Collusion is no illusion – families vindicated in new report
The latest Ombudsman’s investigation into RUC handling of loyalist murders and shootings in South Belfast during 1990-98 has vindicated what Republicans and victims families have claimed for decades: that collusive action between the British state and loyalist paramilitaries was authorised to terrorise Catholic and Republican comminuties.
The three-hundred plus page report detailed how 8 British agents were involved in 27 murders and attempted murders during the 1990s. It is a damning report that is undiluted evidence of the policy of collusion as it was practised in South Belfast, and across the North.
The ‘Operation Achille Report’ contains a litany of patterns which illustrate a policy of collusion. Detailing:
- Routine destruction of evidence & documentation
- Routine failures to share information on murder suspects by RUC Special Branch
- Routine failures in murder investigations by CID
- Failures to investigate the known persons involved in importing and distributing weaponry from South Africa.
- Some of those involved in this importation and distribution were police informants
- 8 UDA members linked by intelligence to murders and attempted murders of 27 people. All were police informants
- Threats to the lives of catholic civilians were not passed on
- 2 x SA80 rifles + 2 x 9mm browning pistols were “stolen” from Malone UDR Barracks and used in multiple attacks
- A .357 Magnum Ruger RUC revolver was “stolen” and used in 7 shootings including 3 murders
- Special Branch gave deactivated weapons to UDA members whom they knew could reactivate the same weapons
- RUC Special Branch routinely gave active weapons to the UDA
- Routine use of informers who RUC Special Branch knew were involved in serious criminal activity up to and including murder
- Failing to test alibis of murder suspects
- failing to conduct forensic investigations linking murders and murder suspects
- Appalling failures in identification processes re murder suspects and placing eye witnesses at risk, reading out eye witness names’ and addresses’ in front of suspects, and ID parades with no screen between eye witnesses and known suspects
Crucially It confirms the previous accusations that a gun used in a 1992 massacre at Sean Grahams bookmakers Ormaeu Road, in which ultimately 10 people were to die from, was handed to a known loyalist terrorist serving as ‘Quartermaster’ of the UDA.
This report is just the latest in a long line of evidence that has put beyond doubt that collusion was NEVER an illusion, but instead an integral part of the British war machine in Ireland. The deployment of Loyalist death squads was part of a policy developed by British War Criminal Frank Kitson to complete targeted assassinations of Republican activists and wage Britians ‘dirty war’ against the IRA.
We in Lasair Dhearg applaud the efforts of the victims families who have brought this report to fruition due to their years of tireless campaigning. The ombudsman and HET remain toothless tigers, and it will be down to the might of the families again to attain further justice.
