That is quite right. There is another bit of this. If one turns in the report to paragraph 16.5 to 16.9, it tells us in detail about the Barrett .50 rifle. It tells us exactly what was done about that Barrett rifle and conjectures without any firm information about another Barrett rifle. Where does that information come from? It comes to our police from the FBI or some of the overseas agencies. That is spelt out very clearly.
A Member of the Committee speaking earlier said that it is important to think of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the fight against terrorism it is not enough to think about Great Britain and Northern Ireland, one has to think in terms of the various intelligence agencies throughout the world, which were very happy to work with the RUC over those 30 years. My colleagues still visit the headquarters of American intelligence agencies as well as agencies throughout Europe as a consequence of the work we did together.
What we have done, perhaps with the best intention in the world as we were moving from violence to peace, is to rename—I disapproved of it—the RUC as the PSNI, and somebody thought it would be a good idea to have a person with judicial experience to look at complaints. The police ombudsman does not do that. She trawls back and back, and when there is no collateral, opinions are tendered as fact. That is what happens. It does not matter whether it is the report into the McCord case or into the Restorick case. You start off with a concept that somehow the police and the security services worked in an underhand manner in order to undermine society rather than recognising that the work they did saved our society from civil war.
I do not want to keep the Committee but—
Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill
Proceeding contribution from
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
(Crossbench)
in the House of Lords on Monday, 19 March 2007.
It occurred during Debate on bills
and
Committee proceeding on Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill.
About this proceeding contribution
Reference
690 c149GC Session
2006-07Chamber / Committee
House of Lords Grand CommitteeSubjects
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