The British Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are being sued by the relatives of six men killed by a loyalist gunman. They claim that during the Troubles, the British Government supplied loyalist gangs with an arsenal of weapons.
In June 1994 a loyalist gunman opened fire inside bar in Loughinisland, County Down. Those shot were in the packed Heights pub watching soccer on TV. The families of the six men who were killed are seeking compensation and to uncover the truth about where the weapons came from.
According to these families, the authorities assisted in, or at least ignored, the smuggling of as many as 300 automatic rifles and pistols, hundreds of grenades, 30,000 rounds of ammunition. This arsenal of weaponry was smuggled out of Belfast in 1987, according to the Guardian. It was one of these rifles, a Czech-made VZ-58, that was used in the Heights shooting.
Those involved claim the weapons were provided by Armscor, the arms sales and procurement corporation of apartheid-era South Africa. Armscor and the loyalists struck a deal after a British agent visited South Africa in 1985.
The agent who infiltrated the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) was shopping for arms.
However, the MOD admits that this visit was funded by the British taxpayer.
Although there is no conclusive evidence of a link between the two, Niall Murphy, the lawyer for the families said, “We are confident that evidence of British involvement does exist, and we look forward to applying to the high court for its disclosure."
A number of people in South Africa and Belfast involved in the talks told the Guardian they believed the British government were aware that an arms deal with the loyalists was being arranged and took no action to stop them entering Northern Ireland.
Weeks after the weapons arrived in Ireland, Michael Stone threw grenades and fired a pistol, with armed linked to these deals. He killed three people attending the funeral of three IRA members.
The number of murders carried out by the loyalists from this point on rose. During the six years before these weapons arrived to Ireland the loyalists killed 70 people, during the six years after they killed 230. Many of the victims were innocents and Catholics.
An MoD spokesman said: "There is not much we can say at this stage beyond confirming that a claim has been made. This will be dealt with in accordance with the normal process – gathering evidence and presenting it to the courts."
A spokeswoman for the PSNI said: "We would be unable to comment as this is an ongoing legal case."
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.STEVENSTAR | Feb 14, 2013, 05:43 PM EST
@@@@seanomelb | Oct 18, 2012, 06:41 PM EDT If the Irish government gave arms to PIRA they failed by not giving them enough.>>>>>>>>>>YOU COME ACROSS AS A VERY BITTER MAN ON HERE ... IM JUST GLAD THAT WE NOW HAVE PEACE IN IRELAND AND WE THE IRISH VOTED IN OUR GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT .. THAT WAS SUCH A REAL KICK IN THE ASS TO THE TROUBLE MAKERS WHO KILLED AND MURDERED INNOCENT PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS...SHAME ON YOU .. BUT REMEMBER THIS .. GOOD ALWAYS CONQUERS EVIL NO MATTER HOW BIG YOUR EGOS AND HATE FILLED LIVES WERE ..........WE NOW HAVE PEACE IN IRELAND AND WE THE REAL IRISH PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WITH THAT !!!
STEVENSTAR | Feb 14, 2013, 05:39 PM EST
JUST LIKE THE AMERICANS HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF SUPPLYING THE IRA WITH WEAPONS DURING THE TROUBLES......................IM IRISH I LIVE IN IREALND AND BELIEVE ME WE 'REAL IRISH IE WHO WERE BORN AND BRED HERE HAVE IRISH PASSPORTS HAVE REAL ISSUES WITH AMERICANS FOR DOING THAT AND CAUSING TROUBLE IN THE NORTH OF IRELAND FOR YEARS BY FINANCING CERTAIN MINORITY GROUPS .... SHAME ON YOU FOR THAT ..................MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS !!!
DanOLoingsigh | Oct 24, 2012, 06:54 PM EDT
Just as you don't know the difference between Lloyds of London and Lloyds Bank, so you won't know why Haughey had to resign...seems you can't join the dots on much this week!!!
seanomelb | Oct 24, 2012, 06:32 PM EDT
Never voted to supply arms or cash to the IRA your Anglo sucking dots are irrelevant.
DanOLoingsigh | Oct 23, 2012, 07:24 PM EDT
The funds were voted ‘for the relief of distress in the North’…future Taoiseach Charles Haughey – then Finance Minister – allowed these funds to be used for arms purchase…hence the Arms trial, hence his resignation…all you need to do is join the dots….think you can manage that?
seanomelb | Oct 23, 2012, 06:49 PM EDT
"He said she said" a point of view only. The Dail never voted to supply cash or arms to the IRA. You may twist and turn my words until they come back to bite you.THE DAIL NEVER VOTED TO SUPPLY ARMS OR CASH TO THE IRA(mores the pity)
DanOLoingsigh | Oct 23, 2012, 10:08 AM EDT
Seano, Your inane ‘chuckle’ is a wee bit premature…according ‘The Transformation of Ireland 1900-2000’… (Diarmaid Ferriter - lecturer in History - DCU) ’Haughey’s decision to permit the use of funds… to purchase guns…WAS NOT at variance with government policy’…so now who's talking crap??
seanomelb | Oct 22, 2012, 06:11 PM EDT
The Dail never voted to supply arms to the IRA Dano,Just a little more crap from you. Chuckle!chuckle!chuckle.
DanOLoingsigh | Oct 22, 2012, 10:22 AM EDT
Seano - So you don't see that 'Irish government accused of supplying republicans with arms during the Troubles' is just the same situation in reverse? The fact is that was Gov policy in the late 60's...no problem there, eh?
seanomelb | Oct 21, 2012, 06:27 PM EDT
It's hard enough keeping a straight face reading your posts.I tend to grimace and wince in disbelief at the crap you try to pass off as fact.
DanOLoingsigh | Oct 21, 2012, 02:46 PM EDT
Seano - do you manage to keep a straight face when writing this rubbish?? Anyone supplying arms has a vicarious liability for the consequences...
angrypaddy | Oct 20, 2012, 12:23 AM EDT
What did you expect ???
seanomelb | Oct 19, 2012, 06:43 PM EDT
Defending the rights of nationalists by arming them is a right. Giving arms to anti-nationalist terrorist by a terrorist state(Britain)is not. The usual Dano defending his Brit policies.
DanOLoingsigh | Oct 19, 2012, 02:48 PM EDT
Usual double-speak from our armchair republicans…Curtis ignoring the evidence in the 1970 Arms Trial, Seano complaining that not enough arms were supplied…and the two of them ‘outraged’ about allegations of similar deeds by the Brits…some consistency, please!!
IrelandNorth | Oct 19, 2012, 08:07 AM EDT
Ulster Defence Association (UDA) - A proud tradition in protecting Ulster from Irish democracy! Demands that Taoiseach Ó Cionnaith should apologise for alleged 26 county administrative collusion in the 1968-'94 Troubles would only be followed up by demands for apologies for 1916/1857/1847/1803/1798/1641 troubles. Why not demand apologies for resisting British racial superiority and the sectarian supremacy of Anglicanism. And for the timerity of rejecting the peculiar privilege of colonialism which isn't offerded to everyone. Ms Foster need to get with the frackin' programme, that there are no symptoms without a disease. And no diseases without a cure. No one is squeaky clean in this conflict.
seanomelb | Oct 18, 2012, 06:41 PM EDT
If the Irish government gave arms to PIRA they failed by not giving them enough.
anglo-norman | Oct 18, 2012, 03:37 AM EDT
shock horror
maireadinmelb | Oct 18, 2012, 02:55 AM EDT
really the evidence has been there for many years remember Bernadette Devlin was attacked by a loyalist group whilst in her own home, which was under the watch of so called security forces! The brits have long used terrorism when it suited them!!
pilib04 | Oct 17, 2012, 10:35 PM EDT
Read the Oireachtas (Combined Dail and Seanad) report on British State sponsored terrorism. You can go directly to the Oireachtas webpage for this. I believe the Daily Mail (November 30, 2006)headline was "Butchered by British" when the Oireachtas released their report on British sponsored terrorism in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
pilib04 | Oct 17, 2012, 10:29 PM EDT
It wasn't just the Brits who were involved. It was also the Unionist and Loyalist politicians. Take a few hours and read The Committee by Sean Mcphilemy.
pilib04 | Oct 17, 2012, 10:25 PM EDT
Shhhhh. That was supposed to be a secret. Where do you think they got the explosives for Dublin-Monaghan?
ForTheRepublic! | Oct 17, 2012, 08:16 PM EDT
It also must be remembered that British intelligence supplied Loyalist death squads with lists of personal details and information on Catholics for them to go and murder! Seems ironic the British army currently have a recruitment advert on this website at the moment.
curtisjohnson | Oct 17, 2012, 07:34 PM EDT
"Meanwhile elements of the Irish government were supplying arms and giving aid to the PIRA for their terror campaign" Prove it. Moreover, who was defending the indigenous community against pogroms and RUC attacks?
curtisjohnson | Oct 17, 2012, 07:31 PM EDT
Of course, the british "courts" will crush this lawsuit as any truth that does not inure to the benefit of british supremacism cannot be allowed to endure. Different story when alleged "victims" of the IRA are lining up for compo.
curtisjohnson | Oct 17, 2012, 07:29 PM EDT
"armed loyalist terrorist gangs that went on to murder hundreds of innocent people, the VAST majority of loyalist murders werent even committed on IRA members, they were against completey innocent people and yet the IRA are the ones labeled Terrorists? The British Goverment have to be brought to account, they cant be allowed to get away with this." This type of behavior toward unarmed non-combatants (particularly women and children) is consistent with british manhood - it has happened repeatedly all over the world for centuries.
curtisjohnson | Oct 17, 2012, 07:27 PM EDT
Their collusion extended to the Shankhill butchers - roadblocks and checkpoints were installed to aid in abducting innocent non-combatants, who were then slowly tortured to death before baying squatter crowds. At root, this sort of thing demonstrates what it really means to be british.
seanomelb | Oct 17, 2012, 05:39 PM EDT
I wonder wher the west Brits and the anti nationalist mob are today ,lost your keyboard??
SeamusMartin | Oct 17, 2012, 03:54 PM EDT
OMG are ya kiddin? Thought only the Unity fighters were in cahoots with the devil. NOW it's written as fact that John Bull and the Devil were one-in-the-same supplying death machines to the Unionists. Wow Sherlock Cathy Hayes what revelation!
MichaelJTully | Oct 17, 2012, 02:48 PM EDT
The dogs in the street knew about this 40 years ago. Front line reporters knew about this, and were afraid to write articles in case they were shunned at news conference's. No one had the guts to challenge the NI office.
kubs | Oct 17, 2012, 02:46 PM EDT
As long as Great Big daddy can keep the kids squabbling & fighting, he stays in control. Been like that for nearly a millenium.
merefalow | Oct 17, 2012, 02:06 PM EDT
after a thousand years of repression and discrimination ,did you realy believe the leopard would ever change its spots.
aloistmartin | Oct 17, 2012, 01:51 PM EDT
I. suggest a Massive Reparations Suit on behalf of the People of The Real Ireland, against the British Government in the wake of years of Imperialist Occupation and Abuse, at the hands of the Royal Army !
citizen69 | Oct 17, 2012, 12:51 PM EDT
Both Loyalist & Republican paramilitaries were riddled with British intelligence forces agents and it seems they turned a blind eye to arms shipments and murders by both sides to protect their spies. Meanwhile elements of the Irish government were supplying arms and giving aid to the PIRA for their terror campaign. A very dirty little war indeed. Of course the usual suspects here will just aim their criticism & disgust at the Brit/Loyalist connection and ignore the rest.
IrishRyan | Oct 17, 2012, 12:48 PM EDT
No one is surprised about this in the slightest, its common knowledge (especially in the 6 counties) that the british goverment, THE BRITISH GOVERMENT, armed loyalist terrorist gangs that went on to murder hundreds of innocent people, the VAST majority of loyalist murders werent even committed on IRA members, they were against completey innocent people and yet the IRA are the ones labeled Terrorists? The British Goverment have to be brought to account, they cant be allowed to get away with this.
cillowen | Oct 17, 2012, 12:21 PM EDT
what a surprize - where have such notions of it being otherwise come from - the tooth fairies. Collusion of all types abound The US aiding Israel, and the UK in the Malvinas and Grenada venture. It'll be Rockall next.
jamthecat | Oct 17, 2012, 11:13 AM EDT
I thought this had been proven long ago.
Searlit | Oct 17, 2012, 11:06 AM EDT
Hoorah!
lecorri | Oct 17, 2012, 10:00 AM EDT
Errr..this comes as news to anyway? Really?
TayandCake | Oct 17, 2012, 10:00 AM EDT
Arlene Foster is looking for the Irish Gov to apologize for the IRA, while "The agent who infiltrated the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) was shopping for arms. However, the MOD admits that this visit was funded by the British taxpayer". The hypocrisy is epic. This years award for 'head in the clouds' goes to Foster and her ilk.
ePHraimAg | Oct 17, 2012, 09:38 AM EDT
Ireland has never been United and The protestant People are only called Protestant because We prefered to have no Control By Rome and have religious Freedom. I would expect arms to Be supplied to the North as did Kim Jong did for Libya. Do not forget ...The people in the North have an extreme Hatred for the USA since Joe Kennedy wanted Hitler to win The War. I am for SURE Your Enemy , and not Your Ally...even though the english might Be, but the Military is Not The Government and we will always remember that.
Eamonn12 | Oct 17, 2012, 09:06 AM EDT
In other news we all alreay know....water is wet, the sun is hot, and Obama walks on water.
IrelandNorth | Oct 17, 2012, 08:43 AM EDT
Hmmm! Apartheid in South Africa (SA) in the service of partition in Northern Ireland (NI). Wouldn't be surprised if racial segregation in the deep south of the Confederate States was in the service of apartheid in SA. Is it just my imagination, or does the use of specific geographical designations in the context of politics lead to disastrous results? Though it wouldn't be the first time that some countries fought wars in other countries by proxy. Probably won't be the last, unfortunately.