Paramilitaries are behind unrest say PSNI

One of the PSNI's most senior officers has thrown doubt on the status of both loyalist and republican ceasefires, declaring that east Belfast violence is "being orchestrated by paramilitary groups".

The statement by Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan will put pressure on Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid who has pledged to take a tough stance over paramilitary-related violence in a speech to the Commons four weeks ago.

ACC McQuillan said that there was no doubt as to terrorist involvement in the Short Strand – which has seen dozens of police and army casualties in recent weeks. In the past three weeks, 32 police officers have been injured and on Wednesday night 16 soldiers were injured whilst policing the nationalist Short Strand and loyalist Cluan Place areas.

Mr McQuillan said: “It is quite clear to us that this is, on both sides, being orchestrated by paramilitary groups.

“On the republican side, it is being orchestrated by the Provisional IRA, and on the unionist side it is quite clearly being orchestrated by the UVF, and we have no doubt about any of that.”

He went further, saying that the police "know who is organising this”.

Mr McQuillan said he was not suggesting the two groups were responsible for everything, but they were the main instigators and organisers of violence which has continued now for months.

Mr McQuillan was not optimistic about the prospects for an end to the street violence.

“My intelligence suggests, and all the information available to me suggests, it is not going to get any better – that there is a desire within paramilitary organisations on both sides to continue this fight,” he added.

(GMcG)