Friday, August 10, 2007
UDA have 60 days to comply..
The Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie has stated that the UDA must engage in a process of decommissioning, overseen by DeChastelain, and move to end criminality if the funding of the UPRG project is to proceed. And they have 60 days to do that in. Personally I’m with Hugh Orde.. and they’ve had more than enough time already. I’ll add any more details as they emerge. Adds Press release from the Department here. And the Minister’s full statement here Update According to a usually reliable Slugger source the Social Development Minister wanted to withdraw the funding immediately.. but none of her Executive colleagues would support that position. Which brings into question what will happen after the 60 days are up..
From the Minister’s statement
I have decided therefore that the funding for the CTI project will cease unless there is clear evidence that the UDA means what it says. The funding will end 60 days from now unless there is clear and demonstrable evidence that the UDA has engaged meaningfully with the IICD and has started to decommission its weapons.
I will also want to see evidence that the UDA has moved irreversibly away from criminality and violence to positive and lawful community transformation.
If the evidence and commitment that I seek are forthcoming the funding for the project will remain in place for the three year period as long as the progress towards decommissioning and reducing violence and criminality is sustained.
If, however, what I seek is not evident within 60 days the funding will stop and the project will be wound up. Consequently I have suggested to the Farset organisation, which administers the project, that the staff involved whose interests need to be recognised be put on protective notice.
The conflict is over but the peace is not easy.
This is a test of that.
I’d suggest they’ve already failed that test..
More Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey criticises the announcement as “public posturing”... while Irish Government Minister Dermot Ahern supports the move.
Pete Baker @ 07:29 AM
“Margaret Ritchie has stated that the UDA must engage in a process of decommissioning, overseen by DeChastelain, and move to end criminality if the funding of the UPRG project is to proceed. And they have 60 days to do that in.”
Attempting to back the UDA into a corner by changing tact from the carrot to the stick is a very very stupid move. In last month’s “Warrior”, the North Antrim/Londonderry monthly magazine, below the heading “THE UPRG - A STICK TO BEAT THE UDA WITH?”, this was the response to voices wishing to penalise the UPRG and attempts to undermine the work of the Group:
“The Ulster Political Research Group was established as a political “think-tank” and advisory body for the Ulster Defence Association. It was never intended to be a political party nor replacement for the Ulster Democratic Party. As such the UPRG has given advice to the UDA leadership as well as acted as spokesmen on behalf of the UDA as a whole. It has been to the forefront in attempting to transform the UDA from a paramilitary organisation. In this respect government funding was made available to expand the UPRG’s work and attempt to bring the UDA as an organisation into the political and cultural spheres rather than as a solely paramilitary organisation.
In this respect the UPRG has given good and on the odd occasion dubious advice to the UDA but on the whole it has been for the benefit of the organisation. However it must be strongly stated that the UPRG is NOT the UDA. Neither will it ultimately decide the UDA’s future - that decision will be taken by individual brigadiers on the advice from the membership of each individual brigade.
This must be clear as our enemies seem to believe that the UPRG can be used as a weapon by it to deliver the disarming and disbanding of the UDA.”
The article goes on to refer to Ritchie’s recent threatening comments about the near £500,000 a year HMG had given the UPRG and how it would be stopped if the UDA did not “decommision their arsenal”.
The article goes on to emphasise the fact that “UDA weapons have remained silent despite provocation and that “If our enemies believe that they can “buy” our weapons, intimidate or threaten us like a bunch of petty criminals then they have grossly misread the role of the UPRG and the determination of grassroots UDA members not to be disarmed leaving themselves, their families and community vulnerable”.
The final two paragraphs don’t beat about the bush and hint at the direction the UDA will take if the UPRG and the UDA continue to be harassed and harangued by people like Ritchie and HMG:
“As for the UPRG. If funding is to be withdrawn then go ahead. The UPRG will still exist in a solely voluntary form although its ability to influence UDA thinking will have been weakened and if it ever becomes a burden or begins to outgrow the UDA or believes itself above the UDA then it will be disbanded. If our enemies and the enemies of the Ulster people wish to try and use the UPRG as a stick to beat the UDA then again if necessary that “stick” will be removed.
The UDA will not be threatened by anyone or any Government. There is no single individual, no single part nor branch of the UDA that decides independently how everyone else will behave or what to believe. We are an organisation of many parts and we will internally and equally decide our future, our political aspirations and our military intent. No-one else will tell us what to do and as for financial or other threats, well that’s just laughable.
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A stark warning indeed to Ritchie and others who have their own nationalist agenda…
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 10:47 AMMargaret has played this very well. Enough time to prove themselves, some chance of that, but not enough to allow it to be spun out. She hasn’t left herself open to accusations of not giving them every chance. People will be delighted that she has specified what exactly needs to be done before the cut-off. They are sick to death of bland, meaningless, get out statements.
Excellent job.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 10:55 AMIn last month’s “Warrior”
ROTFLMAO
What other articles are in this hilariously-named tome?
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 10:56 AMI think it would have been better if the Minister had suspended any further payments UNTIL the guns had been decommissioned and until crime by the UDA had been verifiably eliminated. Then it could be restored. This way, the UDA get to keep the money and play games with the guns and crime issues….
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 11:12 AMI’d also like to congratulate Margaret Richie for making this decision. If she’d cut the funding now she would have been attacked for undermining the political influence the UPRG has over the UDA and if she’d let them have the money with no conditions attached she would have been (rightly) attacked.
Her decision was the best move possible and if her decision results in the UDA decommissioning Ms Richie should be commended. To any naysayers who are still out there this is a brave decision by a local politician which would not have been made by any Direct Rule minister.
The only thing that remains is how the UDA approach this. Surely they must realise that now is the time to hand in their guns. Margaret Richie has made a brave decision now it’s time for the UDA to follow suit.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 11:14 AMhow unfair on the U.D.A.!!!
The U.V.F. can still murder, deal drugs, target for murder, intimidate, give punishment beatings, run hookers, take protection money and get lucrative contracts from government organisations for their building firms and not hand over ONE BULLET. But yet they have someone in our government and on our POLICING BOARD????
My advice to the scum in the UDA who still want to continue their activities is to join the U.V.F. and not worry about any come back!!
Margaret ritchie has shown what the unionist politicians and the british governments are all about, SPINELESS WASTE OF SPACES!!!!Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 11:17 AMConcerned UDA apologist
What makes you think that should those thinly veiled threats ever come to pass that the UDA wouldn’t be finished within 48 hours?
Licenses could be revoked, (what joy to see that eh!).
I’m sure whatever scum is left after that could be rounded up in a couple of days after special branch and the NIO take there hand down from the UDAs arse and actually use the files that they have compiled on the muppets.
You really don’t get it do you?
Internment didn’t work the first time because you had a large community who had sympathy with the cause and huge feelings of discontent within communities as well.
If the UDA were rounded up and interned tomorrow can you see the unionist working classes on a huge scale rising attacking their own sons and daughters in the PSNI.
I always love it when journo’s question loyalist leaders about decommissioning and disbandment and the line trotted out is that “paramilitaries didn’t come out of nowhere” “they’re part of the community as well etc”
The same argumnent could be said about paedophiles or rapists!
The UDA have no support within loyalist working classes and as such as a paramilitary group are only ever one step away from extinction!
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 11:19 AMReturning to the Picasso’s Guernica Mural, The mural will be officially unvielled on Sunday 12th August at 12pm by Baroness May Blood and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, Speakers will include Prof Bill Rolston, Everyone is welcome to come along for the Music and the Craic.
Earlier Post
In Actual Fact the Picasso’s Guernica Mural on the International Wall is being sponsored by Search Engine Gasta.com and supported by Belfast Media Group, Discussions are also taking place for a open air art gallery along the whole lenght of Lanark way with a ‘Peace Platz’at the bottom to showcase outdoor sculpture,crafts and house a sunday market, all art will be completed on boards, fit into 8ft Slots and have corporate sponsorship. This is a plan that has been developed by the artists themselves and if it compliments tourism all the better.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 11:22 AMHogan: “Why was there no pressure from the DFM’s office to support Ritchie? Perhaps he has closer links to the UDA’s paymasters in the NIO than we think? “
I’ll say it again—what moral authority does wee Marty bring to the table? MMG serves best by keeping his mouth shut and maintaining a low profile in this scenario, something he’s done middlin’ well thus far… a pity some of the other lens-lice couldn’t follow his example.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 11:40 AMDread
He brings none per se, but i was merely making the point that Ritchie seems politcally pretty isolated at the minute? No other ministers have commented?
Why no support for a fellow executive member who has possibly just taken the first decision against the advice of officals in the history of the NIO?
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 11:44 AMOn the basis of Margaret Ritchie’s ultimatum should the UDA not consider renaming their monthly “Worriers”?
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 11:48 AMCrayon jottings on butcher’s paper, CL.
Somehow, it would seem the rest of us are not impressed with the meanderings of “The Warrior,” no doubt coming to a news-stand soon in color by numbers format for the more limited members of its leadership.
As a soon-to-be University student, mayhap you could explain to your less than sophisticated cohorts that the government is not some two register inconvenience store for them to extort a few bob out from. Likewise, the reason that the UDA has a “think-tank” is that their political party was unelectable because they have no support.
The biggest irony with these tone-deaf thugs in the UDA is for all the Loyalist crowing about the government putting the boot on the Republican’s necks, they seem to miss the notion that the same boot will fit just as nicely on a Loyalist neck as well.
Keep buying rope, guys… when you’ve got enough, I’ll show you what the lever is for…
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 11:49 AMTwice from the quoted “Warrior” article:
“If our enemies….”
Could one of the UDA apologists explain to us who these enemies are.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 12:10 PMHogan: “He brings none per se, but i was merely making the point that Ritchie seems politcally pretty isolated at the minute? No other ministers have commented? “
And, yet, in your haste to make this general point, you picked the one minister least useful in this scenario as your example. The one that needs to speak up the most, I would argue, it Rev. Paisley, who does have a modicum of moral authority in this instance. Now, in his favor, Rev. No has already decried the recent crimes. All he has to do is agree with the punishments. Should be simple enough and, arguably, by not kicking her in the shins, he may think that he is doing so or he may be hanging her out to dry.
Time will tell…
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 12:22 PM“If the UDA were rounded up and interned tomorrow can you see the unionist working classes on a huge scale rising attacking their own sons and daughters in the PSNI.”
Posted by Hogan from County Tyrone on Aug 10, 2007 @ 01:19 PM
No I couldn’t see people “attacking their sons and daughters in the PSNI” because the number of working classes unionists in the PSNI is low. Due to so-called “50:50” discrimination, “unionist working classes” are being prevented from joining the PSNI, being passed over in favour of their republican working class counterparts..
That makes your argument redundant and irrelevant Hogan…
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 12:46 PMDread Cthulhu
Spot on.
Martin should just stay stum, no matter what he said he can only do damage speaking out. Dr No needs at the first excuse to say publicly that the executive, or at the very least he and his party, back the minister 100% in this. He doesn’t have to go into any more detail than that. That will be enough to send messages all round - good or bad depending on who you are.Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 12:47 PM“As a soon-to-be University student”
Posted by Dread Cthulhu on Aug 10, 2007 @ 01:49 PMI am 22 now and have already been to uni for 3 years but left my International Politics (with a Minor subject) course to take a year out because I decided on a career change. Going back in September now to study History (3 modules) and Journalism (3 modules)...
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 12:55 PMOk concerned loyalist if you want to be clever permit me to siimplify my argument.
If the UDA were rounded up tomorrow and threw in HMP Magilligan would any section of decent society give a fiddler’s f*ck?
Seems pretty coherent to me!
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 01:06 PMSadly all you sluggerites have been caught up (yet again) in the spin and the posturing. You are not part of the process so you make assumptions based on a press release and the stated intent of a politician. A politician mind!. I will let you in on some facts;
In talks held with representatives of the UPRG the minister PRAISED the work of the CTI scheme. She recognised some real progress had been made. The NIO has strongly recommended that the scheme carry on. The DSD have strongly recommended that the scheme goes on. Church leaders have urged that the scheme goes on. And so on and so on.
Todays announcement has been done to placate the dweebs and the sad, the bitter and the easily led, the sunday worshippers and the Sunday World readers (what a combination!). In short it has been done to put this whole issue to bed. What will happen after 60 days? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Save this quote, come back in 60 days and realise that progress is real and spin merely an illusion. The scheme will continue and will continue to impress those that make the real decisions (hint - not you, not the media, not the wannabe politicians either). Please cut and paste this quote and save it to your desktops, come back in 60 days.
The UPRG will CONTINUE to engage with the IMC. That is not a change in and of itself. It will just continue. No decommisioning will take place as it is not part of the CTI process. If you believe anything else then you have been misled and ill informed.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 01:14 PMCL: “I am 22 now and have already been to uni for 3 years but left my International Politics (with a Minor subject) course to take a year out because I decided on a career change. Going back in September now to study History (3 modules) and Journalism (3 modules)… “
I’m sure your family is very proud, CL…
Changes nothing—the UDA is still a collection of hoods, the UPRG a collection of sock-puppets and apologists—see, even Lofty has finally steeled the resolve to come provide some spin.
Riots and veiled threats, even with someone as enthused as lofty providing post-threat spin, aren’t going to win the support of the general populace. The fact that this shower of hoods known as the UDA lacks the support of the local communities is telling. Hell, even the UVF could scrounge up an MP of their own. The UDA has a “think-tank” because they can’t even manage that.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 01:31 PMHogan “If the UDA were rounded up tomorrow and threw in HMP Magilligan would any section of decent society give a fiddler’s f*ck?”
Probably not. Unlike the “catholic community”, protestants never really fancied voting for political facades on terrorist foundations.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 01:35 PMProbably not. Unlike the “catholic community”, protestants never really fancied voting for political facades on terrorist foundations.
Unlike the ‘Protestant’ community, Catholics never mistook support for the DUP as opposition to loyalist paramilitarism.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 01:39 PM^Changes nothing—the UDA is still a collection of hoods, the UPRG a collection of sock-puppets and apologists—see, even Lofty has finally steeled the resolve to come provide some spin.^
Unlike you CL I have a life outside of Slugger and need to also spend some time with my family. I do not need resolve to lay out some more spin for you nor issue threats. Indeed I have threatened no one. I have just laid out some facts for you. Digest them, come back in 60 days and we will see who is the sock puppet and who knows the score.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 01:43 PMTodays announcement has been done to placate the dweebs and the sad, the bitter and the easily led, the sunday worshippers and the Sunday World readers (what a combination!).
Ah, Slugger’s resident champion of the vilification of dead children returns. So, Margaret Ritchie is lying and the tax-paying public are ‘dweebs’ are we? Ah well, I look forward to more nights of rioting by drug-dealing, hoody-wearing idiots, more interviews with semi-literate morons in suits and next time one of the sons of Ulster open fire at some copper’s back, lets hope they start blasting back.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 01:45 PMGood, screw them. It’ll be interesting to see their reaction.
Posted by on Aug 10, 2007 @ 01:46 PM