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30 August 2001 Edition

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Reid Remains Silent on UDA attacks

A North Belfast Catholic couple, whose home ahas been attacked an incredible 23 times this year, and their Protestant neighbour, have said they fear for the future after a double pipe bomb attack on their homes. Dolores and Dermott Hoy say that finally they are being forced to flee their home of 35 years after the attack last Thursday night in the Deerpark area.

North Belfast councillor Eoin O'Broin has hit out at British Secretary of State John Reid after the two pipe bombs were discovered. ``This year alone there have been almost 200 pipe and bomb attacks against nationalists in the Six Counties. These attacks are part of a UDA campaign, as were the two last night, designed to kill'' said O'Broin.

``A number of weeks ago the British Secretary of State said that he would keep the UDA's ceasefire under review,'' O'Broin added. ``Since then he has remained silent on the issue. While John Reid refuses to acknowledge that the UDA ceasefire is over, the reality is that the UDA continue their daily bombing campaign against the nationalist population.''


RUC show contempt for nationalists


Lower Falls Sinn Féin councillor Fra McCann has slammed the RUC for endangering the lives of nationalists in West Belfast after it took the force 45 minutes last Thursday, 23 August, to notify staff at the Sevastapol Street Sinn Féin office that loyalists claimed a bomb had been left at the centre.

``Staff at our Sevastapol Street offices received a phone call from a number of media outlets telling us that they had received reports that loyalists had left a pipe-bomb at the office,'' said McCann

``The RUC made no attempt to notify staff at the office that any warning had been received. It took a full 45 minutes before the RUC even arrived in the area.

``The RUC's failure to notify staff at the office clearly could have placed lives in danger. It was only by acting on information received through the media that party members were able to check and secure the area. This underlines the contempt in which the RUC hold the nationalist population in general.''

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