West Tyrone Sinn Féin MP Pat Doherty has described as despicable the arson attack on the cars of Assemblyman Eugene McMeniman at his family home in Strabane. Expressing his sympathy to the Assemblyman and his family, the Sinn Féin MP said:

"Given the proximity of the family home to the burning cars, the potentially lethal effects of this despicable arson attack cannot be underestimated.

"This has undoubtedly been extremely traumatic experience for the McMeniman family and on behalf of Sinn Féin, I would express my sympathy to the family on the effects this terrible ordeal.

"While Sinn Féin fundamentally disagrees with the SDLPs present policy on policing, I would challenge those are so readily pointing the finger at republicans to ask themselves what benefit could be derived from such an attack. For republicans, such an attack would be completely counterproductive.

"I believe that recent events in Strabane show that a sinister hand is at work in this area at this time. This attack has taken place against a backdrop of a similar attack last week on the cars of people connected with the IRSP in the town. Sinn Féin is convinced that this attack was clearly designed to forment strife between the IRSP and republicans.

"Likewise, the timing of this attack on the cars of Mr McMenamin is extremely suspect, given the heightened level of debate on the policing issue between Sinn Féin and the SDLP."

McLaughlin responds to Hume

Responding to a statement from John Hume on policing and Sinn Féin's refusal to participate in the present Policing Board, Sinn Féin National Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin said:

"The attempt by John Hume to connect the unwarranted and inexcusable attack on the home of Eugene McMenamin to the policing issue is untenable. There is no evidence for such a claim. Sinn Féin has already condemned this and other attacks on elected representatives and John Hume should not diminish himself by making unfounded inferences.

"John Hume's claim that the conditions for Sinn Féin's participation in the Executive are at variance with our conditions for participation on the Policing Board is wrong. Sinn Féin ensured that all the checks and balances for transparency, accountability and representativeness were in place before we agreed to the establishment of the Assembly and Executive. Likewise, when we have true, transparency, accountability and representativeness in policing structures we will take our places but we will not be bullied or bounced into accepting anything less than we negotiated in the Good Friday Agreement.

"The PSNI is not such a service, as recent events in Derry and Belfast when doors were sledgehammered in and homes were ransacked have demonstrated. No amount of bluster or prevarication will change the fact that what is on offer is a repackaged, renamed RUC.

"If it is Mr Hume's assertion that the RUC can be changed to the PSNI from within the Policing Board, is it not logical to ask Mr Hume to explain why the SDLP did not join its forerunner, the Police Authority, and change the RUC from within?"