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April 04, 2006

Denis Donaldson Shot Dead



http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/4877516.stm

Sinn Fein British Agent Shot Dead

Former senior Sinn Fein member Denis Donaldson has been found
shot dead in the Irish Republic.

Mr Donaldson was expelled from the party last December after
admitting he was a paid British spy for 20 years.

The IRA issued a statement saying it had "no involvement
whatsoever" in Mr Donaldson's death in County Donegal.

Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern described the death as a
"brutal murder", while NI Secretary Peter Hain said it was
"barbaric".

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he wanted to "disassociate (his
party) and all republicans who support the peace process from
this killing".

The death of Mr Donaldson came hours before a planned visit to
Northern Ireland by Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern to unveil their
blueprint for reviving the assembly at Stormont.

A Downing Street spokesman said that Mr Blair "strongly
condemned" the killing and had noted Mr Adams' statement of
condemnation.
----

TIMETABLE OF EVENTS

4 October 2002: Three men including Mr Donaldson arrested
following raid on Sinn Fein's Stormont office. Power-sharing
executive collapses and government restores direct rule to NI a
week later

8 December 2005: Charges against three men dropped "in the public
interest"

16 December 2005: Sinn Fein says Mr Donaldson was a "British
agent" and expels him from the party: he later says he worked as
a spy since the 1980s

Government and police reject the party's claim raid was
politically motivated

4 April 2006: Donaldson found shot dead in County Donegal
----

Irish justice minister Michael McDowell said he understood a
neighbour had found Mr Donaldson's body on the floor of his house
with a gunshot wound to the head.

He said that he had been lying there for some time and was last
seen alive on Monday evening by Irish police.

Mr Donaldson moved out of his Belfast home last December, and had
been living in a run-down cottage without electricity or running
water in County Donegal.

His body was found near the village of Glenties at about 1700
BST.

Mr Donaldson had been Sinn Fein's head of administration at
Stormont before his 2002 arrest over alleged spying led to its
collapse.

Mr Donaldson and two others were acquitted of charges last
December "in the public interest".

One week later, Sinn Fein expelled Mr Donaldson from the party.

At the time, he told a news conference that he was recruited in
the 1980s as a paid British agent and deeply regretted his
activities.

He said there had not been a republican spy ring at Stormont.

Gerry Adams told the same news conference that Mr Donaldson was
not under any threat from the republican movement.

Mr Adams said on Tuesday he had spoken to the Donaldson family
just before news of his death broke.

He said he was not prepared to speculate on who might have been
responsible.

"It has to be condemned. We are living in a different era, and in
the future in which everyone could share," he said.

"This killing seems to have been carried out by those who have
not accepted that," he said.

DUP leader Ian Paisley said Mr Donaldson's death would be a
setback for the political process.

"If this man has been murdered because of his connection with the
IRA-Sinn Fein, and because of the past happenings, then it
strikes a blow at what the two governments are trying to do," he
said.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2006/04/04 19:22:20 GMT
© BBC MMVI
Posted by: Unknown / 2:53 PM
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