Wednesday, 2 February, 2005
Thursday, 3 February, 2005
Flash: IRA offer withdrawn
The following is the full text of a statement issued tonight by the Provisional IRA
In August 1994, the leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann announced a complete cessation of all military operations. We did so to enhance the democratic peace process and underline our definitive commitment to its success.
That cessation ended in February 1996 because the British Government acted in bad faith when the then British Prime Minister John Major and Unionist leaders squandered that unprecedented opportunity to resolve the conflict.
However, we remained ready to engage positively and in July 1997 we reinstated the cessation on the same basis as before. Subsequently, we honoured the terms of our cessation with discipline and honesty, despite numerous attempts to misrepresent those terms by others.
Since then - over a period of almost eight years - our leadership took a succession of significant and ambitious initiatives designed to develop or save the peace process. Those included:
- 23 October 2001
- 11 April 2002
- 21 October 2003; and
Seeking to directly and publicly address unionist concerns.
In 2004 our leadership was prepared to speedily resolve the issue of arms, by Christmas if possible, and to invite two independent witnesses, from the Protestant and Catholic churches, to testify to this. In the context of a comprehensive agreement we were also prepared to move into a new mode and to instruct our Volunteers that there could be no involvement whatsoever in activities which might endanger that agreement.
These significant and substantive initiatives were our contributions to the peace process. Others, however, did not share that agenda. Instead, they demanded the humiliation of the IRA.
Our initiatives have been attacked, devalued and dismissed by pro-unionist and anti-republican elements, including the British Government. The Irish Government have lent themselves to this. Commitments have been broken or withdrawn. The progress and change promised on political, social, economic and cultural matters, as well as on demilitarisation, prisoners, equality and policing and justice, has not materialised to the extent required, or promised.
British forces, including the PSNI, remain actively engaged in both covert and overt operations, including raids on republicans' homes.
We are also acutely aware of the dangerous instability within militant unionism, much of it fostered by British military intelligence agencies. The British/loyalist apparatus for collusion remains intact.
The political institutions have been suspended for years now and there is an ongoing political impasse.
At this time it appears that the two governments are intent on changing the basis of the peace process. They claim that 'the obstacle now to a lasting and durable settlement... is the continuing paramilitary and criminal activity of the IRA'.
We reject this. It also belies the fact that a possible agreement last December was squandered by both governments pandering to rejectionist unionism instead of upholding their own commitments and honouring their own obligations.
We do not intend to remain quiescent within this unacceptable and unstable situation. It has tried our patience to the limit. Consequently, on reassessment of our position and in response to the governments and others withdrawing their commitments;
It is our intention to closely monitor ongoing developments and to protect to the best of our ability the rights of republicans and our support base.
The IRA has demonstrated our commitment to the peace process again and again. We want it to succeed. We have played a key role in achieving the progress achieved so far. We are prepared, as part of a genuine and collective effort, to do so again, if and when the conditions are created for this.
But peace cannot be built on ultimatums, false and malicious accusations or bad faith. Progress will not be sustained by the reinstatment of Thatcherite criminalisation strategies, which our ten comrades died defeating on hunger strike in 1981. We will not betray the courage of the hunger strikers either by tolerating criminality within our own ranks or false allegations of criminality against our organisation by petty politicians motivated by selfish interests, instead of the national need for a successful conclusion to the peace process.
Finally, we thank all those who have supported us through decades of struggle. We freely acknowledge our responsibility to enhance genuine efforts to build peace and justice. We reiterate our commitment to achieving Irish independence and our other republican objectives. We are determined that these objectives will be secured.
P O'Neill Irish Republican Publicity Bureau Dublin
In an initial response to Wednesday night's IRA statement, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said:
"The IRA statement is obviously a direct consequence of the retrograde stance of the two governments. It is evidence of a deepening crisis and I regret that very much.
"The two governments have opted for confrontation. They are engaging in the sterile politics of the blame game without any regard for the consequences. This negative approach has effectively scuttled the enormous work done in persuading the IRA to undertake the unprecedented initiatives which they publicly outlined in December.
"All of this good work has now been undermined."
Flash: IRA warning on peace crisis
By Irish Republican News
The Provisional IRA has warned the Dublin and London governments not to underestimate the seriousness of the crisis in the peace process.
Last night, in a 800-word statement, the IRA was bitterly critical of the approach taken by the two governments to its historic concessions on arms and other issues.
"The IRA has demonstrated our commitment to the peace process again and again," it stated. "We wanted to succeed. We have played a key role in achieving the progress achieved so far."
While not suggesting a possible return to armed struggle, the statement accused the two governments of reneging on their commitments and pushing the IRA to the limit.
An unprecedented IRA offer -- to fully disarm, end its activities and enter a new peaceful mode -- was publicly outlined in December, but was rejected by Ian Paisley's DUP withy the support of the two governments.
The IRA confirmed last night that it was withdrawing its proposals.
The 26-County Prime Minister, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, speaking in Dundalk earlier, appeared relatively unfazed by the deepening crisis in the peace process. "I don't read the IRA statement in a negative fashion," he said.
"They are saying what is a fact, that negotiations have broken down. . . . Everything is off the table and that's the normal course of negotiation."
In a brief response shortly before 6 p.m., an IRA source told journalists: "The two governments are trying to play down the importance of our statement because they are making a mess of the peace process.
"Do not underestimate the seriousness of the situation."
Meanwhile, the so-called Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) today sent a report to the two governments which is understood to call for Sinn Fein to be excluded from any executive cabinet in the North for six months. The IMC was set up by the governments to impose sanctions on Sinn Fein in response to allegations of IRA activity.
The power-sharing administration in Belfast remains suspended following allegations over two years ago of an IRA "spy ring" at the Belfast Assembly buildings. The allegations later proved unfounded.
The IMC is now understood to have backed fresh accusations by the head of the British police in the North, PSNI chief Hugh Orde, that the IRA was behind a bank raid in Belfast in December.
Mr Ahern today claimed his government were "not into excluding or blaming anyone". However, the two governments have previously endorsed the reports to the body and implemented its sanctions.
No evidence has yet emerged to link the 26.5 million pound raid to any group.
Speaking on Irish radio this morning, Sinn Fein chief negotiator Martin McGuinness said the robbery was being used against republicans.
"The people who robbed the Northern Bank didn't give a damn about the peace process; didn't give tuppence for the work Gerry Adams and I and others were involved in over the course of many years; they were obviously people out for self-gain," he said.
"It was a criminal robbery. I don't know who was responsible for it but I do know the consequences have seen the Taoiseach and others line up against us."
He again declared that, to his knowledge, no member of the IRA was involved.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams speaking at the Assembly buildings, said the approach of the two governments had effectively scuttled the IRA's offer.
"The governments have opted to attack the commitment, integrity and motivation of Sinn Fein," he said.
"This is fair enough in the cut and thrust of party politics but has no place in a peace process. My remarks about the Irish government are made more in sadness than anger.
"If an Irish government will not stand up to a British government in defence of the rights of Irish citizens - then who will?"
He also said the role of the British government and its agencies in Ireland had been "shameful".
"When Mr. Blair came into government he signalled a willingness to find a way out of this. He needs to deliver on his historic and current obligations."
Mr Adams again told the two governments that confrontation had to be avoided to sustain the peace process.
"When Mr. Blair came into government he signalled a willingness to find a way out of this. He needs to deliver on his historic and current obligations.
"We have acknowledged Tony Blair's positive contribution, as we do the Taoiseach's, but we have told them both that confrontation is not the way forward.
"Otherwise the peace process could be as transient as his time in Downing Street.
"The challenge now for all of us in positions of political leadership is to rescue the situation. That is the focus of the Sinn Fein leadership. But we cannot do this on our own.
"The two governments have a critically important contribution to make. Either they can rise to the hard and difficult challenge of peace making or they can go on making a bad situation worse."