Northern Ireland threat 'highest for six years'

[Beorn]

The threat from dissident Irish terrorism is at its highest for six years, a Northern Ireland minister has told the Commons.

Paul Goggins condemned last night's attack on a police station – a pipe bomb was thrown in north Belfast causing damage to fencing but no injuries.
Jeffrey Donaldson (DUP, Lagan Valley) praised the co-operation of police in the Republic of Ireland.

He asked if a realignment between dissident Republican groups was responsible for the increased number of attacks on and risks to PSNI officers.
Goggins said there has been increased tactical co-operation between some dissident groups.

Henry Bellingham (Con, North West Norfolk) asked if the PSNI's intelligence is as effective as its predecessor force, the RUC.
Goggins replied that he has total confidence in the security forces.
Shadow Northern Ireland minister Laurence Robertson condemned last night's attack "without reservation". He asked what steps are being taken to help police protect themselves.

Goggins said all officers had been given a briefing on personal security and £28m has been made available this year to deal with the terror threat.
Asked about police recruitment, Goggins said that 28 per cent of the PSNI is from the Roman Catholic community, up from eight per cent in 2001.

More needs to be done to encourage more women and ethnic minorities to join, he added.
Alastair Carmichael, Lib Dem spokesman on Northern Ireland, accused the Conservatives of trying to create a pan-Unionist alliance.

Northern Ireland secretary Shaun Woodward said he would not attempt to score party advantage, and stressed that all parties must work to complete the peace process.
He said the government has shown faith in the NI parties in the past and will do so again.

Shadow NI secretary Owen Paterson said devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont must have cross-community support.
He asked if the UUP, with whom the Tories have an electoral pact, and the nationalist SDLP, have been fully involved in negotiations.

Woodward said all parties must make a deal on policing and justice powers work, but the DUP and Sinn Fein must lead the process.
Later he praised the UDA for decommissioning its weapons.

Brian Binley (Con, Northampton South) said social networking sites are being used to ferment sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.
Woodward said that is a matter for the PSNI who are looking into it. He added that illegal use of sites such as Facebook will be pursued.

Source

[Sol Invictus]

More needs to be done to encourage more women and ethnic minorities to join, he added.

Surprise!

[Orange&BlueBear]

The threat from the fenians will always be here, but the security forces seem to be on top of it at the moment.

[Wyn]

The threat from the fenians will always be here, but the security forces seem to be on top of it at the moment.

Is there any real way to gauge that at the moment?

[Orange&BlueBear]

Is there any real way to gauge that at the moment?

Foiled plots left right and centre, any time there seems to be an attack coming, the police have the whole country covered with VCP's, earlier this week I travelled on a 30 mile stretch of roads between Cookstown to Maghera and along the one road there was 10 different VCP's.

Realistically the level of violence that they have been able to achieve isn't a real threat, yes they may achieve a few more killings and eventually kill somebody with one of their bombs, but it is nothing unusual. Even in staunchly republican areas the police are still driving around in cars. I'm only 23, and I was about 10 before I ever seen a marked police car in Belfast due to the threat being so high they had to use the landrovers, now you hardly ever see them in the landrovers and that in itself says it all about how severe the threat realistically is, off-course they are armed filth intent on destruction but they just can't seem to get themselves ahead of the security services at the time being.

[Murphy]

Aye sure it's always those Fenians with their Roman Popery that are causing all the problems. We'll ignore Loyalist death squads that are armed to the teeth and who say that a Catholic is a legitimate target for being a Catholic.

Always those bloody taigs and their Vatican and their superstitions..

[Wyn]

Aye sure it's always those Fenians

Just to digress somewhat, it's sort of funny that Fenian is used as a slur by loyalists given that it derives from an Irish word and was coined by an Irish republican leader in memory of Gaelic warriors.

[Orange&BlueBear]

Aye sure it's always those Fenians with their Roman Popery that are causing all the problems. We'll ignore Loyalist death squads that are armed to the teeth and who say that a Catholic is a legitimate target for being a Catholic.

Always those bloody taigs and their Vatican and their superstitions..

What loyalist death squads?

Catch a grip you eejit, tell me this, your 18, i'm only 23, how many Irish Roman Catholic/popeheads, taigs, fenians, papish bastards, what ever you wanna call them have been shot dead or killed in a sectarian attack since both of us left primary school?

[Wyn]

Irish Roman Catholic/popeheads, taigs, fenians, papish bastards

You do know there a papish bastards on your side, yes? And you know that there are plenty of neo-Jewish heretics (Protestants, whatever) who have supported and do support Fenianism (i.e. Irish republicanism)?

[Murphy]

What loyalist death squads?

Loyalist paramilitaries have made a show of the fact that they haven't decommissioned.

Catch a grip you eejit, tell me this, your 18, i'm only 23, how many Irish Roman Catholic/popeheads, taigs, fenians, papish bastards, what ever you wanna call them have been shot dead or killed in a sectarian attack since both of us left primary school?

Mate, just the other week two wee lassies had their heads kicked-in by a mob of filthy Orange bandsmen who jumped off their wee minibus in Coleraine after not getting the original fight they wanted. Last year there were Orange cunts going through doors with baseball bats threatening wee ten year old weans. And let's not forget the Orange mob that planted pipe bombs in primary schools the other day or the Holy Cross incident where yer lot were thrown piss and porn at Catholic school girls.