Security failure in South Armagh
23 April 2010
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister QC:-
"Tonight's terrorist shooting and bomb attack on Newtownhamilton unmanned Police Station, coming so soon after the last attack, was enabled to occur not just by the murderous intent of the terrorists but by the failure to provide any security in and about the village. Indeed such was the lack of security that I am informed fireman arrived before the police. After the previous attack there ought to have been a deterrent police presence in the vicinity, but, instead, the way was left open for this further attack.
"Such softly softly, indeed absentee, policing permits the terrorist threat to grow. The Chief Constable might have been better putting policemen on the roads of South Armagh to catch the bombers, rather than a fly-by-day publicity stroll through Crossmaglen.
"The growing IRA terrorist threat must be faced down or we will indeed revert to "the bad old days". South Armagh must not be abandoned to IRA bandits, whatever their flag of convenience."
