IRA Issues New Year's Statement

The IRA last night appeared to rule out any movement on demands that it should disarm and disband to get the peace process back on track. In a statement carried in a republican newspaper in advance of today's meeting between Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Prime Minister Tony Blair, the 'British Military establishment' and loyalist 'murder gangs' were blamed for the current crisis. 

"Pursing an agenda dictated by those opposed to change obstructs the creation of the conditions necessary to build a lasting peace" the IRA said. SDLP leader Mark Durkan, who is also holding talks with Mr Blair later today, described the IRA's statement as 'shrill', adding everybody is blamed for political difficulties, but the republican movement. 

Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson insisted "whatever the IRA say they are to blame for the current political crisis because it was their illegal terrorist activity in Colombia, Castlereagh and at Stormont that resulted in the suspension of the political institutions. 

Unionists will not be changing their requirement that the IRA and the loyalist paramilitaries must end their violence and disband their illegal organizations including the completion of the disarmament process. Irish News, page 1.

IRA NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE

The leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann extends New Year greetings to our Volunteers, friends and supporters at home and abroad.

We send solidarity greetings to our imprisoned comrades and their families. As we enter the eighth year of our cessations of military operations we affirm our commitment to the achievement of a united, independent and free Ireland.

We are totally committed to the search for a just and lasting peace. But the peace process is under threat. This estimates from the British military establishment, its intelligence agencies and from the loyalist murder gangs.

The British Government has not kept its commitments. They have acknowledged this. The leadership of unionism has refused to embrace change. But both have tried to place the responsibility for the present crisis and its resolution on the IRA. They have sought to impose unacceptable and unrealistic ultimatums on the IRA.

Pursuing an agenda dictated by those opposed to change obstructs the creation of the conditions necessary to build a lasting peace.

The IRA leadership has outlined, on a number of occasions, how the full implementation by the two Governments of their commitments could provide a political context with the potential to remove the causes of conflict. That remains our view.

The primary responsibility for restoring confidence in this process lies with the British Government. Honoring their obligations is how this can be done.
 

P O'NEILL
Irish Republican Publicity Bureau
DUBLIN
 

DAVID TRIMBLE - IRA STATEMENT - BBC NEWSLINE - 
Jan. 9, 2003

DAVID TRIMBLE

We've reached a position where the anti-Agreement elements are the republicans, because it is the republicans that are failing to fulfill the Agreement, it is the republicans who have caused the collapse of the institutions, and I think it's a time for some greater honesty. I expect this afternoon that the Government will be making these matters clear to the republican leadership, and I think this afternoon they will find a little dish of cold water poured on some of the posturing that we've heard overnight.

BRIAN ROWAN, GMU, Jan. 9, 2003 

SEAMUS MCKEE

This statement, it is a New Year message but it has come a bit late.

BRIAN ROWAN

Well it is published in the first edition of the Republican Newspaper An Phoblaght in the New Year and this is the first edition of the paper this year. So that accounts for the delay. I think the significance of its timing is that it comes as the negotiations aimed at restoring the political institutions enter this important phase. 

And as Gerry Adams, as you have said in your introduction, prepares to meet the Prime Minister in Downing Street, and here you have the IRA again saying that the British Government has not kept its commitments and accusing the Government and the unionists of trying to impose unacceptable and unrealistic ultimatums, which is the IRA's way of again dismissing the demand for it to disband. 

Gerry Adams said yesterday that the unionists had set the bar too high and I think what the IRA is saying in this statement is that if the political process is to be put back together again then that will take movement from a number of people and not just the IRA.

SEAMUS MCKEE

The reason I asked about the perceived delay in issuing a New Year message was that some had read into that there were internal difficulties within republicanism and, indeed, there have been reports of such.

BRIAN ROWAN

I don't believe that there are internal difficulties in terms of this negotiation. I believe the delay has just to do with the first edition of this newspaper. I think republicans will accept that if this process is to be put back together again, then something substantial and significant will be required of the IRA. Now what does that mean? 

I think it will have to mean resumed contact with the de Chastelain Commission, further moves to put arms beyond use and the IRA building on its complete cessation of military operations to include activities such as intelligence gathering, activities which have caused so many problems in recent months. And whether something is possible in terms of Sinn Fein participation in the new policing arrangements I think that will depend on what the Government is prepared to do on that issue.

SEAMUS MCKEE

And of course there is not much time. I mean many will possibly see this statement as being very unhelpful. At the same time we can't, can we, assume that rules out progress? Because we have seen previously there have been outcomes, very different from what was suggested by an IRA statement not long before.

BRIAN ROWAN

I think that is right and I don't think in this statement the IRA would spell out its negotiating position. I have said there what I believe might be possible, but I think that is only possible in a context republicans want to hear from Tony Blair, what he intends in terms of British acts of completion around the issues of policing, demilitarization, on the runs, human rights, equality etc. 

And from Government sources there is an indication that they already have in some detail in writing the issues that republicans believe have still to be addressed in terms of the outstanding issues in the Good Friday Agreement, the non implemented issues, if you like. 

And then there is the big question for republicans of guaranteeing the political institutions and who within unionism is in a position or is capable of making a deal at this time. So all of that is in the frame. And all of that is going to be very difficult to achieve.

SEAMUS MCKEE

And what are we to make of this Continuity IRA attempted bombing in Armagh?

BRIAN ROWAN

Well, the security forces will still tell you that there is a dissident republican threat and that it is a real threat. The Continuity IRA has attempted to explode this type of fire bomb in Belfast in recent weeks and we know there is a pattern in terms of dissident republicans actions which shows that when the political process is in some difficulty that is when these groups tend to be at their most active, and I would set last night's incident in that sort of context.