Firstly I'd like to thank everyone who braved the elements today and come out to support Justice for NI Veterans, am overwhelmed with the support and positive feedback we received.
We all assembled outside the MOD building in Glasgow braving the freezing cold weather....why?....simple... for Justice. Justice for our heroic NI War Veterans who are being persecuted by our British Government for alleged crimes that happened over 40 years ago.
"TERRORISTS are freely walking the streets while the Government shamefully launches “a witch hunt” against heroic Northern Ireland veterans."
As stoody by my fellow veterans, colleagues and friends as we stood peacefully in protest against the criminal investigations into historic alleged crimes committed by soldiers on the front line.
These actions by the British Government are a disgrace and a betrayal to those of us who served. No British soldier ever went on patrol with the intention of committing a crime, no British soldier ever placed a bomb in a pub full of innocents and no British soldier ever placed a bomb underneath a police car. Yet the IRA continue to walk free, where is the justice in that?
War is a dirty, brutal business, no matter the legal definition you give it, and over nearly 40 years, the troubles in Northern Ireland claimed more than 3,500 lives.
However, of the combatants, for every paramilitary killed two members of the armed forces and security services lost their lives. And while I mourn the members of our brave forces, I remain unapologetic for the deaths of terrorists, who had criminally taken up arms to force a change the majority in Northern Ireland did not want! As far as I’m concerned, those who live by the sword, often die by the sword, and that is why it is so disgusting that veterans now face prosecution.
And now rather than being thanked for serving there queen and country, veterans today live in fear of a knock at the door to be asked questions about the events of a lifetime ago. And the odds of being targeted in this post-conflict 'witch-hunt' seem to be growing. I’m appalled many veterans in their 70's are being arrested and charged with these alleged killings in NI during the troubles. This is despite the fact that over 90 per cent of the deaths were carried out by terrorists - why is nobody going after them? We need to bring this nonsense to an end.
We’ve got one angle in Northern Ireland getting away with everything but British soldiers being dragged back to the courts. It’s totally wrong. This is abuse against soldiers who fought in Northern Ireland. There are hundreds of ex-soldiers being investigated. That’s fine, but make sure they investigate the terrorists as well. The government is wholly committed to finding a lawful, fair, balanced and proportionate way forward for legacy issues in Northern Ireland. We are also very mindful of the fact that some 90 per cent of all deaths in the troubles were caused by terrorists. Without new bodies to address the legacy of the past, murders by terrorists won’t be investigated any time soon and victims, including families of brave serviceman killed, are less likely to see justice. Something needs to change NOW".
One veteran, Dennis Hutchings, who himself is in his 70's was woken up by police, who charged him with the attempted murder of an IRA suspect in 1974 while he was serving Queen and country in Armagh. Many of our Veterans served in Northern Ireland, should we be worried too? Are we going to get woken in the early hours of the morning?
The Good Friday Agreement, signed off by Tony Blair, allowed 500 convicted terrorists linked to the IRA to walk free, something seen as “a grave injustice” by ex-forces personnel who are now watching their own colleagues face prosecution. Veterans claim the vast majority of post-conflict charges relating to Northern Ireland are being made against British soldiers, not former IRA members who already have terrorism offences to their name.
None of us wanted to be stood outside in the bitter cold for hours on end but the government left us no choice, our fellow veterans deserve Justice, enough of this rediculous witch hunt, allow our veterans to carry on with the rest of there lives as the true heroes they are and in peace without living in fear of a knock at the door.
Something needs to change and it needs to change NOW.
Many thanks to the support from the photographers, Radio, Journalists and TV crew who've all helped considerably in reaching the doorstep of our government! Let's hope it makes a difference this time and Gavin Williamson listens to what we have to say!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewxx_1uwVpg&feature=share
