Reid poised to make statement on UDA ceasefire
There is speculation this afternoon that the British Government is poised to declare that the UDA is no longer on ceasefire.
Northern Secretary John Reid has held talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair and RUC chief constable Ronnie Flanagan following serious loyalist rioting in north Belfast which has left 46 policemen injured in the last 48 hours.
Yesterday, Mr Flanagan said he has no doubt that the riots were organised by local elements of the UDA, which is supposed to be on ceasefire.
Over the last two nights, loyalist rioters have fired automatic weapons at the RUC and have thrown blast bombs and petrol bombs at police lines.
A spokesman for the British Government’s Northern Ireland Office insisted that no decision has been made regarding the status of the UDA truce, by he added: “This ceasefire is being kept under urgent and hourly review.”
If Dr Reid does declare the UDA ceasefire over, he has the power to re-arrest all the UDA members who were freed from prison under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
