UDA ceasefire questioned after series of attacks in Antrim

UDA ceasefire questioned after series of attacks in Antrim
Ulster Defence Association officially declared end to violence but police point finger at group after homes were torched



The validity of the Ulster Defence Association's ceasefire is under scrutiny after a senior police commander blamed the organisation for an orchestrated attack on Sunday night, involving more than 100 people.

Matt Baggott, Northern Ireland's chief constable, was challenged on Monday to determine if the UDA's cessation of violence had been broken as a result of the disorder over the weekend.

One police officer was injured and a number of homes were damaged, one completely destroyed, during disturbances in Larne, County Antrim, late on Sunday night.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland's assistant chief constable, George Hamilton, blamed the UDA's south-east Antrim brigade for the planned assault on homes in the Ferris Avenue and Knockdhu Park areas of the port town on Sunday.

According to Larne's deputy mayor, Drew Niblock, one resident was injured and later taken for treatment to Belfast's Royal Victoria hospital. A police patrol car was also smashed up during the planned assault on the area.

Hamilton condemned the "criminal actions" of those involved in the violence adding that blame for the trouble lay "firmly with the south-east Antrim UDA".

Until now the UDA has been relatively inactive and in some areas its members have been invovled in cross-community projects alongside former republican enemies in recent years.

However, the disorder in Larne is being linked to an ongoing turf war between different factions of the organisations. The UDA's central body in south-east Antrim is thought to have "invaded" the town on Sunday to re-assert its authority.

The cross-community Alliance party, which has come under physical attack in Antrim over the union flag dispute in Belfast, said the PSNI's statement put a question mark over the status of the UDA ceasefire.

Alliance's Stewart Dickson, a member of the Northern Ireland assembly for the area, said: "I am deeply concerned by the reports from the PSNI that the south-east Antrim UDA were responsible for this trouble. If this is correct, it raises serious questions about the status of this paramilitary group. The chief constable must look into this matter."

The Ulster Unionist assembly member for East Antirm, Roy Beggs, said those behind the atttacks were involved in "serious organised crime". He added: ""This is a challenge to British law and order. Do those who are orchestrating and carrying out these attacks think they are above the law?"

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/31/uda-ceasefire-questioned-attacks-antrim-ulster-defence-association

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/31/uda-ceasefire-questioned-attacks-antrim-ulster-defence-association

Pipe bombs from one side, house torchings from the other. More escalation.

all because of religion sassy.