Police cover-ups exposed.

Ballast -- For years Irish nationalists have claimed that hardline Protestant loyalists entered into collusion with the Northern Irish police to perpetrate with impunity such crimes as murders of their religious and political opponents. Until very recently, this police force was the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), a group almost exclusively Protestant in affiliation. Their Special Branch division recruited informers, often from the ranks of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) an outlawed Protestant paramilitary group, to monitor activities of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Both IRA and UVF have been responsible for many bloody outrages during the last round of 'Troubles' in the land, but the press was frequently inclined to blame the IRA rather than the RUC.

As part of the peace process initiated by the governments of Britain and the Irish Republic, the RUC has morphed into the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), whose Ombudsman produced a most disturbing report on January 23, 2007. Nuala O'Loan stated that in the 1990s at least 16 people, most of them Catholics, were murdered by UVF informants with the active connivance of RUC Special Branch personnel. Police officers are said to have blocked weapon searches and destroyed files, among other malfeasances. Ms. O'Loan has called on the new police service to re-open these cases and to investigate former officers who may have been involved.

The report came at a critical time in the peace process for Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein, the political arm of the republican element, has the opportunity to participate in a new power-sharing government with Protestant loyalists, chiefly the Democratic Unionist party headed by Ian Paisley. Ms. O'Loan's report indicated that RUC collusion was systemic even "at the highest levels." While Sinn Fein leaders contended that any new government must control and oversee the police, Catholics and republican sympathizers needed more reassurance that the force would be truly reformed and impartial.

Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein leader, obviously delivered that assurance at a party meeting on January 28, 2007, when a large majority voted in favour of recognizing the still Protestant-dominated police force, as a gesture of unity. While stating that he will not recruit on behalf of the PSNI, Adams called on his party to "support any republican who wants to join the police force."

Approximately 20% of the party, designating themselves Republican Sinn Fein, opposed the motion backing PSNI support. Several of these intend to stand as alternative republican candidates in the upcoming election.

The factions in Northern Ireland have until March to put a power-sharing government in place. If not, direct rule from London will be re-imposed (Nat. Post, Jan. 23, 2007). Elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly have been called for March 7, 2007.