Reid holds talks in wake of loyalist killing

Talks on the current political and security crisis in Northern Ireland were today taking place between the British government and Sinn Fein.

Talks on the current political and security crisis in Northern Ireland are to take place between the British government and Sinn Fein today.

Northern Ireland Secretary, John Reid, was expected to hold an early morning meeting with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams in Belfast in the wake of the killing of 19-year-old father-of-one Gerard Lawlor by loyalists in North Belfast.

With the British government due to deliver its assessment on the state of the IRA cease-fire in the House of Commons tomorrow following concerns from David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists, the discussions were also due to focus on the potential difficulties facing Northern Ireland’s power-sharing Executive.

As they prepared for today’s breakfast meeting with Dr Reid, a Sinn Fein spokesman said they believed the North had entered into ‘‘a very dangerous and difficult time’’.

‘‘We are concerned that the British government continues to be mesmerised by David Trimble and that it has failed to demonstrate any proper strategy to deal with the protracted loyalist campaign against Catholics.’’

In a statement issued yesterday, the loyalist Ulster Freedom Fighters admitted shooting Mr Lawlor in the Whitewell area of North Belfast on Sunday night as he returned from a pub.

The incident followed a series of incidents involving republican and loyalist gunmen.

The first occurred in the loyalist Glenbryn area where a Protestant man was wounded by republican gunfire.

Loyalist gunmen were accused of targeting nationalists in several attacks in various parts of North Belfast including the Oldpark area.

The UFF, in their statement, described the attacks carried out by them as a ‘‘measured military response’’.

They also warned republicans that they would retaliate if there were further attacks on their community.

But Mr Lawlor’s murder was condemned across the political divide, with unionists and nationalists criticising the paramilitary group.

Nationalist SDLP leader, Mark Durkan, attacked the UFF’s insistence that it had responded in a measured military fashion, arguing that no paramilitary group had the right to carry out violence on behalf of any community.

Northern Ireland security minister, Jane Kennedy, also described the UFF’s statement as sickening.