Britain's most senior surviving army chief on Bloody Sunday today denied that 13 unarmed civilians were killed because the army was employing a shoot-to-kill policy against rioters.
In his written statement to the Bloody Sunday inquiry General Sir Robert Ford (78), former commander of land forces, also said there were "no plans to provoke a confrontation with the IRA" or to give the people of the Bogside "a rough handling" to teach them who was in charge.
Sir Robert wrote a secret memo to his superior in the North, Lieut Gen Sir Harry Tuzo, the general officer commanding (GOC), on January 7th, 1972 - three weeks before Bloody Sunday.
Sir Robert, who was responsible for the British army's daily operations in Northern Ireland, suggested the best way to help maintain law and order was to "shoot selected ringleaders" among the Bogside's stone-throwing rioters - dubbed the Derry Young Hooligans (DYH).
Soldiers should use rifles adapted to fire .22 ammunition after "clear warnings have been issued".
But today he denied his recommendation, which was outside the army's rules of engagement, amounted to a shoot-to-kill policy. saying: "The suggestion to shoot a few leaders was not an instruction to kill - 'shoot' and 'kill' are obviously different words".
Sir Robert rejected as "ridiculous" claims that Bloody Sunday was his January 7th memo brought to life. The plan never received an official go-ahead, he said.
In his statement Sir Robert said: "It is certainly not the case, if it be suggested, that the march of 30 January was used, or was intended to be used, as an opportunity to put into effect the discussion points I had put to the GOC in my memorandum of 7th January 1972".
The 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment was deployed to arrest rioters but came under fire from the IRA, he said.
Due to his age and ill health, Sir Robert's live testimony to the inquiry, sitting in London, will be heard only in the mornings and over several weeks.
Sir Robert was involved in the top secret preparations for the introduction of internment in August 1971 - an arrest operation targeting Catholic areas which initially had a list of 520 names.
It had triggered rioting, violence and shootings on a scale unequalled earlier. Barricades were erected. Sniper fire against the army was commonplace.
The Derry traders wanted firmer action to stamp out the spread of violence which was damaging business, Sir Robert claims.
He said it was his idea to seek a large number of arrests on Bloody Sunday and to use the no-nonsense Belfast-based 1 Para, who were unfamiliar with Derry.
This triggered fears that the they were unsuitable for the more sensitive conflicts in Derry.
Newspaper reports claim that at least two British army units in Belfast had made internal requests to brigade headquarters that 1 Para be kept out of their areas, the inquiry was told. Sir Robert denied any knowledge of such a requests.
Intelligence reports prior to Bloody Sunday had suggested the "likely" involvement of gunmen, Sir Robert said.
He was at Barrier 14 when the paras burst into the Bogside. As they did so he shouted: "Go on 1 Para, go and get them and good luck".
Denying this was an inflammatory comment, Sir Robert said in his statement: "I consider these were normal words of encouragement being given to soldiers about to go into a dangerous situation."
He recalls hearing baton rounds being fired by the troops at the crowd which was already assaulting them.
"I certainly had the impression that the time had come for the arrest operation to go in," he said adding that the troops were being stoned.
Later television cameras catch Sir Robert saying "that was awfully heavy firing" after hearing the clashing sounds of high velocity shots and two small explosions. He could not now confirm whether this was military fire.
PA