F**k Off

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday October 31, 2002 14:28 by M60

"F**k off" ­ that was the British Army's amazing response when the North Belfast News asked them for details about the murders of the New Lodge Six.

North Belfast News
25 October 2002

F**k Off

"F**k off" ­ that was the British Army's amazing response when
the North Belfast News asked them for details about the murders of
the New Lodge Six.

In an astonishing outburst a British Army press officer blew his top
when asked about the murder of six men in the New Lodge in 1973. The
killings, carried out by the British Army and loyalist assassins, are
now the subject of a public inquiry to be held in North Belfast later
next month.

And despite it being the spokesman's job to help the media with
inquiries he said: "There's no f**king way we work to your rules, you
know the score."

The outburst came as North Belfast News reporters attempted to obtain
an army statement on the murders.

It is thought to be the only time the British Army has been asked by
a newspaper to explain its role in the deaths of the six New Lodge
men since the murders.

In fact since then the British Army has maintained a rigid vow of
silence about the 1973 killings, which relatives and campaigners say
were nothing more than squalid sectarian murders.

Paul O'Neill who has helped set-up the public inquiry into the
killings says the British Army's response comes as no surprise.

"They have said and done nothing about the killings since they were
carried out in February 1973. Campaigners and relatives alike have
met with a wall of silence from the British Army and Ministry of
Defence when we have asked for answers.

"This blunt response comes as little surprise to people in the New
Lodge."

And Paul O'Neill says the response is a further insult to the
victims' families.

"This is the attitude of the British Army almost thirty years after
the killings took place.

"It is a two-fingered salute to the families of the victims and it
shows that the only way we will ever establish the truth of these
killings is to set-up our own inquiry.

"It appears the British Army has no interest in getting to the truth
of this case."