Nationalists criticise reinstating soldiers who killed teenager

Nationalists in the Assembly have announced plans to table a motion condemning a decision to reinstate two soldiers who murdered…

Nationalists in the Assembly have announced plans to table a motion condemning a decision to reinstate two soldiers who murdered a north Belfast teenager.

SDLP Assembly member Mr Alban Maginness confirmed plans to debate at Stormont the decision by a British army board last Friday to reinstate Scots Guards James Fisher and Mark Wright.

Guardsmen Fisher and Wright shot Peter McBride in the back in the New Lodge area of north Belfast in 1992. They claimed they thought he was carrying a coffee-jar bomb, which he was not.

They were released from jail in 1998 after serving six years of a life sentence for murder. The Ministry of Defence announced on Friday that the army board had ruled they could stay on as soldiers.

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Mr Maginness's motion calls on Assembly members to deplore "the recent decision by the army board to reject applications to discharge Guardsman James Fisher and Guardsman Mark Douglas Wright from the army and its direction that they be permitted to continue their army service".

Meanwhile, the Health Minister, Ms Bairbre de Brun of Sinn Fein, has been accused of bowing to IRA influence by refusing personally to recommend the Northern Ireland Fire Service for an award from Queen Elizabeth.

Speaking after an Assembly debate on the granting of a medal, Mr Jim Shannon, a fireman and Democratic Unionist MLA, claimed Ms de Brun had sidestepped the issue by leaving it to the First and Deputy First Ministers to decide on the recommendation.

Mr Shannon said the majority of paramilitary atrocities attended by firemen had been caused by "Sinn Fein's other wing, the IRA.

`We cannot help but wonder if Ms de Brun is being influenced by her grassroots and has chosen to ignore the commitment, dedication and courage of fire fighters from both sides of the community."

During the debate the Minister said the Executive thought a corporate award from the Assembly would be appropriate and it would then be up to Mr Trimble and Mr Mallon to make any proposals for a state award to Queen Elizabeth.

Ms de Brun said the Executive felt an award from the Assembly would be more acceptable to firefighters.

The Speaker, Lord Alderdice, pointed out that only the queen could make an award, but that any individual or group could make a recommendation.

The Alliance MLA, Mr David Ford, accused the DUP of making "cheap, political, snide points" and said they were the one party in the chamber determined to drag politics into the issue.

The Agriculture Minister announced that she would not pursue special status for beef exports.

In a statement to the Assembly, Ms Brid Rodgers said she had not abandoned the case for beef exports. However, she had decided not to bid for it at this stage because current concerns in Europe about BSE might hinder the prospects of success.

"I have decided therefore that it would not be appropriate and could indeed be counterproductive for me to proceed with this case at the moment," she said.