NI: Crime Gang 'Should Be Branded Terrorists' Date: Friday, June 22, 2012 Source: Cliff Caswell - Security Oracle

The Chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland has branded the group behind a bomb attack on officers “a tawdry group of vicious thugs” as it announced its intention to continue its murderous campaign against the law enforcement authorities. Terry Spence (pictured) branded the Republican Action against Drugs (RAAD) as an “utter sham” – and has said he has now formally asked Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson to prescribe them as a terrorist organisation. The chairman was speaking as the group – which recently damaged a police vehicle during a blast bomb attack in Londonderry – told the BBC that it would carry out further strikes unless officers stopped searching its members’ homes. According to the Newsnight programme the gang – which is made up of former members of the Provisional IRA – has already murdered one man and shot more than 40 others. Operating in the Creggan and Bogside areas, the RAAD claims it was set up to tackle drug dealers in the area and to protect the “community from parasites”. But Mr Spence said the group should be branded as terrorists – and added that communities could play their part in providing information to secure convictions. He said in a recent speech: “There is, in some cases, evidence that afflicted communities are at best ambivalent towards the punishment gangs, which have seen the murder of young men and the crippling of teenagers.” “Over 200 young men have been expelled from Londonderry alone. If we are to improve our detection rate then community attitudes need to change.” Mr Spence singled out RAAD for creating an extortion racket out of beatings. He added: “And now they have gone further and unashamedly exposed themselves as determined to murder police officers. Their social interest in drug crime has been an utter sham and a profile building exercise for mounting terrorist attacks.” Mr Spence pointed out that the Ulster Volunteer Force had also been active in Belfast, meting out “unjustifiable and unacceptable punishments”. He added: “Neither the UVF nor the RAAD are acting in the interest of the community. They are tawdry groupings of vicious thugs, pumped up with self importance, determined to exercise control of local communities through fear.   Courtesy of SecurityOracle.com - The Secury Industry's Portal