The Violence in Ulster Continues

On the evening of 9th March 2009, a policeman serving with the Police Service of Northern Ireland was shot dead in an apparent ambush.

After answering a call in a predominatnly Catholic part of Craigavon, Co. Armagh with another officer, shots were fired from a derelict building as they alighted from their vehicles.

PC Stephen Carroll, 48, was hit in the head and died instantly.

It was believed the attack was carried out by an organisation calling itself the 'Continuity IRA'.

It was reported that the officers knew it was quite possible they were being lured into a trap, but their first priority was the frightened mother who made the 999 call and her safety.

Yesterday the two soldiers killed at the weekend were identified; they are Mark Quinsey, 23, and Patrick Azimkar, 21.

It emerged they threw themselves in front of civilians as the gunmen opened fire. At least one of them was executed as he lay seriously wounded on the ground, sheltering a 19 year old pizza delivery boy.

The soldiers were just 2 hours away from leaving for a 6 month tour of Afghanistan.

Gordon Brown flew out to Northern Ireland for talks with leaders yesterday, and police claim they've identified at least one of the gunmen who shot the soldiers.

I wonder what the chances are that the murderers of all three men are terrorists released early from prison under the Good Friday Agreement?

I think they're extremely high. These thugs and fanatics did not simply reform themselves when they were released - many went on to become gang masters on Belfast estates, noted for their brutality.

Is it possible that New Labour has even more blood on its hands?