N. IRELAND: PORTADOWN: CAR BOMB EXPLODES OUTSIDE POLICE STATION
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- Опубліковано 20 сер 2024
- (23 Feb 1998) Natural Sound
A car bomb exploded outside a police station in Northern Ireland on Monday - dealing a new blow to the peace negotiations.
The blast in the staunchly pro-British town of Portadown came a few hours after cross- party talks resumed without the leading republican party Sinn Fein.
Flames were seen shooting into the sky as the blast rocked the town of Portadown - 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of Belfast.
The attack leveled parts of two buildings, started a fire and wrecked roofs and windows across town.
Several telephoned warnings to Belfast media allowed police to evacuate nearby streets before the explosion and no one was injured.
The blast dealt a new blow to the province's peace negotiations.
They resumed on Monday with Sinn Fein temporarily excluded because of two killings this month blamed on the Irish Republican Army, to which it is allied.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the latest bomb blast but police said they suspected a group of I-R-A dissidents - the Continuity IRA.
David Trimble, leader of the largest Protestant party - the Ulster Unionists - said the bombing meant Sinn Fein should not be allowed to return to the talks.
Trimble represents Portadown in the British parliament.
He believes the I-R-A is behind the blast - and suspects it is also to blame for a car- bombing on Friday which injured 11 people in Moira, another mainly Protestant town.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well, I'm appalled at what has happened here in Portadown, just five years after the last IRA bomb - destroying properties which had to be rebuilt after that. But then, if you see what has happened here you see the reality of Sinn Fein/IRA."
Q: How bad is the damage?
"It's quite serious, I haven't been around entirely - I've only been able to look down Edwards Street. There are several buildings down Edwards Street, junction off High Street, which are destroyed, which will consequently have to be demolished. How extensive the damage is round the corner I can't say."
Q: Who's responsible for this, and what impact will it have on the talks?
"I'm told that the warning, one of the warnings telephoned in said 'This is the IRA'. That's what I'm told. But even without that information, you simply have to look at what happened in Moira what has happened here, this is Sinn Fein venting its spleen on the democrats. "
SUPER CAPTION: David Trimble, Leader, Ulster Unionists and Portadown M-P
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"This is the handiwork of the Provisional I-R-A - there can be little doubt about that. What the I-R-A in effect saying is that we are giving a warning to the government, that unless they pander more to us, this is the kind of activity that we will carry out. It is the usual approach of the provisional IRA. They will be seeking concessions in order that the government will once again grovel to them to bring them back into a talks process that has no credibility whatsoever.
SUPER CAPTION: Peter Robinson, Deputy Leader of Democratic Unionist Party
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"It is very sad that once again we have had a bomb - less than five years after the last one. Some of these buildings are just up. I'm chairman of Portadown 2000 and we're presently organising a meeting at two o'clock for all the traders to come to hear what we can do to rebuild our town as quickly as possible. That's what we have got to do. We the ordinary people of Portadown must rebuild and must carry on as always."
SUPER CAPTION: VOXPOP
SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: VOXPOP
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That car bomb caused £150,000 of improvements to Portadown town centre.
Someone needs to explain the difference between CIRA and PIRA to that man
Pointless. It's all 'provos'. usual approach by unionist politicians.
Continuity and Provisional IRA.
The Provos went on permanent ceasefire in the 90s and disbanded thereafter supporting the peace process and the Good Friday agreement.
Continuity spilt from the Provos in the 80s over abstentionism. They do not recognise the peace process or the Agreement and continue to wage a dissident campaign.
There is also the New IRA which was born out of the Real IRA who spilt with the provos over the peace agreement in the 90s.
Let’s not also forget the Official IRA which was the other faction that came from the spilt with the Provos in 1969 from the Original IRA! This spilt was due to differences over levels of militancy and political involvement.
Yes
Wow such heros, hiding behind a mask and a car bomb. Blowing up shops yeh that will bring a united ireland.
I see opportunity a hardware store
Know your place portydown..Signed P.O'Neil..
Dup uvf
Up the RA!
Sean Hannigan up the terrorism!
@@jxavier3876 Seriously, the fuck is wrong with these people, this is equivalent to someone commenting "Allahu Ackbar" under an Isis bombing news report but it's normalised for some fucking reason.
@@aqtc ignorant people who think that Ireland is still under colonialism or something
@@aqtc It's ironic you bring ISIS into the discussion when both conflicts were caused by Anglo-Saxons (ISIS was literally created by Anglos to wage proxy warfare).
and what will you say to the virgin mary when you die and shes standing holding a mutilated childs body asking why? will blaming protestants work?