British Soldiers Murdered In Northern Ireland
By Wyatt Earp | March 8, 2009
An officer guards the crime scene.
I guess that era of good feeling in Northern Ireland has come to an end, huh?
The execution-style killing of two British soldiers and wounding of four others in Northern Ireland was “an attempt at mass murder,” police said Sunday.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown condemned the Saturday night attack as “evil and cowardly,” saying “the whole country is shocked and outraged.”
The troops are the first British soldiers to be killed in Northern Ireland in 12 years.
And guess what is going to happen now? The British will have no choice but to clamp down and secure the area. It won’t be pretty.
They were shot as pizzas were delivered to their base in Massereene, in County Antrim, Detective Chief Superintendent Derek Williamson of the Police Service of Northern Ireland said Sunday.
Two other soldiers and two pizza delivery men were also wounded. The injuries are serious, a police spokeswoman said earlier.
Williamson called the attack “an attempt at mass murder,” saying that two gunmen with automatic rifles fired an initial volley of shots, then moved forward and fired a second burst at people lying on the ground before fleeing in a car driven by a third person. (H/T - CNN)
Friggin’ cowardly animals. I hope they are found and killed soon.
Topics: War On Terror |
March 8th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Yeah, but with Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, she can go broker the peace she helped bring about back during hubby’s presidency, right?
In all seriousness, when I heard this news I had flashbacks to when I was growing up and watching the aftermath of the bombings from the ’70s and ’80s.
March 8th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Yep, right back down that road… It won’t be pretty this time around either!
March 8th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
If it turns out to be Islamists rathrer than Irish nationalists,
do you think they’ll say so?
I’m going with no-chance-in-hell.
March 9th, 2009 at 12:36 am
RT - This will give people on both sides itchy trigger fingers. Expect the worst, but hope for the best.
Old NFO - No, it most certainly will not!
cbullitt - Agreed.
March 9th, 2009 at 9:48 am
cbullit / Marshall
Currently, an extreme splinter group of the IRA is claiming responsibility. There are around 100 in the “Real IRA” who seem to be armed with guns taken from IRA dumps before they were “decommissioned”. Such a small group are going to be difficult to infiltrate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/
northern_ireland/7931694.stm
Everyone is talking about the murder of 2 soldiers and the wounding of 2 more plus 2 civilians (pizza delivery men). Everyone, that is, except the IRA:
“Last night’s attack was an attack on the peace process. It was wrong and counter productive.” (Gerry Adams)
No sympathy for the wounded or the families of those murdered. Apparently, no condemnation of the muderers. But they do want Catholics to support the capture of these people (presumbably for their attack on the peace process, not for murder).
March 9th, 2009 at 9:55 am
According to one source, the actual security of the area is the responsibility of a civilian company who appear to have done nothing at all. Why?
1) The soldiers could do a perefectly adequate job and useful training for going out to Afganhistan.
2) What were the rules of engagement? Were they allowed to open fire? If not, what the **** are they doing there at a time of greatly enhanced security alert? They had the opportunity - this was not a drive-by. This was at the main gate and the men stood over some of their victims and fired more shots into them.
Still some serious questions to answer …
March 9th, 2009 at 10:21 am
After 12 years, why were they still there. I think that peace broke out and no one went home. I do think it was a bunch of cowardly bastards that would shoot an unarmed pizza delivery guy. At least let him draw out a slice and share. MUD
March 10th, 2009 at 12:34 am
Bush kept them off each other’s throats for years.
Wha’ happened?
March 10th, 2009 at 7:19 am
MUD
They are still there for the same reason that troops are in barracks in a variety of towns and cities in the USA. They were waiting to be sent to Afghanistan to support your troops.