Britain to pull battalion out of Northern Ireland

[Partridge]

Britain to pull battalion out of Northern Ireland
RTE (Ireland) (http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/1205/north.html?rss)

The number of British soldiers in Northern Ireland is being cut in the New Year. A battalion from the Royal Welch Fusiliers, currently based at Bessbrook Mill near the border in south Armagh, will leave in the middle of January.

When it goes the number of troops will fall below 9,000, which is lower than at any time since the early 1970s. [Partridge: Which will put it on a par with the 8500 British troops in Iraq].

The British Armed Forces Minister, Adam Ingram, said the decision had been taken as part of the normal process of keeping force levels under review. At one time there were six roulement battalions serving in the North, normally in the key hot spots. They were reduced to four in 2000 and since then have been phasing out gradually.

Roulement battalions have been based at Bessbrook Mill since 1980 for six months at a time. They have provided a security force presence at military sites in the border region.

One of their key tasks has been manning hilltop border observation posts. The minister said many posts have been demolished, more are going and duties at those remaining will be taken over by soldiers from resident battalions based elsewhere in the North.

[Partridge]

Charges dropped in Stormont 'spying' case
RTE (http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/1208/stormont.html?rss)

All charges have been dropped against three men who were accused of operating an IRA spy ring at Stormont.

Denis Donaldson, who was Sinn Féin's head of administration at Stormont, his son-in-law Ciaran Kearney, and civil servant William Mackessy were all told at Belfast Crown Court today that the charges were dropped.

Mr Donaldson and Mr Kearney had been charged with having documents of use to terrorists. Mr Mackessy faced a charge of collecting information on the security forces.

The court was told today that no further evidence will be put forward in the case and that the prosecution was no longer in the public interest.

The three were arrested and charged after police seized documents and computer discs in a raid on Sinn Féin's offices at Stormont on 5 October 2002.

The allegation of a republican spy ring at Stormont sparked a crisis in Northern Ireland's power-sharing institutions. The British government suspended devolution, embarking on three years of direct rule, after the DUP and the Ulster Unionists threatened to collapse the Executive with resignations.

After today's court hearing, a solicitor for Mr Donaldson and Mr Mackessy said both men believed they were the victims of a political operation by elements within the security forces in Northern Ireland opposed to political progress.

'Shameful episode'

Sinn Féin's Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness has said there was never a spy ring at Stormont.

He said the operation damaged the lives of ordinary people through the collapse of the political institutions.

'We said very clearly at the time of that event that this case would fall apart. There was no evidence whatsoever to sustain it and we have been proven correct,' said Mr McGuinness.

'This is a shameful episode, a damning indictment of the fact that the spirit of the RUC Special Branch is effectively alive and well within the PSNI,' added the Mid-Ulster MP.

In a statement the PSNI said 'the entitlement of those three individuals to the presumption of innocence remains intact'.

It added: 'The background to this case is that a paramilitary organisation, namely the Provisional IRA, was actively involved in the systematic gathering of information and targeting of individuals.

'Police investigated that activity and a police operation led to the recovery of thousands of sensitive documents which had been removed from government offices. A large number of people were subsequently warned about threats to them.

'That police investigation has concluded. There are no further lines of inquiry and no individuals are being sought by the police.'