The appointment of 4 victim’s commissioners is undoubtedly an extravagant expense, but in the choice of the 4 (well, one in particular) it shows a danger that was always going to be present, in the form of Militant republicanism attempting to force a historical re-write of exactly who the victims of the troubles are. The appointment of Patricia MacBride, sister of IRA terrorist Tony MacBride or “Antoine Mac Giolla Bhrighde” as he preferred to be called, who was shot by the SAS in Kesh, Co Fermanagh, in 1984, after he planted a 100lb bomb outside a restaurant (and a further fire-bomb within it). He was killed in an ensuing shoot-out with the SAS after himself and his fellow terrorists opened fire.
Indeed, the very first press statement realsed by the new commission listed this terrorist as an "IRA volunteer" and describes him as having been "killed on active service". UUP MLA David Burnside had this to say in relation to the statement; "The word is terrorist or criminal, not volunteer. This is a blatant attempt to rewrite history and part of the process to try to legitimise the terrorists' murderous actions and suggest they were the victims in the same way that innocent people or the law-abiding members of the security forces were victims."
In a statement, Jim Allister MEP had this to say about the appointment, and questions the DUP's foresight in alowing this: "The key upcoming issue in the new legislation will be the definition of “victim”. It is imperative that the unionist majority in the Assembly insists that the definition does not equate innocent victims with the perpetrators of terror. This will be a litmus test on whether the DUP is capable of getting it right and delivering for unionists.”
