'Investigation into attempt on my life incomplete,' says Gerry Adams

GERRY ADAMS says the investigation by the Police Ombudsman  into allegations of British military collusion in his attempted assassination by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) death squad in 1984 is incomplete and should be set aside.

Speaking to An Phoblacht at Leinster House, Gerry Adams thanked the Ombudsman for the investigation but noted:

"He says that there was no collusion by the RUC or 'security forces'. But he did not have access to British Army files or those relating to the Force Research Unit which was the British intelligence agency principally responsible for running agents and informers, like Brian Nelson, within the UDA."

The Louth TD also noted that while the Ombudsman acknowledged there was post-intelligence on the UDA leadership who organised, planned, sanctioned and supplied weapons for the attack, the Ombudsman states this information 'was not shared with the investigating officers and as a result there was no further enquiries made in respect of the planning and sanctioning of the attack.’

Gerry Adams said the Ombudsman's Office bases its conclusion that there was no prior knowledge of the attack on the denials of the would-be assassins and the fact that they were captured within minutes of the ambush

"In my opinion this report is incomplete. The Ombudsman should seek access to British Army files and other pertinent intelligence records and set aside his conclusions until this is done," he said.

On 14 March 1984 Gerry Adams  was shot in the neck and shoulder in a UDA gun attack on a car he was travelling in while leaving Belfast Magistrate's Court. Others in the car were also shot and wounded, Seán Keenan in the face, Joe Keenan in the body and hands, and Kevin Rooney in the body. Bob Murray was the only person in the car to escape without injury.

The republicans were in Belfast facing charges of obstruction after the RUC attempted to remove an Irish tricolour from a Sinn Féin election cavalcade.

The three loyalist death squad members who carried out the attack were arrested shortly afterwards by 'off-duty' RUC and British soldiers. One of the UDA gunmen accidentally shot himself in the foot during the escape attempt.

The fact that so many off-duty British personnel were in the vicinity immediately raised the possibility that British Intelligence were aware of the attack and were prepared to let it go ahead.

Following his release from hospital later that month, Gerry Adams said it was "quite obvious that British Intelligence were aware" of the operation and that "they wanted myself and my comrades out of the way".