Authorities must tackle terror threat

When we compare this action to Isis terrorists and witness the debacle in Northern Ireland that a suspect, charged with aiding and abetting the murder of prison officer David Black, has gone missing after having his bail conditions reduced and his monitoring tag removed many will rightly ask if the authorities are committed to tackle the threat posed by dissident republicans?

The accused has not been seen by police since November. It was well publicised that he had his bail conditions amended to have a break in a Fermanagh hotel.

The facts in this case are beyond belief and yet at no stage did we read in the news or hear of a police manhunt to find the whereabouts of the missing man and have him arrested.

Amri was shot dead after a concerted manhunt for him took place by police forces across Europe.

In Northern Ireland we hear about the rights of suspects on serious terror charges, courtesy of the European Court of Human Rights. What about protecting the right to life from terror attack as they do in Europe?

As unionists read daily of legacy inquests surrounding the deaths of IRA terrorists and the witch hunt and arrest of British soldiers yet see the incompetent and “softly softly” approach the government and PSNI have in dealing with republicans then is it any wonder many have no longer any faith in our policing and justice powers in Northern Ireland.

Walter Millar, Cookstown