The attack on Short Strand and its significance – 2

 

Short Strand: the anatomy of a sectarian state

John McAnulty

8 July 2011

The facts about the June attacks on Short Strand are unambiguous. “Ugly Doris,” the local commander of a group of vicious sectarian killers called the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), led almost 100 paramilitaries in an unprovoked attack on the Nationalist ghetto. The initial attack was clearly a military operation, with a co-ordinated attack where the participants wore balaclavas and surgical gloves to avoid leaving forensic evidence. Broader sectarian rioting broke out. Shots were exchanged and two attackers and a press photographer were injured

As so often in the North of Ireland, it is in the aftermath that things become obscure. One would have expected outrage from the victims, denunciation by press, politicians, church, state and trade unions – the sort of moral panic that followed the killing of a police constable recently. This would have led to a vigorous police action, possibly leading to UVF leaders who have been released on license being returned to jail, as happened recently to leading republican Marian Price, jailed for holding a speech transcript for a speaker at a republican rally.

Nothing of the sort happened. There was absolute silence from the Short Strand as Sinn Fein imposed a lockdown. The Shinners immediately met in secret with the attackers to search for ways to. . .

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