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Sinn Fein 'not deterred' by threats

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Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly
Sinn Fein has said it will not be deterred by the repeated threats made against the lives of its party members.

At the weekend, both Party President Gerry Adams and Junior Minister Gerry Kelly were warned by police that they were potential targets.

It is understood Mr Adams also received a letter during the recent Hillsborough negotiations from Security Minister Paul Goggins about the risks he was facing.

Gerry Kelly, an MLA for north Belfast, told UTV a group calling themselves the Real UFF 'C' Company had threatened to execute him within 24 hours.

"Police called to my house and gave me a form which said on it that they had received information through a public telephone, that someone had phoned in and said 'Gerry Kelly from Sinn Fein is going to be executed in the next 24 hours' and basically that's it," he said.

"I think this is the fourth one in a month or so."

'Not deterred'

Mr Kelly said Sinn Fein had to take such threats seriously, but that neither he nor the party would be deterred.

"I think you have to take all of these threats very seriously - especially if there's young people or children in the house," he said.

"And we will take it seriously, but it will not detract me or Gerry Adams or anyone in the party.

"We're elected representatives and we will do the same things as we've been doing for years - representing people. And these threats will not put us off."

Mr Kelly admitted those behind the threats made against Sinn Fein members could be expressing frustration at the positive political progress that has been made in Northern Ireland.

"I suppose it's no coincidence that the threat came at this point, just after the deal had been done on the transfer of policing and justice," he said.

"And indeed when it looked like things were moving ahead, there had been a series of these threats - so I presume that's what they're at. But let me be very clear - it won't work."

He added: "I hadn't, to be honest with you, heard about the Real UFF 'C' Company - but I did then read in the papers that they were involved in a number of pipe bomb attacks on the GAA halls quite recently there.

"So we have to take them seriously, but it won't detract us from doing our work."

© UTV News

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At 10:35 on 08 February 2010, joe murray wrote:
Call me cynical, but I take these press releases - sorry, so-called death threats - with a pinch of salt.
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