Ulster Volunteer Force
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland.[1]
The modern UVF was founded in 1966. It adopted the name of the original UVF formed in 1912 to oppose Home Rule for Ireland.[2]
Contents
Decommissioning
The UVF and the Red Hand Commando carried out a major act of decommissioning in June 2009 which was reported to involve all of the arms under the UVF leadership's control. According to the Belfast Telegraph, Loyalist leaders John Graham and Winston Rea were key players in this move as was decommissioning interlocutor Billy Hutchinson'.[3]
McCord Allegations
In testimony to the US Congress on 22 October 2009, Raymond McCord Sr. named a number of UVF members as informers, claiming that "Supreme Commander, John “Bunter” Graham has been an agent of the State for years."[4]
2011 Short Strand riots
Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum of the Police Service of Northern Ireland blamed the East Belfast UVF for an attack on the nationalist Short Strand enclave in June 2011:
- "It would be a line of investigation to establish whether that was a co-ordinated and organised 'organisational' position (by the UVF leadership)," he said.
- "But at this point we are satisfied that at the very least members of east Belfast UVF were involved in organising the disorder."[5]
External Resources
- Pat Rabbitte, Adjournment Debate. - Northern Ireland Issues (Raymond McCord case), Dáil Éireann - Volume 608 - 27 October, 2005.
- Written Testimony of Raymond Mc Cord Sr (pdf). House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight, October 22, 2009.
Notes
- ↑ Abstracts of Organisations - 'U', CAIN Web Service, University of Ulster, accessed 25 November 2009.
- ↑ Abstracts of Organisations - 'U', CAIN Web Service, University of Ulster, accessed 25 November 2009.
- ↑ Brian Rowan, Arms body confirms ‘major decommissioning by UVF’, Belfast Telegraph, 29 June 2009.
- ↑ Written Testimony of Raymond Mc Cord Sr (pdf). House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight, October 22, 2009.
- ↑ Short Strand: Police say riot was "orchestrated" by UVF, BBC News, 21 June 2011.
