Assembly evacuated amid political chaos

"A notorious unionist killer has forced the suspension of the Belfast
Assembly after he passed through security lines to throw a smoking
device into the assembly buildings at Stormont.

"Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and DUP leader Ian Paisley were among
dozens of politicians who were evacuated from the building when
Michael Stone - the loyalist who once opened fire on mourners at an
IRA funeral, killing three people - tossed a suspect package into the
building."

Irish Republican News
http://republican-news.org/subs

Between six and eight devices have been defused at Stormont after loyalist Michael Stone stormed the building, Sir Hugh Orde has said.

The Northern Ireland police chief said "their potential for death, destruction and injury is being assessed" but added they were "fairly amateurish".
...
Friday had been billed by the two governments as a "critical day", with politicians gathered to hear if the DUP and Sinn Fein would indicate their candidates for the first an

In his speech, Mr Paisley said the circumstances had not been reached where there could be a nomination or designation by his party.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6179792.stm

'No Surrender' is not gonna cut it anymore. Time for him to go away. Ya gotta wonder how Paisley and the DUP are involved in all this. Big Ian dodged a bullet today, although, I don't think Hain was gonna hold him to the drop dead date for St. Andrews.

From The Guardian:
The Ulster Defence Association dispatched four hit squads to hunt down convicted killer Michael Stone as he made his way to his aborted alleged attack on Stormont.

Senior UDA sources told The Observer yesterday that the units were told to either 'arrest or shoot' Stone because they feared he was planning to destabilise Northern Ireland's peace process.

Stone, 51, appeared at Belfast magistrates' court yesterday in connection with the attempted attack at the city's Parliament Buildings on Friday morning. He was charged with the attempted murder of five people - Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, two security staff and an unnamed person - possession of articles for terrorist purposes, including nail bombs, an axe and a garrotte, and possession of explosives with intent to endanger life and of an imitation firearm.

The loyalist, who has arthritis, hobbled into the dock on a crutch. He was remanded in custody until 22 December. He will face a non-jury trial, and if found guilty could be sent back to prison for the rest of his life.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/Story/0,,1957458,00.html

he "hobbled into the dock on a crutch"? Yeah. :eyes:

And where were the police while these UDA hit squads were chasing him down? Also from the Guardian article:
"One of the units looking for Stone was seen on Belfast's Ormeau Road, driving erratically on the Ballynafeigh side of the river Lagan. Eyewitnesses told The Observer they had a police-style siren in the front of the car to alert motorists that they were undercover police."
UNDERCOVER POLICE??? Feckin' vigilantes, at best!

Aren't the loyalists trusting of the police? Couldn't warn the coppers? Sounds more like a CYA tale to me than a real attempt to stop a crime, but I'm a pessimist...

This story get's stranger and stranger. Thought you all might enjoy this article from The Times Online:
Fury at Paisley’s statement
Liam Clarke

A HIGH-RANKING Democratic Unionist party figure has broken ranks and criticised Ian Paisley for agreeing to be first minister in the Stormont assembly if Sinn Fein meets conditions on policing and other issues.

Paisley made the promise in a statement of “clarification” after failing to make such a commitment in a statement he read out on the floor of the assembly on Friday.

Jim Allister, the DUP MEP, said: “I thought the statement in the assembly was good and that is where the matter should have been left. I didn’t understand the need to change the content of it.”

He said that Paisley’s clarification had now caused ambiguity. “I couldn’t see it ever being possible to form an executive with Sinn Fein within the timeframe of March 26,” he said. This is the date set in the St Andrews agreement for devolution of powers to the Stormont executive.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-1507-2472419-3048,00.html

I want this agreement to work, I really do, but, I so enjoy seeing Paisley squirm. "No Surrender", "Sack clothe and Ashes", my ass. Bwwaaahaha.

From The BBC:
The Ulster Defence Association has denied having any prior knowledge about Michael Stone's attack at Stormont.

The loyalist paramilitary group refuted claims that it sent out teams to intercept or shoot Stone before the security alert on Friday.

Police have ended their search of a house on the outskirts of east Belfast in connection with the incident.

They said the search at a bungalow on Grahamsbridge Road, Dundonald, was part of an investigation into serious crime.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6190326.stm

To rephrase an old Ghandi line...

"What do you think of NI civil society?"

"I think it would be a good idea."

From The Guardian Online:
Evidence has emerged this weekend that reveals the extent of the planning loyalist murderer Michael Stone put into his attack on Stormont last month.

The Observer has seen a note Stone sent to several photographers, with a picture of himself and former Ulster Defence Association chief Andy Tyrie a fortnight before his botched attack. The photograph, taken in 2000 just after he was freed from the Maze, was posted two weeks ago. In a note attached, the UDA assassin wrote: 'PS A few snaps for your files as I may be away back to the cells for a while.' Stone is currently on remand facing charges for trying to kill Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness in the Stormont attack.

Detectives have told The Observer that Stone, 51, met members of the rebel UDA south-east Antrim Brigade on 22 November and asked them for a gun. He held talks with UDA commanders alienated from the organisation at a bar in Carrickfergus, but his request was refused. 'Stone asked for a real weapon but he was told no. The UDA didn't want to know,' said one source.

The Observer can also reveal that Stone took a taxi to Stormont on 24 November and avoided security inside the estate by using a long route away from the main road up to the parliament building. The pathway is often used by senior PSNI commanders as a jogging route.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/Story/0,,1962801,00.html

"The UDA didn't want to know." LOL.