International   

Crisis over "spy" murder

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: It is a story of betrayal and revenge that could have come straight from a cheap crime thriller — except that it is real, and politically explosive. In what is suspected to be a revenge killing, Denis Donaldson, a senior figure in the Irish Republican Army (IRA), was murdered in cold blood in his cottage in an isolated village in Ireland on Tuesday, four months after he confessed that he had been spying for British intelligence for 20 years.

Mr. Donaldson (56), who shunned public life after his confession and went to live in a dilapidated cottage which had no electricity or running water, was shot dead in the head and arm after being allegedly tortured.

The Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said police had warned Mr. Donaldson that his life could be at risk but the latter did not seek any protection.

The murder, which was widely condemned and threatened to plunge Northern Ireland into a fresh crisis, prompted accusations that it was an act of revenge by the IRA which felt betrayed that he had been a British "mole.'' But the IRA strongly denied involvement.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the timing of the killing — two days before he is to start peace talks — suggested that it was an attempt to "derail'' the peace process.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Kathmandu clamps night curfew
Disappointed, says LTTE
Evidence is fake, says Saddam
Looks like a missing link
Furore over Berlusconi's comment
Crisis over "spy" murder
Iran test-fires missile
DeLay steps down
Militants killed in battle
Interim Premier for Thailand
Has Sarabjit Singh converted to Islam?
Rice: we cannot do much on pipeline project

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu