WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2004: There were reports of a bomb scare at the Park Centre close to the West Link, closing the centre for a time. The scare turned out to be a hoax.
A school was seized in the Russian province of Ossetia by suspected Chechen separatists who demanded a withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2004: It was reported that a number of Belfast Provisionals have been sent bullets through the post.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2004: Early in the morning loyalists carried out an attack on the 32 North Bar at the Ardoyne shops. The attack kicked off when around 60 loyalists drove a fork lift truck through a ground-floor window of the bar. The truck was rammed against three times before breaking through, the front of the fork-lift was full of petrol bombs.
As this happened people in the bar ran for cover, some of them were very lucky to get away. As the window gave way loyalists threw a number of petrol bombs into the bar, setting it on fire. The fire was put out by people in the bar. The loyalists then retreated across the Woodvale Road.
As nationalists went to the scene a confrontation took place and there was some stone-throwing. The RUC/PSNI and Provo Police moved the nationalists on to where a crowd of loyalists stood facing the Ardoyne shops from across the road. There was little doubt that the loyalists were out to murder and came close to doing so. The Red Hand Defenders, a cover-name for the UDA/UFF loyalist death squad, said they had carried out the attack.
Customers were fortunate to escape injury when a forklift digger taken from a building site in nearby Twaddell Avenue area was crashed into the 32 Degrees North bar on Crumlin Road in north Belfast and petrol bombs were thrown into the pub. Fire crews put out a blaze in the bar after three petrol bombs were thrown inside. The attack was blamed on loyalist death squad.
Over 300 people were killed in a dramatic end to the Russian school siege.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2004: A loyalist death squad phoned a Belfast newsroom to state that a bomb had been left at a community centre in the Rathenraw estate in Antrim. A gas canister found outside the centre was later declared to be a hoax.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2004: An 18-year-old nationalist was walking along Floral Park in the Whitewell Road area of Belfast when a car with a number of men on board, pulled up beside him. One man got out and attacked him, inflicting serious stab wounds. The loyalist then jumped back into the car which sped off towards the Shore Road. The car was later found burned out at the Loughside Recreation Centre. The victim is in hospital where he is being treated for what doctors say are "serious" stab wounds.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2004: It has been reported today that the nationalist youth who was stabbed by loyalists in the Whitewell area of north Belfast is now fighting for his life in hospital. The 18-year-old nationalist was stabbed a number of times as he walked along Floral Park in the Whitewell area.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2004: There were reports of shots being fired at a house in east Belfast. It is believed at this stage the shots may have come from a blank fire, the shooting took place after a number of men tried to get into a house in the Templemore area of east Belfast.
The PSNI/RUC barracks at Strand Road in Derry was hit by up to 30 high velocity bullets.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2004: It was announced that John Bruton, former leader of Fine Gael and head of the 1995-1997 Coalition government had been appointed as the Head of the European Commission's Delegation to Washington.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2004: St John the Baptist Catholic Church on the Garvaghey Road, Portadown, Co Armagh was extensively damaged in an arson attack by loyalists.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2004: Two nationalist men were beaten by loyalists at a house in Bentley Terrace in Derry city after several men split off from a loyalist gang which had been making its way along Bentley Terrace. Both men were treated at Altnagelvin Hospital for injuries received in the attack. The attackers rejoined the loyalist mob the the British police, the PSNI/RUC, used CS spray and batons on the loyalists outside a filling station on the Glendermott Road at around 2am and arrested five men.
What was described as 'mini gun factory' was discovered in a loyalist area in Carrickfergus. Tools to reactivate firearms as well as a Veltro reactivated pistol and 100 rounds of assorted ammunition were found in the search.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2004: There are reports this evening of a nationalist school boy suffering injuries to his face after being hit with glass at a bus stop. Piaras Donaghy (12), who is a first year pupil at St Malachy's College, and another boy were hurt when a crowd of teenagers on the Antrim Road in north Belfast threw bottles and stones at them. Piaras received six stitches to his cheek and had to have glass removed from his face. The attack was carried out in the Carlisle Circus area when a crowd of Protestant youths in school uniform called the group of first years from St Malachy's "Fenians" before attacking them. There have been countless sectarian attacks carried out on St Malachy's schoolchildren over many years.
A bugging device, described as a 'sophisticated listening device' was discovered in the Belfast offices of the Provisional's political wing in Connolly House on the Falls Road in west Belfast.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2004: A bomb scare which closed off the Ligoniel Road in north Belfast for a time later turned out to be a hoax. A ring of road blocks have gone up around the city tonight after a caller claiming to represent the CIRA phoned a newsroom and stated a bomb was going to be left at a Belfast RUC/PSNI barracks.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2004: There was a bomb scare this morning in the New Lodge Road area of north Belfast. The scare centered around a car on the New Lodge Road and later turned out to be a hoax.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2004: It has been claimed today that a number of people have been lifted in raids that were carried out by the RUC/PSNI in north and west Belfast.
Also today MI5 and RUC special branch agent Ken Barrett who worked for the Brits from within the UDA/UFF and who carried out a number of murders at their behest, the best known of which was the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane as a part of England's dirty war, was sentenced to 22 years. Barrett will be freed within months.
It was reported that explosives had been found following raids on houses in west Belfast.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2004: There was reports today of a bomb scare near Roden Street in south Belfast. The RUC/PSNI later claimed they found two improvised devices in a loyalist part of Belfast.
Talks between the British and Dublin governments and the various parties in the Six Counties with a view to reinstating the Stormont assembly in Leeds Castle, England ended without agreement.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2004: In what was believed to be part of a loyalist feud in Derry, shots were fired into the Cosy Inn at Church Street on the outskirts of the mainly-loyalist Waterside area of the city, injuring a 23-year-old man in the stomach and side.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2004: Kevin Hannaway (28) and Karen Lavery (29), both of Rinnalea Walk in Belfast were charged at Belfast magistrates court on six counts of possessing explosives with intent to endanger life. These included propellant, explosives gel, a pipe bomb, a coffee jar device, two detonators and a detonator cord. They were also accused of four charges of having ammunition and three charges of possessing items likely to be used by terrorists on September 17. Liam Hannaway (34) of Hillhead Drive, Belfast was charged with possessing explosive substances under suspicious circumstances, namely wire glue, soldering iron, davel rods and batteries.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2004: Talks in Stormont failed to produce a solution to the current impasse ending in acrimony, with the DUP and SDLP blaming each other. A blueprint was presented to the parties the previous day suggesting how to tackle issues of concern to unionists and nationalists. Under the British government's proposal, ministers would be subject to a ministerial code where they would have to take decisions that fell outside the agreed programme for government to the executive for scrutiny.
Two people were arrested during a protest by more than 100 Republicans outside a British army public relations evening at the Silver Birches Hotel at Gortin Road, Omagh, Co Tyrone. Three members of the RUC/PSNI were injured in clashes as the British police moved to break up the protest. Following the arrests the protesters marched on Omagh barracks and held a protest outside the barracks until the men were released.
Tonya O'Donnell, a mother-of-four who lives in Milltown Crescent in the mainly-loyalist area of Derry city was lucky to escape injury along with her nine-month old daughter when she discovered a pipe bomb on the bonnet of her husband's car. She believed it might be part of the ongoing loyalist feud in the area.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2004: It was reported that the British Housing Executive in the Six Counties had spent £45 million in the last financial year rehousing people who had been forced from their homes by sectarian intimidation, seven times more than in 2001.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2004: Friday morning was witness to a number of bomb scares in and around Belfast, part of the Dublin-Belfast railway line was also closed because of a number of calls to newsrooms claiming bombs had been left on the lines. Occupation forces later claimed to have found a bomb on the line. It was claimed the bomb was a pipe device. Royal Avenue in Belfast city centre was also closed for a time, this also turned out to be a hoax.
The British supremo in the Six Counties, Paul Murphy, announced an inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. He also said it would be governed by new legislation because of reasons of national security and said that "a lot of it would be held in private". The Finucane family have refused to say if they will take part in the inquiry.
Ihab Shoukri, brother of senior UDA leader Andre Shoukri, walked free from the High Court in Belfast despite having broken bail conditions.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2004: Part of the Dublin-Belfast railway line was still closed off after a number of bomb warnings to newsrooms on Friday.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2004: Darren Thompson (22), from Harkness Gardens in the mainly loyalist Waterside area of Derry, was shot in the head as he walked to work at Woodburn Park. The shooting was believed to be part of the ongoing loyalist feud.