Reacting to the brutal Republican attack last Saturday night Traditional Unionist Voice vice-chair Keith Harbinson said:
 
“On Friday Joint First Minister McGuinness claimed that British Special Forces were “as much a danger to the community as any other group” whilst on Saturday past Adams issued a statement saying that “There can be no place for British Forces in accountable, civic policing; there is no place for them in Ireland”.
 
“So, McGuinness verbally attacks British soldiers on Friday, Adams issues a statement attacking Her Majesty’s troops on Saturday afternoon and on Saturday night two soldiers are murdered.
 
“Again, the extremely delayed reaction from Sinn Fein and its wording made many people question what Sinn Fein/IRA’s position on the murders was. It took the party 14 hours to issue a statement on the matter, and when they finally did, Adams’ comments amounted to a rant about Sinn Fein’s “strategy to bring about an end to British rule in our country”. Adams claimed that Sinn Fein “have a responsibility to be consistent.  The logic of this is that we support the police.”  Condemnation of murder should be a moral reaction, not a decision based on logic and consistent strategy delivered through gritted teeth.
 
“While Adams lectures the police and the British Government on their leadership roles what about the Sinn Fein/IRA role? It is time that Republicans faced some difficult questions and it is a matter of deep regret that these are not being posed by either the mainstream media or the government structures.
 
“Firstly, were the weapons employed by the gunmen IRA weapons? Remember that the semtex employed in recent attacks came from supposedly decommissioned IRA stock.
 
“Secondly, it is obvious from the nature of the attack that those who carried it out were not amateurs. They were people who are experienced in murder, and the question therefore arises, where did they gain that experience? Within the ranks of the Provisional IRA?
 
“Thirdly, when Gerry Adams describes the murders as “wrong” does he mean that they are morally wrong or just strategically wrong? Unless he is prepared to condemn the brutal IRA campaign over the last thirty years, one can only assume that it is unfortunately the latter.
 
“Fourthly, is the Republican movement prepared to hand over the names of those who left their organisation to form the Real IRA?
 
“Unless Republicans are prepared to provide complete clarity on these issues many people will continue to view their statements with extreme scepticism.  Sinn Fein presently argue that they do not have corporate responsibility for the Real IRA, but little doubt remains that they must accept some of the responsibility for the creation of the beast and in my opinion should therefore employ a much more active role in aiding the authorities to rid us of it.”