Donaldson: “Republicans are fooling nobody but themselves”
Kenny Donaldson, an Ulster Unionist Party Officer and resident of Crossmaglen, South Armagh has described Sinn Fein’s new “Good Riddance” t-shirt as; “irony in the extreme.”
The t-shirt, launched by the Republican Movement is in reference to the ending of ‘Operation Banner’ within Northern Ireland.
A graphic within the t-shirt depicts a member of the Republican Movement kicking a British Army soldier out of Northern Ireland.
The Sinn Fein website uses the selling pitch; ‘British Army Campaign in Ireland ends, All British military personnel in Ireland have been recalled to Barracks, To celebrate we have a great new t-shirt – Good Riddance t-shirt.’
In a statement, Kenny said: “This new t-shirt, launched by Sinn Fein really is ‘irony in the extreme.’ As painful or as embarrassing as it may be for them, the reality is that the British Army did not leave Northern Ireland as a result of the terrorist campaign waged by the PIRA and its’ sister organisations against the ‘guardians of the State’ and ‘civic society.’
“Operation Banner has been wound down because terrorism has been defeated; because of the contribution of our guardians of the State, the Republican Movement has had to surrender the gun and the semtex and join the democratic table along with the rest of us. Our peacetime British Army garrison of 5,000 soldiers remains as a valued part of the Northern Ireland community.
“Of course there remains those within republicanism who even yet haven’t come to terms with the reality that; ‘Republican campaigns of violence and intimidation have not and will not deliver Irish Unity.’ These individuals will have to face up to the political realities of Northern Ireland or they will end up in the only place fitting for their actions - Jail.”
Kenny concluded by saying: “Those who adorned a uniform and set about fulfilling the role of, ‘state and civic protector’ deserve our recognition and heartfelt gratitude. Because of their courage, Northern Ireland and its’ people have a better future to look forward to.”