Lord Kilclooney - 
IRA Involvement In Attack - Talkback

DAVID DUNSEITH

So, what is your verdict on it? (an alleged IRA attack on a Derry bus driver, Sept. 29)

LORD KILCLOONEY

Well, it's just further evidence, our confirmation of the ongoing violence and criminal activity by the military side of the republican movement. Sinn Féin and the IRA are of course both members of the republican movement, they are linked together and you can't have people like that on the Northern Ireland Policing Board and, therefore, I reject totally the campaign by Dr John Reid and some other politicians here in Northern Ireland to get Sinn Féin on to the Board in present circumstances.

DAVID DUNSEITH

Yes, you plainly, from what you've been saying. You will consider this a positive breach on the part of both Sinn Féin and the IRA?

LORD KILCLOONEY

Well, of course, as far as we're concerned in the Ulster Unionist Party, this is only one of an ongoing terrorist activity by Provisional IRA. We're satisfied that they were involved in the raid in Castlereagh, we're satisfied that they were in Colombia, we're satisfied that they had been found importing arms and therefore the whole situation is unreal. You can't have people who behave like that in charge of policing in the day time and supporting terrorism at night.
DAVID DUNSEITH

So it doesn't look as though post Jan. 18, which is the date fixed by your party for these matters. It doesn't look very healthy, does it, for the future of the political structures under the Agreement?

LORD KILCLOONEY

Absolutely not, unless of course the United Kingdom Prime Minister begins to honour what he said and what he actually wrote some four years ago, and that is that he will take action to have excluded from the Executive at Stormont, people who are not totally committed to peaceful and democratic methods.

DAVID DUNSEITH

And if that happened, if Sinn Féin were out of the Executive, how would you anticipate things would shake down then?

LORD KILCLOONEY

A lot will depend on the kind of leadership that will be forthcoming from the SDLP and there it is not very promising, because the SDLP are really acting like a poodle for Sinn Féin at the moment, covering up for Sinn Féin's criminal and terrorist activities. We really need leadership in the SDLP to come out firmly in favour of the Belfast Agreement and in favour of the Executive only comprising people who are totally committed to peaceful and democratic methods.

DAVID DUNSEITH

And I also got the impression, finally, for what you say that the curtain is about to fall in this experiment?

LORD KILCLOONEY

That, in my opinion, is most likely next year. But of course a week is a long time in politics, you never know there might be more courageous leadership in the SDLP. You never know, Sinn Féin itself might announce something between now and January. We must give it all time, but if nothing happens I'm afraid everything will collapse.