Loyalist back in Ulster jail

By Thomas Abraham

LONDON, AUG. 23. The British Government made it clear it was going to take a tough line on the violence caused by feuding Protestant paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland by arresting Johnny Adair, a paramilitary leader believed to be behind the current violence in the province.

Adair, a former Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) leader who has been nicknamed ``Mad Dog'', was released from prison last year along with other paramilitary prisoners under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday peace accord. The British Minister in charge of Northern Ireland, Mr. Peter Mandelson, revoked Adair's parole, and said the re-arrest should serve as a warning to others. ``Nobody is untouchable in Northern Ireland, nobody is above the law,'' he said. ``That is precisely as Johnny Adair has appeared to behave in the last few days, and that is completely unacceptable,'' he added. Mr. Mandelson said his priority was the safety of Northern Ireland's people. ``I cannot give freedom to an individual intent on abusing it.''

Adair had earlier been convicted of directing terrorism and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He was released in 1999 after serving five years. While there was never enough evidence to prove his direct involvement in any acts of terrorism, the security forces built up enough evidence to prove that he masterminded several attacks on Catholics.

The violence which began over the weekend is thought to be a turf war between Adair's UFF and another Loyalist group, the Ulster Volunteer Force. Analysts believe that the struggle between the groups is over drug trafficking and organised crime. Mr. Ken Maginnis, a senior Ulster Unionist M.P., called for crackdown on organised crime after Adair's arrest, saying that ``illegal drinking dens, drug trafficking, the exploitation of young girls for prostitution were areas being controlled by elements of paramilitary organisations.''

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Section  : International
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