Huge Bomb Found in Armagh

[Stallit 2 de Halfo]

PSNI say bomb targeted officers


Tuesday September 08 2009

A huge bomb planted close to the Northern Ireland border was intended to murder police officers, a security chief said tonight.

The device, containing 600lb of fertiliser based home-made explosives, was defused by army bomb disposal experts outside Forkhill in south Armagh .

Dissident republicans were being blamed for setting the bomb - with a command wire which led across the border to a firing point.

Newry and Mourne police commander Chief Inspector Sam Cordner said the bomb was targeted against PSNI officers, but said had it been detonated it would have demolished nearby houses killing the occupants.

As detectives launched a major investigation and forensic experts studied the device he accused those who planted it of being reckless and not caring who they killed.

He said: "There could have been a devastating outcome to this incident. The actions of terrorist criminals in planting this device in the Forkhill area put local people and police officers at significant risk.

"Their actions were reckless and dangerous in the extreme. Their target may have been the police, but they did not care who they killed or injured."

www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/psni-say-bomb-targeted-officers-1881124.html

[Semtex]

These actions are legitimate.

The real IRA had left a warning that such a device was left in the area last week.

I also don't see how this device was intending to kill innocent civillans, especially after the Omagh disaster. Lessons are learnt from past mistakes. The response from the RUC and local politicians was that of scare mongering, a tactic used to put fear into the locals about the big bad "dissidents" who intentionally went out to blow them to smitherens.... yeah right.

[Stallit 2 de Halfo]

Id be questioning whether they want to kill security forces at all. They dont have to make a 600lb roadside bomb to kill police, surely. If they are going to sit and wait yards from the road, why not ambush and shoot them instead?

Its legitimate, but if what reports are saying about houses nearby and kids playing, then I think its reckless.