SENIOR POLICE officers and politicians have united in condemnation of the attempted bombing of the Policing Board headquarters in Belfast and the Fermanagh gun attack.
PSNI chief constable Matt Baggott said the attacks were designed to derail the political process and he vowed that these would not succeed.
“This attack is an attack on the well-being of everybody in Northern Ireland,” he said. “This is not about an attack on policing or the Policing Board, this is an attack on young people and young people’s future.”
He was speaking at police headquarters yesterday morning alongside the British minister charged with security powers, Paul Goggins, who said: “When attacks like these happen it brings people together with the strong message that these dissidents will not succeed.” They are a small minority, who are reckless and criminally intent, he added.
“Policing will continue in Northern Ireland and progress will continue.” Policing Board chairman Barry Gilligan struck a defiant tone. “We will continue to work on behalf of the entire community to deliver that effective and efficient police service which they demand and which they are entitled to,” he said.
All the Stormont parties condemned the violence and there was no reference by either Sinn Féin or the DUP to the protracted efforts to transfer justice and security powers to the Executive.
In a joint statement all the DUP members of the Policing Board said it was clear, as they had warned, that dissident republicans would target civilians as well as police officers. Board member Jimmy Spratt said: “As well as continually pressing our concerns with the senior officers of the police, including the chief constable over the safety of rank and file officers from dissident republicans, we have warned that board staff are at risk also.
“After this attempt by dissident republican terrorists to blow up Policing Board HQ, our concerns have been vindicated. It is clear that these murderous criminals have no compunction whatsoever in targeting innocent civilians. It was only through the valiant efforts of our security forces that loss of life was averted.”
Sinn Féin junior Minister Gerry Kelly went further, suggesting that the attempted bombing of the board headquarters was also an attack on those who voted for the elected representatives who serve there. “The Policing Board is made up of locally elected politicians and members of the public working to hold the PSNI to account,” he said. “This attack is an attack not just on the Policing Board members but on the communities who elect them. It is unacceptable and I condemn it.”
SDLP Assembly member and board member Alex Attwood warned that dissident groups were trying to broaden their campaign. Efforts to counter this should also be more comprehensive, he said.
“The incidents at Clarendon Dock and in Fermanagh are very grave concerns. It appears that the dissidents are broadening the scale of their attacks on democracy. The community must now broaden the scale of its response to the attacks and help the police with all information that may assist the prosecution of those responsible. The police, Policing Board and District Policing Partnerships have been the most resilient institutions over the last decade. They have been tested time and time again. They have, and will, remain strong in their actions and resolve in the face of these latest developments.”
SDLP Fermanagh Assembly member Tommy Gallagher said the Garrison incident was “stupid and senseless”. Dissidents had no local support, he added.
UUP Assembly member Tom Elliott said: “These terrorists need to be pro-actively dealt with by the security services and not allowed to carry out their murderous attacks at will.”
Dissident violence: 2009
January 31st:A 145kg bomb is abandoned by dissidents near a primary school outside Castlewellan, Co Down. It is thought the bombers were on their way to attack Ballykinlar army base.
March 6th:Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde says a "small number" of special reconnaissance officers are to be deployed in NI to counter the dissident threat.
March 7th:Real IRA gunmen shoot dead two British army soldiers at their base in Antrim town. Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar were due to deploy to Afghanistan the following day.
March 9th:Continuity IRA gunmen murder PSNI officer Stephen Carroll in Craigavon, Co Armagh. He was the first officer from the new police service to be shot dead.
March 10th:Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness says dissident republicans resorting to violence are "traitors".
May 15th:A "very substantial explosive device" is found in a rural part of Co Fermanagh. Police say the device had been found in a field on the Donagh to Roslea road six weeks after a vague warning was received.
August 21st:Up to seven dissident gunmen armed with rifles and a rocket launcher mount a roadblock in Meigh, Co Armagh near the Border. Sir Hugh Orde calls the incident a stunt.
September 8th:A 275kg Real IRA bomb is discovered near Forkhill in south Armagh. It is thought the device, with a command wire leading across the Border in Co Louth, was aimed at a mobile police patrol.
September 18th:The first of three nights of street riots mark the launch of a PSNI operation in Co Armagh. "Operation Dissent" was called to thwart any Real or Continuity IRA violence designed to mark the arrival of new chief constable Matt Baggott.
Dan Keenan