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Ulster Defence Association denies threatening Belfast journalist Ulster Defence Association denies threatening Belfast journalist
(about 1 hour later)
Loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Defence Association has denied it has threatened a Belfast journalist. Loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Defence Association has denied threatening a Belfast journalist.
In response to calls by Amnesty International, the National Union of Journalists and politicians for the threat to be lifted, the UDA in a statement said it respected "the freedom of the press and the right of all journalists to carry out and pursue their profession free from intimidation or threat". In response to criticism by Amnesty International, the National Union of Journalists and politicians, the UDA said it respected "the freedom of the press and the right of all journalists to carry out and pursue their profession free from intimidation or threat".
Seamus Dooley, Irish secretary of the NUJ, said he would give a guarded welcome to the UDA statement, "but the threat is not imaginary, it does exist". Seamus Dooley, Irish secretary of the NUJ, gave a guarded welcome to the UDA statement but said: "The threat is not imaginary, it does exist."
Graffiti, including the journalist's name and mobile telephone number, has appeared in some areas across Belfast. Graffiti, including the journalist's name and mobile telephone number, has appeared in some areas across Belfast. The police said they could not comment on the security of individuals. The union has not released the journalist's name.
The police said they could not comment on the security of individuals. The UDA communiqué appears to come from a centralised command structure, but in reality the organisation is a disparate, often faction-ridden movement, which allows for individual areas to act autonomously from one another.
The union has not released the name of the journalist although the reporter has written in the recent past about the criminal activities of a UDA unit in east Belfast. Leading UDA figures such as Jackie McDonald are known to be opposed to any threats towards the media, but there are criminal elements within the terror group who have an interest in keeping their activities out of the public eye.
Although the UDA communiqué appears to come from a centralised command structure, the organisation in reality is a disparate, often faction-ridden movement, which allows for individual areas to act autonomously from one another.
While leading UDA figures, such as Jackie McDonald, are known to be opposed to any threats towards the media, there are elements within the terror group who have a major interest in keeping their criminal and drug-dealing activities out of the public eye.