwise to change. I could have accepted it if it had been commenting on a statement from John Dallat for example who constantly gets the name of his constituency wrong. However, I dont even see that example in this case.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 01:15 PMi heard martin “chuckle” mc guinness on the bbc news condeming the attack (rightly).
i was struck with the language he used to describe the attackers. he said that they had “no popular support” and that they had “no coherent strategy” for a united ireland.
i thought it ironic that SF and their supporters will this weekend commemorate the Edentubber martyrs. These young men were killed (by themseleves) during the IRA’s Operation Harvest in the Late 1950s.
i wonder will PSF leaders in speeches to the still faithful, say that the 1950s IRA had “no popular support or a coherent strategy for a united ireland.
how martin, is your condemanation of CIRA/RIRA (whatever) attacks today, differ from SDLP attacks on PIRA actions throughout the troubles.
Do you now accept that the PIRA had no legitimcay? or will grant the RIRA and CIRA a degree of legitmacy as they are going the same thing martin did years ago??
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 01:31 PMFFS, interested, do get a life!
(And FFS is an abbr. too.)
A man was nearly murdered this morning in a city near you and all that engages you is how a blogger spells the city’s name.
And you have the goddamned cheek to call me a pedant?
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 01:34 PM“shotgun, burned out car- a forensically aware team of would be murderers indeed.”
Bollix more like amateur night.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 01:38 PMDawkins,
I’ve never said that this was all that engaged me.I’m not actually sure why you’re getting so exercised about the issue.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 01:39 PMInterested,
“I’ve never said that this was all that engaged me.”
True, it’s my inference based on your silence over the attempted murder.
“I’m not actually sure why you’re getting so exercised about the issue.”
Could be because I don’t much like seeing off-duty policemen being blasted outside schools. I still don’t know how you feel about the issue.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 01:47 PMShotgun
we’ll see.
Daylight attack, some degree of intel, and forensic awareness- perhaps not as amateur as some would like to suggest.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 01:55 PMBonarLaw,
I’m afraid to burst your little myth about forensically aware terrorists using shotguns, (that didn’t come from the spin over Donaldson btw? ), but the simple fact is that if the would be killer had the option of going up against someone most likely carrying a Glock, he’s sure as hell going to carry something at least as powerful as his opponent – and a shotgun doesn’t come anywhere near. The fact that the would be killer had to use a shotgun points more towards an armature than the trained professional killer your would obviously like to have us believe. Daylight attack? Don’t make me laugh. It’s not as if the unfortunate victim of the attacks was going to see this coming – when was the last shooting by ‘republicans’? Intel? It’s no big secrete these days as to which Fenians in the community are also in the PSNI.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 02:27 PMApologies for spelling above
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 02:29 PM‘i thought it ironic that SF and their supporters will this weekend commemorate the Edentubber martyrs. These young men were killed (by themseleves) during the IRA’s Operation Harvest in the Late 1950s.’
In the 1950s this was, right? Who were the IRA bigboys then, McGirl, Magan, Burke around that time. Obviously Adams and McGuinness weren’t on the Army Council as early as that. The whole history of republicanism has that ambiguous connection with violence, and traumas when formerly violent men renounce violence, e.g. de Valera from 1926, being forced when in government to turn co-ercionary tactics on some of their former comrades, fighting for similar goals. But it doesn’t matter. The important thing is the journey when a Collins, de Valera or Adams figure rejects that past political violence and condemns it in the present. It seems strange to turn this dissident attack into an attack on SF.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 02:38 PMShotgun
nothing came from spin. Just 15 years in the criminal courts dealing with expert analysis of crimes and the tools used to commit them. That said any info you might have on the MO of terrorist shooters relevant to this case would be gratefully received by the police- give 0800 555 111 a call.
BTW there is nothing in this shooting that should be considered a laughing matter.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 02:55 PMbonar law forensically aware? How stupid is that remark? during the day etc etc. they were obviously stupid.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 04:54 PMWow Bonar forensically aware because they used a shotgun?
By your logic the PIRA must have been absolute numbskulls to use forensicallt traceable AKM’s, Armalites, automatic pistols etc?
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 07:45 PMThere’s something in what BL is saying. While those involved may or may not have access to other weaponry, it’s wise to look below the surface and try to see what can be inferred from the MO.
Suggestions of forensic awareness and possible intelligence gathering should be taken seriously because of the degree of organisation they imply. Organisation implies the possibility of further attacks, possibly emboldened by a degree of success in this instance, rather than a one-off by a couple of chancers for example.
I’d be concerned, and it’s sickening to see the return of incidents like this that raise the spectre of a return to the bad old days of fear and terror.
Anybody should be able to drop their kids off to school without fear of attack, whatever their profession. That’s so obvious I shouldn’t have to say it. As a society, we have to be constantly vigilant to ensure that situation continues.
Posted by on Nov 08, 2007 @ 07:58 PM
