Adams calls for truth on collusion

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has called on the Government to come clean on collusion between security forces and loyalist paramilitaries.

During the launch of plans for a march and rally against collusion, Mr Adams said collusion had been a consistent feature of Northern Ireland since its inception over 80 years ago.

He added: "Over the last 30 years collusion became a daily reality and resulted in some of the worst incidents of violence including the Dublin/Monaghan bombings and the reign of terror conducted by the Shankill Butchers.

"British Intelligence have updated and organised loyalist intelligence documents to ensure that the loyalists would, in the words of the British Army officer, Colonel Gordon Kerr, (interviewed by the Steven's Enquiry) ' concentrate their targeting on known provisional IRA activists'."

Mr Adams also claimed that hundreds of people have been killed, injured and maimed as a result of collusion.

He said: "No member of the Special Branch or British military Intelligence has been indicted for these crimes. More seriously, this policy of collusion has never been reversed. It remains, perhaps less active, but nevertheless, intact today.

"The British agencies, which executed this policy, remain in place today. The Special Branch of the RUC became the Special Branch of the PSNI while the Force Research Unit of the British Army has been renamed the Joint Services Group. MI5 continues to operate as before."

Calling for support in their efforts to unearth the truth over collusion, Mr Adams announced plans to march on Belfast City Hall on August 10 in support of those he claims have been the victims of collusion.

(MB)