SAOIRSE32

Irish Times
23 Sept 2008

Loyalist paramilitary Michael Stone came within inches of assassinating former London mayor, Ken Livingstone, a Belfast court heard today.

Mr Stone, who is on trial for the attempted murders of Sinn Féin leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness in 2006, claimed one of his biggest regrets was not shooting dead the Labour MP in the early 1980s.

He made the comments in a TV interview he gave weeks before he burst into parliament buildings in Belfast allegedly armed with explosives and a replica handgun.

Mr Stone denies trying to kill the Sinn Féin leaders and 11 other charges related to the incident in November 2006, claiming instead it was an act of “performance art”.

In the TV interview, which was played during his trial in Belfast Crown Court today, Mr Stone claimed he had made two dry runs leading up to his planned murder bid on Mr Livingstone.

“I came within inches of taking his life in 1983,” he told the ITV reporter.

He said he was going to shoot Mr Livingstone at close range as he entered Westminster Tube station on his way home from work.

“He was to be assassinated with a head shot and two body shots. I was to be dressed as a jogger and make off towards the Embankment, throw my weapons in the Thames and make good my get-away.”

In the interview, Mr Stone also claimed he regretted not killing Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness when he killeed three other people when he stormed Milltown cemetery in 1988.

However, he claimed he was not being truthful in the interview and it was all part of an act of “performance art”, with the incident at Stormont the final part of a “parody” of his former life as a terrorist.

When asked by the prosecution barrister whether he was being truthful about his TV claims about Ken Livingstone, Mr Stone refused to answer.

Irish News
22/09/08

A senior Ulster Unionist was tonight replaced as chief whip amid claims from the DUP he was sacked after clashing with his party’s would-be partners – the UK’s Conservative Party.

The UUP said Strangford Assembly member David McNarry was leaving the Stormont role to concentrate on the progress of two private members bills in the devolved assembly. He is being replaced by North Belfast representative Fred Cobain.

However the DUP dismissed this explanation and said the outspoken unionist had been stood down after challenging the Tories.

Last month Mr McNarry demanded an apology from a senior Conservative Party member in the North after he made critical remarks about the Orange Order.

Jeffrey Peel described the order as a “backward-facing, history-obsessed, parish-pump society”.

However, that controversy came on the heels of a joint announcement by Conservative leader David Cameron and UUP leader Reg Empey that they were going to explore the possibility of establishing a formal political alliance.

DUP South Antrim MP Willie McCrea said Mr McNarry, who is a senior Orangeman, had been axed for daring to speak out against a Tory.

“David McNarry has been unceremoniously stabbed in the back,” he said. “It is apparent to everyone that this is retribution being meted out because Mr McNarry defended the Orange Institution from the attacks of senior Northern Ireland Tories such as Jeffrey Peel.”

He added: “That Mr McNarry should have been treated in this fashion by Reg Empey says a great deal about the state of the Ulster Unionist Party. The Empey-led UUP would rather keep on good terms with the Jeffrey Peels of this world than defend a key-element of the Unionist community.”

Mr McCrea said Mr Cobain, a left leaning member of the UUP, had been elevated to the role of chief whip for backing the Conservative links.

“Reg Empey’s selection of Fred Cobain to replace Mr McNarry is no accident either,” he said. “Mr Cobain is known to have Labour Party sympathies but was wheeled out by the UUP Press Office to dutifully assert that he had no problem with where Reg Empey was taking the Ulster Unionists. He has received his reward today.”

The demotion of Mr McNarry is one of a series of switches announced by the UUP today.

The Strangford member declined to comment on the matter. However, party leader Reg Empey vehemently denied the DUP allegation.

“I can categorically say that under no circumstance was Mr McNarry sacked from his post,” he said.

“He has conducted his business on behalf of the party with professionalism from the time of his appointment and this was roundly acknowledged by our members this morning.

“Mr McNarry has been appointed our party spokesperson on finance as well as maintaining his post as deputy chairman of the DCAL (Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure) committee and will be spending more time on his two private members bills, one on carers and the other on access to school estates in coming weeks.

“Mr McNarry has continued to support my decision to appoint a working party to hold talks with the conservative party and Mr William McCrea is mischief making if in trying to link these issues pertaining to the loyal orders to this issue.

“I note with interest that the DUP takes so much interest in the loyal orders while its leadership has never been members.

“At the time of Mr McNarry’s comments with regards to the loyal orders I was on annual leave and as a lifetime member of the Orange Institution I need no lectures from Mr McCrea, many of whose colleagues remain outside the institutions.”

DEAGLÁN DE BRÉADÚN, Political Correspondent
Irish Times
Tuesday, September 23, 2008

DEFENCE FORCES: ALMOST €25 MILLION has been paid to members of the Defence Forces as a Border duty allowance in the five-year period 2003-2007, despite the greatly changed security situation in Northern Ireland.

The IRA has been on ceasefire since 1997 and since 2002 there have been no patrols, checkpoints, searches or requests for the disposal of explosive ordnance.

However, the Border duty allowance continues to be paid - at a rate of €4.73 million in 2003, €4.62 million in 2004, €4.79 million in 2005, €5.47 million in 2006 and €5.38 million in 2007.

The figures are contained in the 2007 annual report of the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) published yesterday.

Commenting, CAG John Buckley states: “I was concerned that this allowance continues to be paid while the justification for its introduction has long ceased.”

The Department of Defence originally requested the Department of Finance to introduce the allowance at the outbreak of the Troubles in late 1969 and the deterioration of the security situation.

The Department of Defence argued then that the allowance was justified on the basis that:

• the “arduous and responsible” nature of duties in Border areas involved service “far in excess” of normal hours;

• the deployment of special units for lengthy tours of duty to Border areas caused a “good deal of disruption” to all ranks, especially married personnel;

• the accommodation at Border posts “generally was old” and in some instances effectively sub-standard, and;

• gardaí were eligible for overtime payments for carrying out common duties with military personnel in Border areas.

The allowance was first paid on January 1st, 1972. The weekly rate in 2007 was €96.41 for enlisted personnel and €112.19 for officers.

The CAG notes that “each year, however, significant numbers of personnel from Border units are paid the allowance while temporarily attached to other units for a variety of reasons, eg training. Soldiers may be paid the allowance for up to three months while on a course of instruction.”

He also notes that: “Six personnel from Baldonnel [the military aerodrome on the outskirts of Dublin] are in receipt of the allowance due to their redeployment from Finner Camp to Baldonnel after the Air Corps ceased search and rescue operations in the northwest. It was agreed in January 2002 as part of the settlement with the Representative Associations to continue to pay the allowance to these personnel on a personal basis.”

Mr Buckley lists data that, “in 1996, 13,156 patrols, 12,744 checkpoints, 43 searches and 31 explosive ordnance disposal requests were provided in the Border area. From 1998 onwards the number of such activities declined and none were undertaken in 2002 or subsequently.”

The report concludes: “Change needs to take account of the interests of the taxpayer - that money should not be applied for services that are no longer required or where the environment or circumstances in which they are delivered have fundamentally altered.”

The Department of Defence told the CAG that, “notwithstanding the improved security situation, Border units are obliged, as well as undertaking normal activities, to maintain their capability to respond to the impact of emergencies and contingencies on the Border.”