Politicians continue to play the 'blame game' over sectarian violence, writes Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, was contemplating going to war with Iraq, yet his government could not control two streets in east Belfast, the Ulster Unionist Enterprise Minister, Sir Reg Empey, said yesterday. He was speaking after a meeting with the North's Security Minister, Ms Jane Kennedy.
It was the evening after a night of low-level sectarian trouble at the interface between the loyalist Cluan Place and the nationalist Clandeboye area in east Belfast. Bricks, bottles and fireworks were thrown, but there were no reports of any serious injuries.
As well as Sir Reg's meeting with Ms Kennedy, members of the Loyalist Commission, including UDA and UVF representatives, met Mr Des Browne, the Northern Victims' Minister, who is also trying to sort out the sectarian tensions. This afternoon, the Sinn Féin chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, with Short Strand councillor Mr Joe O'Donnell, is to meet Mr Browne to discuss that Northern oxymoron, peace-line disorder in Belfast. Last week, the Sinn Féin lord mayor, Mr Alex Maskey, met community activists with UDA links, including Mr John White, the close confidante of Johnny Adair, to see what could be done.
In the past week Sinn Féin has been claiming daily that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is acting in a partisan fashion against nationalists - a claim senior officers resolutely deny. Short Strand residents protested at this alleged PSNI bias at the Policing Board headquarters in Belfast yesterday.
Sinn Féin MLA Mr Conor Murphy said: "After hundreds upon hundreds of loyalist attacks on Catholics, after killings, after bombings, we still have no action from the PSNI - no arrests, no pipe-bomb factories discovered."
SDLP Assembly members such as Dr Seán Farren and Mr John Fee have countered that Sinn Féin is playing a devious game by intentionally fomenting trouble at the interfaces while at the same time claiming that it wants to calm the sectarian passions.
Mr Murphy yesterday retorted that the SDLP was blind to the "nightly torture of the local residents" in Short Strand and other attacks on nationalists.
There was minor trouble in the Short Strand again yesterday afternoon. Several workers repairing roofs in the Clandeboye area were forced to abandon their work after missiles were fired at them from Cluan Place, Mr O'Donnell said.
"While these attacks were taking place, the PSNI maintained a presence in Clandeboye, once again failing to deal with the attacks from Cluan Place. This is unacceptable and once again the PSNI are facilitating the loyalist siege of this area," he added.
Sir Reg Empey deplored all interface violence but pointed out that, on the previous evening, workers carrying out repairs in Cluan Place had come under attack from nationalists in Clandeboye and had been forced to abandon work.
So, much talking but little sign of any resolution. Much recrimination as well, as is evident from the conflicting comments from the opposing politicians.
Suggesting that Mr Blair might be better engaged focusing on two streets in east Belfast rather than on Saddam Hussein, Sir Reg warned that "lives may be lost" if the British government fails to act.
Echoing SDLP allegations against republicans, he said that Sinn Féin was applying "textbook" tactics at the interfaces. "On the one hand they are creating the problem while on the other hand trying to resolve it. It is part of their campaign against the police and the SDLP," he said.