West Belfast Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Maskey slams SDLP failure to vote against British army destroyer

Published: 11 October, 2008

Sinn Fein councillor Paul Maskey has slammed the SDLP after Upper Falls SDLP councillor Tim Attwood abstained on a proposal, at a council meeting, to twin a British destroyer battleship with Belfast, saying that he felt it was not important enough of an issue to vote against.

Mr Maskey said:

'The British army has a long and vicious record of murder and torture here in Ireland.

'People in west Belfast where Tim Attwood is a councillor have suffered enormously from the British occupation of Ireland.

'Does Tim Attwood not think that the murder of innocents by these British destroyers in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan is important?

'These destroyer battleships are a central part of the British army's weaponry and those under British occupation in countries throughout the world can testify to their lethal purpose.

'The British army has been involved in shoot-to-kill, collusion, plastic bullets, torture tactics and the wrecking of homes among other vicious activities.

'Tim Attwood's position on this issue is disgraceful.'