RED HAND DEFENDERS Terrorist Group

1
RED HAND DEFENDERS Terrorist Group

• Group Presentation
• Candace Munoz
• Desiree Lampkins
• Erika Ramos
• Parambir Sangha

2
Who Are They?

• Extremist group
• Formed in 1998
• Cover name used by the banned Ulster Defense
  Association and Loyalist Volunteer Force
• Red Hand of Ulster is commonly associated with
  Protestants also used by unionists and loyalists
  to symbolize Northern Ireland

3
Loyalist Volunteer Force and Ulster Defense
Association

• Loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland
• Outlawed as terrorist organizations in the UK and
  Ireland
• Groups express denounce support for the Good
  Friday Agreement
• Seen to be defending the loyalist community from
  Irish republican terrorism
• Their objectives being to retain British rule in
  Northern Ireland

4
Their Philosophy

• Red Hand Defender name is used by larger loyalist
  groups to conduct attacks while their
  organizations appear to observe cease-fires
• Opposed to the Good Friday Agreement
• Inspired from scripture from the Bible
• Deuteronomy 72
• And the Lord thy God shall have delivered them
  to thee thou shalt utterly destroy them. Thou
  shalt make no league with them, nor show mercy to
  themneither shalt thou make marriages with them

5
Good Friday Agreement

• Also known as the Belfast Agreement
• Major political development in the Northern
  Ireland peace process
• It was signed in Belfast on April 10th, 1998
  (Good Friday) by the British and the Irish
  governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland
  political parties
• Some Main Provisions of the Agreement

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ATTACKS/MEMBERS

• 28 Attacks were done by the
• Red Hand Defenders in the
• years of 1998-2002
• There are 20 members in this terrorist group

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Targets/Finance

• There Targets
• Churches
• Homes
• Private businesses
• Finances
• Many sources say that the RHD have no external aid

8
Conflict

• The conflict in Northern Ireland is both
  religious and political.
• Ireland was divided in 1920 one half remained
  part of the United Kingdom and the other half
  became the Republic of Ireland.
• Many of the catholic republicans have complained
  because they feel the government is treating them
  like second class citizens and want to unite
  Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland but
  most of the protestants want Northern Ireland to
  remain part of the United Kingdom.

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Activities

• The UVF has been active in Belfast and the border
  areas of Northern Ireland
• bombings, assassinations, kidnappings,
  hijackings, extortion, and robberies.
• On occasion, it has provided advance warning to
  police of its attacks.
• The Independent Monitoring Commission has said
  that the UVF was responsible for four killings in
  2005

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THERE FIRST ATTACK!!On October 31st, 1998

• RED HAND DEFENDERS (RHD) ATTACKED PRIVATE
  CITIZENS PROPERTY TARGET Target Private
  Citizens Property\
• Tactic Assassination Weapon
  FirearmsFatalities 1Injuries
  UnknownAttack Claimed YesDescription The
  Red Hand Defenders claimed responsibility for
  killing Brian Service, a Catholic man, as he
  walked home on the streets of Belfast. He was
  shot several times in the back and head. Service
  had no apparent connections to any terrorist
  groups and seems to have been targeted only
  because he was Catholic.

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There Last AttackDecember 19, 2002

• RED HAND DEFENDERS (RHD) ATTACKED PRIVATE
  CITIZENS PROPERTY TARGET Target Private
  Citizens PropertyTactic BombingWeapon
  ExplosivesFatalities 0Injuries 0Attack
  Claimed Yes
• Description Loyalists are being blamed for
  throwing a pipe bomb into a home in north
  Belfast. Twin boys, aged 6, who were asleep at
  the time of the attack were unharmed. It is
  believed that this home was targeted because the
  owner, Terri Fegan's boyfriend is a republican.
  The blast blew a large hole in the front door of
  the home. Note The Red Hand Defenders later
  claimed responsibility for this attack, which was
  designed to make nationalists fearful during the
  Christmas holiday.

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References

• Pike, J. (2003). Red hand defenders. Retrieved
  January 31, 2007, from http//www.fas.org/irp/w
  orld/para/rhd.htm
• Red hand defenders. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31,
  2007, from http//www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID93
  
• Belfast agreement. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17,
  2007, from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Frida
  y_Agreement
• Ulster defence association. (n.d). Retrieved
  February 10, 2007, from http//www.answers.com.top
  ic/ulster-defence-association
• Loyalist volunteer force. (n.d.). Retrieved
  February 10, 2007, from http//www.answers.com/top
  ic/loyalist-volunteer-force