The North's First Minister Peter Robinson has said the murders of two British soldiers in Co Antrim on Saturday night represented a “challenge” from those who seek to destroy society.
Mr Robinson told the Stormont’s Assembly today there was no room for silence and disengagement following the attack on the Massereene barracks.
“This is a moment of truth for us all. We all have a choice to make. On Saturday night the challenge was issued. Today, in this House and outside of it, let the answer be loud and clear — we are not turning back,” he said.
He said the continued existence of the institutions had the consent and support of the community.
“Today we are being tested, yet, Mr Speaker, we should remember that our future isn’t dependent on the evil of those who seek to destroy our society but rather it depends on the good that there’s found in those throughout our community who want to build a stable, peaceful and democratic society.”
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said he regretted the initial “ambiguity” from the Sinn Féin leadership.
He said this was an opportunity to prove that “we have moved on and are putting the past behind us”.
“This didn’t happen in five minutes. This was pre-planned, it was deliberate, it was wilful and it was evil,” he said.
“There are clearly a large number of people who must have knowledge and involvement in this process; therefore, it seems to me, that as a starting point that those in the republican movement who might have knowledge of who could be doing this should pass that on without let or hindrance to the security forces.”
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adam again condemned the killings, describing them as “an attack on the peace process”.
He said his thoughts were with the families of the victims and defended Sinn Fein’s statement on the attacks, rejecting criticisms that it had taken the party 14 hours to respond.
Mr Adams said Sinn Féin supported the efforts of the police to catch the killers and urged any members of the republican community with information to pass it on.
Yesterday, he strongly condemned the decision by Northern Ireland Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde to bring in undercover soldiers from the Special Reconnaissance Regiment to monitor the activities of dissident republicans.
“The Chief Constable made a huge mistake bringing in undercover British army units,” he said.
“You don’t understand the history if you don’t appreciate that the involvement of these units in the past — totally unaccountable — has led to the same type of suffering as that that has unfortunately been endured at this time by the families of the two British soldiers who were killed.”
He insisted that there was no popular support for the dissidents who carried out the attacks.
“Whoever was involved, they have no support and no strategy and no popular will to back up their actions,” he said.
“Despite all of the dark history and despite everything that has occurred, people of the republican and nationalist persuasion overwhelmingly support Sinn Féin’s peace strategy.”
SDLP leader Mark Durkan told the Assembly: “These groups might be able to cut down two young men but they will not cut down political stability and the peace that it reinforces.
“They might be able to gravely wound other young people but they must not be able to injure the integrity of the new beginning to policing which has helped ensure the unity of the democratic response which we have seen to this atrocity.”
Alliance Party leader David Ford said there was no justification for what happened but the attack on civilian pizza men added a “perverted twist” to the killers’ logic.
“We have to ensure in this place (the Assembly) that we make politics work, we have to show the tiny minority that politics can work and, indeed, we have to show the world in the face of that atrocity that politics does work.”
Progressive Unionist Party leader Dawn Purvis, whose party has links to the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force, said society was united in revulsion.
She reminded Members that two mothers had lost their sons and other relatives were maintaining a painful vigil at the bedsides of the injured.
“Do we want to see mothers and sisters mourning at graves?” she asked the community. “Search your soul and give these people up.” She branded those responsible murderers, criminals and extortionists.
Green Party representative Brian Wilson also condemned them.
PA