Donaldson murder - Renegades must not hinder peace

There has been considerable speculation about who was behind the murder of Denis Donaldson this week. Any number of people could have been behind the killing for their own perverse reasons. Suspicion has focused on various groups.

It could have been maverick republicans, seeking revenge, or trying to disrupt the peace process. “Those who carried out this murder are clearly opposed to the peace process,” Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams declared.

He and Martin McGuinness denounced the killing and disassociated themselves from it in very strong terms, but Mr Adams has also denied that he was ever a member of the Provisional IRA. In the Donaldson case, Mr Adams is already on record as saying that the former spy was not under any threat from republicans.