Shooting 'would not be unprovoked'

Thirteen civilians were killed on Bloody Sunday

It is inconceivable that the Parachute Regiment opened fire without provocation on Bloody Sunday, a former Army captain has told the Saville Inquiry.

The soldier, identified only as Captain 406, was a member of the Light Air Defence Regiment which manned a number of Army barriers around the Bogside area Londonderry.

On 30 January 1972, paratroops opened fire on civilians at a civil rights march in the Bogside in Londonderry killing 13 people. Another man died later.

The ex-captain said while he did not see or hear any shooting on Bloody Sunday, it was possible that the paratroops could have been too quick to react.

In other words 8 Brigade was too soft and needed toughening up

Captain 406

However, he said they could not have opened fire on their own initiative.

The soldier, whose face was only seen by the tribunal judges and lawyers, also said he believed the soldiers were used on Bloody Sunday to show the local soldiers how to carry out a tough operation - but that there could never have been a plan for them to shoot at unarmed people.

He told the inquiry on Tuesday that 1 Para would have been "highly keyed up" ahead of carrying out their orders to arrest rioters.

"It is inconceivable that they (1 Para) simply started firing of their own initiative without provocation," he said.

Green Jackets

He said for a soldier, shooting was normally the "ultimate escalation" of events.

Captain 406 told the tribunal he did not witness any of the shooting as his regiment's role was to contain the crowds.

There is a huge difference between this and what is often implied - that 1 Para, working to some agenda set from above, opened fire on unarmed people

Captain 406

He said that the 2 Royal Green Jackets had been surprised by 1 Para's "roughness" at a march the week before Bloody Sunday.

The inquiry was told the former officer had also heard reports that Major General Robert Ford, the Commander of Land Forces, believed "too soft a line" was being taken in dealing with hooligans and the no-go areas.

"In other words 8 Brigade was too soft and needed toughening up," he said.

"There is however a huge difference between this, and what is often implied, namely that on 30 January 1972, 1 Para, working to some agenda set from above, opened fire on unarmed people."

Witnesses

The tribunal is currently sitting in London to hear evidence from military witnesses.

The Saville Inquiry was set up by Prime Minister Tony Blair to reinvestigate the evidence because the relatives felt the first inquiry was a whitewash.

Lord Saville and the Commonwealth judges who comprise the inquiry, are not expected to report back until 2004.

The inquiry, which usually sits at the Guildhall in Derry, is currently hearing the evidence from military witnesses in London because of concerns for their safety.