By the Irish American Information Service, Northern Ireland News Service and Irish American Post staffers

Jan. 1, 2005
ADAMS REJECTS IRA INVOLVEMENT IN BANK HEIST

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said today he believed the IRA when it said it was not involved in the GBP £22 million Northern bank robbery. Earlier the IRA said attempts to link it to criminality would fail. 

Even though PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde is expected tomorrow to claim the IRA were linked to the raid, Adams insisted: "The IRA has said it was not involved. I believe that to be the case." 

Mr Orde is due to brief senior members of Northern Ireland's Policing Board in Belfast tomorrow about the December 20th raid - the biggest ever in Ireland or the UK. 

No arrests have been made and none of the missing cash recovered. 

Mr Adams moved today to claim accusations of IRA involvement were an attempt by British "securocrats" to undermine talks to restore devolution at Stormont. 

He also hit out at the Democratic Unionist Party, accusing its members of trying to link his party to the robbery. 

The Sinn Féin leader said: "It is obvious that the series of raids, house searches and confiscation of property directed at republican activists that have taken place in recent weeks have had nothing to do with tracking down those responsible for the bank robbery. Instead this has been a contrivance aimed at pointing the finger of guilt at republicans, even in the absence of any evidence." 

Mr Adams added: "No one should doubt the significant damage done to all of this by these raids, by the conduct of the PSNI and by the political opportunism of some." 

Earlier, IRA rejected claims that it is involved in criminal activity. In its annual New Years message published today, the IRA said attempts to criminalise it would fail. 

The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said this afternoon that all groups linked to parties in the Northern Ireland peace process must not only renounce paramilitarism but also cease criminal actions of all kinds. 

Speaking at his monthly press conference in London, Mr Blair stressed that he was not prejudging the result of police inquiries into the recent robbery. But he added: "We have to wait for the authorities to make their judgment on this. But be under no misunderstanding at all, there can be absolutely no place not merely for terrorist activity, but for criminal activity of any sort by people associated with a political party." 

The IRA statement today also described as "unachievable" unionist demands that future acts of weapons decommissioning be photographed. 

The organisation said it was "prepared to make to a comprehensive agreement to resolve all outstanding issues" and said it was willing to conclude the process to "completely and verifiably put all our arms beyond use." 

The group said such a move was, however, prevented by "an unachievable demand for humiliation," adding that what it saw as a rejection of the IRA's " substantial contributions" had created "a deep anger within the republican and nationalist communities." 

Jan. 7, 2005
Statement by Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D. on 'Northern Bank' robbery

The following statement was issued in Dublin today by the Taoiseach (Prime Minister of Ireland), Bertie Ahern TD, following comments made by Chief Constable Hugh Orde attributing the Northern Bank robbery (Dec. 20) to the Provisional IRA:

"While recognizing that the investigation is ongoing and arrests have yet to be made, the Chief Constable's comments today regarding the Northern Bank robbery are a matter of deep concern. 

Irrespective of the final outcome of this investigation, the attribution of the Northern Bank robbery to the Provisional IRA represents a serious set-back for the political process in Northern Ireland and is corrosive of the public confidence that we have been seeking to create. It underscores the need for compelling commitments - both in word and deed - that the full spectrum of IRA paramilitary activities and capability has been brought to a definitive closure. This must include the necessary assurance in regard to all forms of criminal activity which, following the Northern Bank robbery, clearly remains a major concern.

The proposals for a comprehensive agreement published by both Governments on Dec. 8 provided for these essential commitments, both in regard to the transparency of arms decommissioning and the ending of all forms of paramilitary and criminal activity. Recent developments have validated the need for such demonstrable commitments if the public confidence necessary to sustain inclusive government is to be achieved.

The Garda Siochana (Irish Police) are cooperating fully with the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) in an effort to ensure that the perpetrators of this crime, involving as it did a gross and callous violation of the rights and safety of others, are brought to justice as quickly as possible. The Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) will offer a considered assessment of the matter in its next report. 

At political level, the robbery and its aftermath will reinforce the determination of both Governments to complete the unfinished business arising from the comprehensive agreement. If stable politics in Northern Ireland is to be secured, there can be no doubt or ambiguity about the total commitment of all concerned to exclusively peaceful and democratic engagement, including desisting from involvement in criminality in all its forms

On his return from the Far East, the Minister for Foreign Affairs will meet the Secretary of State to review matters. Moreover, the Prime Minister and I will meet in the coming weeks for a full and comprehensive discussion on how both Governments now take forward the process."

For more information: contact: Embassy of Ireland, Washington D.C.

Jan. 7, 2005
ORDE CLAIMS IRA ARE MAIN SUSPECTS IN BANK RAID

Irish American News Service

Northern Ireland police Chief Constable Hugh Orde has said he believes the IRA was behind the multi-million pound Belfast bank heist last month. 

Speaking at a press conference in Belfast Mr Orde claimed it now made "operational sense" to attribute blame "and it will allow us to get on with the inquiry". 

"What I can say is, on the basis of the investigative work we have done to date, the evidence we have collected, the information we have collected, the exhibits we have collected, and bringing it all together and working through it, in my opinion the Provision IRA were responsible for this crime", Mr Orde said. 

Northern Bank revised upwards from GBP£22 million to GBP£26.5 million, the amount taken in the raid. 

Mr Orde refused to go into detail about how he reached the opinion. "We are not compromising this inquiry," he added. 

He said there would be consequences to his statement but they were "for other people to deal with. They are not for me to comment on, I have no intention to comment on them." 

Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, has reacted angrily to Mr Orde's claim of IRA involvement in the Belfast bank heist. 

He said Orde did not produce "a scrap of evidence" to that effect and said the claim was an attempt to marginalise his party. He said the IRA had spoken to him and denied any involvement in the crime. 

McGuinness told media at a Belfast press conference: "[Hugh Orde's] comments today in my opinion are nothing more than allegations and politically biased at that. He has not produced one scap of evidence and those tempted to think an allegation equals evidence should re-evaluate what justice is all about." 

"Within days of the robbery of the Northern Bank, and following media speculation and PSNI briefings which suggested IRA involvement, I went to the IRA and asked them about this and I was assured that they were not involved. I believe we are witnessing a renewed attempt to undermine the peace process and I think we need to think long and hard about who is setting this agenda and why." 

"This is more to do with halting the process of change which Sinn Féin has been driving forward that anything that happened at the Northern Bank. We will resist any attempt to marginalise or criminalise our party." 

"The campaign to smash Sinn Féin, to criminalise and marginalise the republican struggle, even the hunger strikers, all failed. We represent the majority of nationalists in the North and the securocrats and the DUP need to come to terms with this," McGuinness added. 

He said that any number of organizations could have been involved and that on the eve of raids on republican homes in Belfast, the PSNI were saying that any of five organizations could have been responsible. 

"We have told both the British and Irish governments that Sinn Féin will not countenance any attempt by the DUP, or by the governments or by anyone else, to demonise this party," the former Stormont Education Minister added. 

No one has been arrested or charged in connection with the robbery. 

Orde also said Northern Bank intended to withdraw all their bank notes and re-issue them in a different style and colour. He said the bank's move made the robbery the "largest theft of waste paper in the living history of Northern Ireland". 

This morning Mr Orde met the Policing Board chairman, Sir Desmond Rea, and deputy chairman, Denis Bradley. 

Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, yesterday said that the IRA was not involved and the organisation itself said attempts to criminalise it would fail. 

His comments came after the IRA issued a New Year statement yesterday carrying the official P. O'Neill signature. The statement complained that a comprehensive deal that would have seen the IRA decommissioning and entering a "new mode" was prevented by "an unachievable demand for humiliation". 

Unionist politicians previously warned of "dire" political consequences if the IRA is officially blamed. It almost certainly puts back until after the British general election, expected in May, any renewed drive to restore devolution by the British and Irish governments. 

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said Mr Orde's claim was a "serious setback" for the peace process and had damaged "levels of trust and confidence." 

Democratic Unionist deputy leader, Peter Robinson said the announcement had raised the bar for republicans in the peace process. "It is up to the Prime Minister to say how he will move the process forward. This has actually strengthened the argument for a decontamination period and it effectively the bar is higher for Republicans," he said. 

Jan. 8, 2005
ANGER AMONG REPUBLICANS AT ORDE ALLEGATIONS

By Irish American News Service

Sinn Féin national chairman Mr Mitchel McLaughlin said his party remained committed to the Northern Ireland peace process and will not be deflected by allegations that the IRA was responsible for the Belfast bank robbery. 

Mr McLaughlin said there was deep anger among republicans at politically motivated attempts to criminalise the movement during an emergency meeting of the party's executive in Dublin. 

PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde told members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board yesterday that he believed the Provisional IRA was responsible for stealing £26.5 million in the Northern Bank raid before Christmas. His statement led unionists to call on the British government to exclude Sinn Féin and press ahead with efforts to restore devolution without them. 

But Mr McLaughlin said the process had been in difficulty since the Reverend Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party refused to sign up to a deal in December and had merely been worsened by Mr Orde's statement. 

"There is no doubt that there are those within the Northern Ireland Office who are seeking to exploit this difficulty to bring about the exclusion of Sinn Féin and ensure that the comprehensive deal will not be achieved," he said. 

"The IRA has made clear that it did not carry out this robbery. Hugh Orde went to the media yesterday, not on the basis of facts or evidence, but on the basis of reports from securocrats who have been working to undermine the peace process for years now. The governments know how much was achieved before Christmas and that the priority must be to get the comprehensive deal across the line." 

Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Paul Murphy is due to make a statement to parliament next week, when there will also be a debate on power-sharing in the North. 

But both the British and Irish governments have admitted this latest controversy is a massive body blow to efforts to revive devolution. 

Mr Murphy has conceded that there was virtually no chance of a return of power-sharing in the next six months. "It is very difficult to see where we go in the immediate future," he said. 

The DUP is due to meet the British Prime Minister Mr Blair next week when it will call on the government to form a devolved administration without republicans. 

Program: UTV Live
Date & Time 17 January 2005 – 18.12
Subject Northern Bank robbery

LINDA BRYANS

The British and Irish Governments have restated their belief that the IRA was responsible for the Northern Bank robbery. At a meeting in Dublin, the two Governments agreed that the Institutions would not be restored until the issue of criminality was settled.

KEN REID

Four weeks after the Northern Bank robbery and the first face to face meeting between the two Governments. Dermot Ahern and Paul Murphy asked if they’re absolutely certain the IRA was responsible for the crime.

SECRETARY OF STATE

Yes.

DERMOT AHERN

Yes.

KEN REID

The Governments agreed that the Institutions could not be restored until the question of criminality was solved.

DERMOT AHERN

While we wish to look at any avenue open to us, at the same time it’s not business as usual. This turn of events has caused extreme difficulty to the process, and it’s something that, as I said earlier, causes huge difficulty in relation to moving on the issues that the Irish people voted for overwhelmingly in the Good Friday Agreement. The Irish people voted, they didn’t vote for a situation where bank robberies and other such like criminal activity could be used, or used as part of a process.

SECRETARY OF STATE

The world has changed in terms of how we deal with the process in Northern Ireland. We still aim for an inclusive arrangement, an inclusive Executive, that is not possible unless the issue of criminality is addressed on the part of the IRA, and certainly is the impact of these events upon mutual trust, mutual confidence, mutual faith, have been very, very serious indeed.

KEN REID

Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell, said he accepted Hugh Orde’s assessment of the robbery.

MICHAEL McDOWELL

Well I want to reiterate that I have heard nothing from the Garda Siochanna which has led me to believe that the attribution made by Hugh Orde is incorrect, or in any way to be doubted.

KEN REID

It’s also emerged today that Gerry Adams will be meeting the Taoiseach in Dublin early next week.

The Governments have not ruled out some form of scrutiny at the Assembly to keep a check on Direct Rule Ministers. But as Paul Murphy leaves Dublin he realizes that the political outlook is pretty bleak at the moment.

Program: BBC Newsline
Date & Time 17.01.05 – 13:35
Subject Secretary of State in Dublin meetings

SARAH TRAVERS

Mark, are the Ministers likely to be discussing sanctions against Sinn Féin in the wake of the Chief Constable pinning the blame for the robbery on the IRA?

MARK DEVENPORT

Yes, Sarah, I think that will be top of the agenda. Now we don’t know whether they’ll actually come up with any particular ideas or not. There’s a possibility that they might ask for an early report from the Independent Monitoring Commission into all of this although I think there is some debate as to whether that will get in the way of the continuing police investigation or not. And there’s also a possibility that they might hold off on actually enacting any kind of action until the two Prime Ministers get to meet at the end of this month, but certainly that’s going to dominate their discussions.

SARAH TRAVERS

The Irish Justice Minister though, Michael McDowell, is expected to take a strong line against Sinn Féin isn’t he?

MARK DEVENPORT

Yes, I mean last week, on Thursday of last week Michael McDowell issued a very strongly worded statement about Sinn Féin and the IRA in the wake of those allegations of IRA involvement in the Northern Bank raid. He essentially accused republicans of persistently lying about IRA activities in recent years and made it very clear, I think, that he will be a voice within the Administration here in Dublin arguing for stronger penalties rather than weaker ones.

SARAH TRAVERS

And Mark up at Stormont the parties are having internal meetings at the moment. Will there be a focus now on the SDLP given the comments at the weekend from some senior figures about joining some sort of coalition with unionists?

MARK DEVENPORT

Yes, that’s caused a certain amount of interest on the margins. Eddie McGrady in a BBC interview for the Inside Politics Program: and the Alistair McDonnell both talked about the possibility of examining a voluntary coalition with unionists but without Sinn Féin, and that obviously in the wake of people saying, certainly unionists saying that Sinn Féin should be left behind now, and Mark Durkan had come in and has clarified this. He’s sticking to his plan which is that Stormont could be revived with the help of some unelected civic leaders. That I don’t think will go very far, but it might be the kind of holding line that we see the SDLP sticking to at least until the next election.

Program: RTE TV News
Date & Time Jan. 17, 2005 – 13:08

NEWSREADER

The Northern Secretary, Paul Murphy, is in Dublin for discussions with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, and the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell. It’s the first time face to face talks have been held between senior Irish and British Ministers since the North’s Chief Constable, Hugh Orde, said he believed the IRA was responsible for last month’s robbery of more than £26m from the Northern Bank in Belfast. Well observing those talks is our Northern Editor, Tommie Gorman, who is in Dublin. Tommie, we’re back to stalemate in the Northern peace process, what will the Northern Secretary and the Minister for Foreign Affairs be hoping to achieve today?

TOMMIE GORMAN

I’m told that they’ll be reviewing developments, and of course the bank robbery, and who carried it out, and the political consequences will be the big talking point. I suspect that Paul Murphy and Dermot Ahern will be in some respects be in a holding mode today. I say they’re likely to wait until the Taoiseach returns from China, and that he confers with Tony Blair, and it’s at that stage I suppose we’ll see some action or movement towards action from the British and Irish Governments.

NEWSREADER

Well, as we have observed, the DUP has been calling on the Governments to press ahead without Sinn Féin. How reflective would you think that position is on general dissatisfaction with Sinn Féin across the board?

TOMMIE GORMAN

I’d say it sums up the mood among political parties north and south of the border at the moment. Ian Paisley issued a statement this morning calling for immediate and full decommissioning by the IRA, and proof of that decommissioning returning to the photograph theme. But he also said that there would have to be proof that all criminal activity had ended and he said there will have to be a period in which people could judge if that had taken place. 

So if you take those comments into account, I think they sum up the views of the unionist parties in the North, and indeed of the main political parties in the South as well, and of the SDLP. It would be my view that you won’t see any political movement of any consequence north of the border this side of Westminster elections that are due in May.

Program: GMU
Date & Time 17.1.05 (8.16)
Subject Peace Process

CONOR BRADFORD

You heard what Mr. Durkan had to say there. He has got one idea, this unelected civic leaders to take over the ministries, what are Sinn Féin’s ideas for getting this thing back on track?

MITCHEL MCLAUGHLIN

Well of course those proposals from the SDLP are found nowhere within the Good Friday Agreement. The idea of a super quango at Stormont I think runs contrary to the principles. I believe that what we can do is demonstrate that powersharing is the core of Government policy and the only way forward for the political parties and we have suggested that both Governments can share power if the parties locally, and we should remind ourselves that the unionist bluff on powersharing was called twice in the past two years. 

First, David Trimble backed off when a comprehensive package was available and the, of course the DUP last December, and it is at that point the political crisis required an imaginative response and we had proposed to the two Governments that they could in fact demonstrate that the all Ireland character of the Good Friday Agreement, all the equality provisions of the Good Friday Agreement would be driven forward by the two Governments and that would have provided I think a very, very strong incentive, particularly by the involvement of the Irish Government.

CONOR BRADFORD

Yes, but the two Governments can’t force the parties to share power with Sinn Féin if they don’t want to. Obviously the unionists, both sets of unionists, feel that the republicans are beyond the pale at the moment, but now we have elements of the SDLP feeling that way as well. You are very isolated now.

MITCHEL MCLAUGHLIN

We will only be isolated if the electorate decide that we are isolated. The fact of the matter is that we are the largest pro-Agreement party in the North, precisely because we are the champions of change and we have driven change. 

To go back to the point, we are not suggesting that the parties can be forced to share power, we believe that a demonstration that there is no veto by refusing to engage in power sharing over the whole concept of inclusivity in Government, I think that is how we will bring unionists to the point of voluntarily sharing power, if you like exercising power in their own interests. 

Now the issue of the mixed messages that we are getting from the SDLP I think will simply compound the problems that party is already experiencing.

CONOR BRADFORD

What about your relations with the Taoiseach? He made these very damaging remarks about the republicans and the position post the Northern Bank robbery. Then Gerry Adams said that he wasn’t getting any of his calls returned. Have you been able to get through to Mr. Ahern to find out why he is so certain that you are to blame for the Northern Bank robbery?

MITCHEL MCLAUGHLIN

Well in fact we have had no explanation from Bertie Ahern, nor do we expect that he would be able to give us such an explanation because in fact it is absolutely without foundation. But we have got an agreement that there will be a meeting immediately upon Bertie Ahern’s return from China.

CONOR BRADFORD

So you will be able to hammer out with him why he has made this statement and you will be looking for some proof that he has or some information or intelligence he has which does indeed make it possible for him to say this?

MITCHEL MCLAUGHLIN

He made outlandish claims that went further than Hugh Orde and indeed if I could say so, went further than Ian Paisley. I don’t expect that Bertie Ahern can make those allegations stand up. What we will talk to him about is how we can move past this nonsense to putting together again the political package and indeed the political Program: that will lead us all forward.

CONOR BRADFORD

Ii is unlikely that Sinn Féin are going to sort of say mea culpa in this situation and we heard from Mark Durkan…..

MITCHEL MCLAUGHLIN

And why should we?

CONOR BRADFORD

Well everyone else feels you are to blame. You don’t. But let’s take it on from there……..

MITCHEL MCLAUGHLIN

That needs to be substantiated and if it isn’t then people who made those allegations would need to be big enough to apologize.

CONOR BRADFORD

We have had this interview before. Let’s look ahead. It was Wendy’s phrase, the whole thing appears to be petering out. We have got a May General Election coming up. We are looking at Direct Rule for the foreseeable future really aren’t we?

MITCHEL MCLAUGHLIN

I don’t necessarily think so. My view is that the problems are there, they have to be solved, they won’t go away and will only be solved when all of the parties here assume collective responsibility for resolving them. Now I believe that political parties, whether or not we are salaried politicians, need to solve those problems and to come together and that is the agenda of my party. We aren’t going away, at whatever stage the unionists decide that they are coming back to their table they will find Sinn Féin with a strengthened mandate waiting on them.

Jan. 19. 2005
IRA STATEMENT DENIES NORTHERN BANK HEIST

The Irish American News Service

The Provisional IRA has issued a statement denying any involvement in the robbery of GBP£26.5 million (€37.85) from the Northern Bank in Belfast last month. 

A two-sentence statement released late last night said, in full: "The IRA has been accused of involvement in the recent Northern Bank robbery. We were not involved." 

The statement was signed "P O'Neill", the usual signatory of official statements issued by the IRA. 

The statement follows an assertion by the PSNI Chief Constable, Mr Hugh Orde, on January 7th that he believed the IRA was behind the largest robbery of banknotes in British or Irish history. He claimed his belief was backed by intelligence reports. 

Last night, following the IRA statement, the Chief Constable referred to his own statement and said: "That remains my position." 

Mr Orde's claim and the IRA contradiction may now give rise to theories that the raid was some kind of "rogue operation" not sanctioned by the IRA leadership. 

Both the Irish and British governments have accepted Mr Orde's assertion, with both the Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Ahern, stating as recently as last Monday that they fully believed the IRA to be responsible. 

The IRA had already stated it was not behind the robbery - a claim supported on a number of occasions by Sinn Féin. 

On Sunday, Mr Martin McGuinness said that if the IRA had carried out the raid, it would have been "unacceptable". He again said he believed IRA assertions that its volunteers were not involved in the robbery. 

There was no immediate Irish Government reaction to the IRA statement. The Taoiseach is leading an Irish trade mission in China this week, and was expected to comment on the matter at a press conference in Beijing early today. 

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said today that Mr. Ahern needs to explain to Sinn Féin why he made "offensive" claims that senior leaders in the party knew that the IRA carried out the raid. 

"What the Taoiseach (Mr Ahern) has accused me and Martin McGuinness of doing is being involved in a conspiracy, to be involved in the prior knowledge of the largest bank robbery in the history of these islands," he told reporters in Belfast. 

"That is what he has accused us of being involved in and I find that highly offensive. I believe in straight talking on these issues. Some days we are a bit muted in how we deal with these issues, given our relationship with various parties to this process who have played, including the Taoiseach, a very important role in the whole development of the peace process." 

"But when it comes down to it, when such an allegation is made with nothing to back it up and it is totally wrong, we need and we deserve both an explanation and some sense of where this path takes us." 

In Dublin, a spokeswoman for Ireland's Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr McDowell, said he would not be making any response last night. 

Speaking in Beijing last night before the IRA statement was issued, the Taoiseach said the Government would reopen contacts with Sinn Féin early next week, despite its belief that the IRA was involved in the Northern Bank robbery. 

He said: "I have to make a calculated judgment: is non-engagement better? My sense is that non-engagement has never worked in my lifetime, even if I don't feel at most enthusiastic. My sense is that I have to engage," he said. 

Program: BBC Newsline – Gerry Adams
Date & Time Jan. 19, 2005 – 13.34
Subject Bank robbery blamegame.
 

GERRY ADAMS

I’m saying that I want, leaving aside mandates, leaving aside political leaderships, leaving aside politics, as a citizen I want, as a human being, as a person, I want the Taoiseach to explain to me, man to man, person to person, the basis for him making this totally unfounded, offensive and wrong allegation.

Program: GMU
Date & Time Jan. 19, 2005 7.42
Subject Response to IRA denial of bank robbery

SEAMUS McKEE

Can I ask you about reports this morning that P O’Neill has issued a statement denying the IRA’s involvement in the Northern Bank robbery. The statement is reported to say, and I quote "the IRA has been accused of involvement in the recent Northern Bank robbery, we were not involved", that’s the total statement. As far as you’re concerned has P O’Neill denied the IRA involvement?

MITCHEL McLAUGHLIN

It would appear so. I haven’t read the statement itself. I am actually surprised that other major broadcasters on the island of Ireland are reporting this but the BBC News seem to be ignoring it and I just wonder you know about the reasons for that. But it would appear that this is in fact is the statement that people were asking for. 

SEAMUS McKEE

Well we’re not ignoring it. You’re being asked now. As far as you’re concerned this is a genuine statement of denial by P O’Neill?

MITCHEL McLAUGHLIN

Yeah and I’ve listened to every bulletin since 6.30 and that’s the first time I’ve heard it referred to on the BBC.

SEAMUS McKEE

You’re being asked about it now.

MITCHEL McLAUGHLIN

I’ve already answered it. I said yes I believe that that’s an authoritative statement. 

SEAMUS McKEE

Right and the reality is, isn’t it, that it’s no more likely to be believed than Sinn Féin denials of involvement?

MITCHEL McLAUGHLIN

The reality is that Sinn Féin’s report of the response that we got from the IRA has been validated by this statement and Seamus I am amazed that how certain people are about the truth of this matter in the complete absence of any substantive evidence that the IRA was involved, so until people produce that evidence then fair minded people, not people with political bias or prejudice, will say well let’s wait for the evidence and then make a judgment.

SEAMUS McKEE

Let’s come to the ‘Questions and Answers’ controversy. Why is it that no matter what the IRA does it will never be regarded by Sinn Féin as a crime?

MITCHEL McLAUGHLIN

In my opinion, if we are talking about an IRA that is engaged in military struggle there are many, many incidences and there are many mistakes made and there are many operations carried out by the IRA but none of it I think can be demonstrated as being criminal activity or activity for personal gain. 
 

SEAMUS McKEE

Why was the shooting of Jean McConville in the head not a crime?

MITCHEL McLAUGHLIN

Well I have explained in the context of, if you like, the madness of that particular period in our history, the early 70s, there were many, many things happened. They were a community under siege not just from the British Army but from union paramilitary organizations. Collusion was rife. There was a considerable amount of paranoia in the community and all of us have been around long enough to remember that. There was an accusation, and I don’t know the facts of it, that was dealt with by the IRA in that area. Now did they act out of criminal intent? They acted out of the circumstances of that time. I want to respect the request of the McConville family that we do not make a political football out of that…

SEAMUS McKEE

You’ll resign will you?

MITCHEL McLAUGHLIN

No, of course, I won’t resign. I’m entitled to my view in this respect but I do want to come back to this point and this an important point. I didn’t introduce the topic into discussion. I was pressing the Minister for Justice on the lack of action on outstanding issues such as collusion, criminality at the heart of the British Government as far as republicans are concerned, and I think on the ropes the Minister threw in Jean McConville in a completely opportunistic way.
 
 

SEAMUS McKEE

If it was demonstrated to you beyond doubt that the IRA carried out the Northern Bank robbery would that be the point at which you would break with them?

MITCHEL McLAUGHLIN

Well what I have said on the record and indeed some other Sinn Féin spokespersons have done similarly, it would be a defining moment, because we would be discussing that in a context where the IRA are on cessation and that I think does set a different context for any actions by the IRA.

SEAMUS McKEE

What do you mean by a defining moment?

MITCHEL McLAUGHLIN

I think that would be a very, very significant moment in Sinn Féin....

SEAMUS McKEE

Why, what would be the significance of it?

MITCHEL McLAUGHLIN

Seamus, I would like, if you would have the manners, when you ask me an important question I want to deal with it with the respect that it deserves. I am explaining that that would be a hugely defining moment. It would be different from the circumstances where the IRA would be, if you like, on a military footing, and in those circumstances of where the IRA would be in cessation and it was demonstrated that they were involved in such an action then Sinn Féin would have to review that very, very carefully and examine the implications for our position in terms of trying to promote the peace process. 

And we would do that, we would not hide, we will come before the microphones and the cameras and we will deal fairly and squarely, but in fact what we are saying in these circumstances is that we, as we’re entitled to, have come to a judgment that the IRA’s in fact telling the truth, and those that are making allegations against republicans, against the IRA and then extrapolating that into discussion at this premature stage about taking sanctions against Sinn Féin and the people who vote for Sinn Féin, those are the people who have yet to produce one iota of evidence to justify their prejudice, their bile, their vitriol and their attempt to act in a discriminatory fashion against people who vote and support Sinn Féin.

Program: Parliament Channel – David Trimble
Date & Time Jan. 19, 205 – 12.26
Subject Northern Bank Robbery
 

DAVID TRIMBLE

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has known for some time that the republican movement was responsible for the Northern Bank raid, but because he has yet to develop a coherent response he is in danger of giving the impression that after a little while he will welcome back through his door the biggest bank robber in British history. Does the Prime Minister realize the damage that will do to himself and his party?

PRIME MINISTER

First of all I should state to the Right Honorable Gentleman we don’t in any shape or form dismiss the importance or seriousness of what has happened. What we are doing now is seeing what do we do to find a way forward which ensures that those people who are democrats and committed to every aspect of the democratic process are able to find a way forward and those people who are not prepared to commit themselves to exclusively peaceful means do not hold up the process for everybody else. 

Now that’s what we’re going to look at, as he knows that requires us, not merely to have support in the unionist community for such a proposal, but also support in the nationalist community too. I still want to find, if I can, a way forward that includes everybody, but it has to be said that we cannot have a situation any longer where there are political parties associated to paramilitary groups where they are committing either what we might call terrorist offenses or ordinary criminality. 

There simply can be no place for that. So unless and until it is absolutely clear that things have changed fundamentally then it’s difficult to see the way forward on that inclusive basis. But the challenge is not for us, the challenge is for those who’ve been engaged in this type of activity to realize that we cannot wait forever whilst they make up their minds.

Program: Inside Politics – David Ford
Date & Time 22.1.05 – 12.45
Subject Elections/Political Process
 
 

MARK DEVENPORT

The reverberations of the Northern Bank raid continued this week with the Chief Constable, Hugh Orde, telling Policing Board members that he’d quit if he turns out to be wrong in blaming the robbery on the IRA. Sinn Féin and the Irish Government are both preparing for what could be a hot and heavy encounter between Gerry Adams and Bertie Ahern in Dublin this Tuesday. 

The Secretary of State, Paul Murphy, hinted to MPs that with the prospects for a restoration of an all inclusive Executive so dim, he’s now considering setting up an Assembly without an Executive. And there were a couple of pieces of election news too, the veteran South Belfast MP, Martin Smyth, confirmed he’s standing down which looks set to make his constituency an interesting dog fight and the Government switched the forthcoming local elections here to May 5th, virtually confirming that this is the date for the next general election. With me to assess where all of this leaves us is the Alliance leader, David Ford.

David Ford, you’ve complained about this decision to move the local elections from May 18 to May 5, but isn’t it a sensible one both in terms of the work load on electoral staff and the convenience of voters who won’t now have to go to the polls twice in quick succession?

DAVID FORD

Well there certainly is a small argument about convenience, but there’s also a major argument about the difficulties that arise with having two elections by two different systems on the one day, the number of spoilt papers that arose four years ago because that happened. And there’s a real issue about the integrity of local government. 

Local councils are developing all kinds of partnerships, on policing, on economic development, people are encouraged to work together across the community and yet all of that is going to be overshadowed totally by what we know already will be a sectarian headcount dogfight in the Westminster election in virtually every constituency. There’s a real danger that it will further the damage that was done to the integrity of local Government four years ago. It will make local councils even worse than they’ve been for the last four years.

MARK DEVENPORT

But given that these election campaigns would have been overlapping anyway, wouldn’t there have been that whole business of local issues being overshadowed to some extent and inevitably wouldn’t the turn out have fallen dramatically if people would have thought, we’ve just been to the polls for the general election, can we be bothered turning out again a fortnight later?

DAVID FORD

The evidence of 1997 when the local elections happened three weeks later is that people did think differently, they did consider what the virtues of different people as local councillors would be and they did have three weeks to concentrate their minds in a different area and the turnout was not particularly low for a local election. So I don’t think any of those arguments actually wash.

MARK DEVENPORT

Politically presumably a bit of self interest applies here because you will be concerned that a Westminster election will focus things on the major parties and that the Alliance, and to some extent, independents will thereby lose out in local elections happening at the same time?

DAVID FORD

I think there’s a very real danger that the Westminster election is going to focus on two major parties. I think all other parties and independents are going to suffer from the concentration there’s going to be there, that’s why I think it’s particularly damaging.

MARK DEVENPORT

Now obviously it looks like, you don’t have to read the ruins too much, it looks like May 5th is now the date for the general election. Alliance has already indicated that it doesn’t intend to stand aside in certain constituencies, North Down, Upper Bann, for the likes of David Trimble and Sylvia Hermon because you see the political battle lines as changing. Are there any candidates or parties who you might consider standing aside for?

DAVID FORD

I think the simple position at this stage is that Alliance is going to be fielding candidates, not necessarily in every constituency, but in all our key constituencies, those where we have local representation, those which are important to us for the future. Because it is quite clear that at the moment only Alliance stands firmly on a platform of cross community partnership, of building structures for the people to share rather than managing a divide. I can’t see any reason why we would be standing aside for anybody. There’s another minor point which is that we got no thanks and no reciprocation and I think there is such a thing as a political deal has to be two ways.

MARK DEVENPORT

I mean last week on this programme we had Eddie McGrady talking about examining the possibility of entering a voluntary coalition with unionists, after that their leader, Mark Durkan, dismissed that, talking about it as a DUP idea. I mean what did you make of that given that you have subscribed to such a coalition yourself?

DAVID FORD

Well not just subscribed to it, Mark, but actually Alliance put forward the idea for a voluntary coalition long before the DUP thought of such things. So we’re not subscribing to the DUP, the DUP is subscribing to Alliance views and that’s always welcome. 

It would be particularly welcome if the SDLP would also subscribe to such a view, but it appears that quite clearly the Durkan-Attwood line, which is a plaintiff cries as to how wicked Sinn Féin is and how badly behaved republicans are and yet taking no real effort to do anything to move on without them, is clearly the SDLP view. Similarly the Ulster Unionists are all over the place and have no consistent line of working together across a broad community centre. That’s why the sacrifices that we made four years ago aren’t relevant at this point.

MARK DEVENPORT

And while we’re returning to the sacrifices that you’ve made, given that, say Eddie McGrady is likely to face a tight fight with Sinn Féin for his seat and people are already talking about the possibility of unionists voting tactically, could that debate about a voluntary coalition influence you one way or the other on that, on standing aside?

DAVID FORD

I think the clear question is, do we have signs that the Ulster Unionists, the SDLP and Alliance are all working together for an agenda of promoting a shared future. Of building institutions and being prepared to move on without necessarily bringing everybody on their side of the divide with them, in the case of the SDLP and the Ulster Unionists. I see no sign that the SDLP are prepared to step out from Sinn Féin at the present time. They seem utterly frightened of doing anything which would leave Sinn Féin behind. As far as I’m concerned republicans are not about to be excluded, but republicans are excluding themselves. I want to see a process which works for the good of everybody else in Northern Ireland and republicans can join in when they learn to live up to the standards of democracy. Now if the SDLP took that line we would be in a very different circumstance, but quite clearly by the way that Mark Durkan slapped down Eddie McGrady, the SDLP are not taking that view.

MARK DEVENPORT

But it’s fair to say you’re looking closely at this internal debate within the SDLP given electoral (unclear)?

DAVID FORD

No, but it’s not an electoral issue, Mark, it’s an issue about whether we’re going to get the Assembly working. Whether MLAs are going to be doing the job that they’re paid to do and Talkback all this week have had people complaining about that. I have a contract with the people of South Antrim, I undertook to work for them, both as a constituency representative and as a legislator, it’s not my fault that neither of us are seeing that bargain carried through at the moment, it’s the fault of those who are in default and it’s the responsibility of democrats to ensure that that process can move on and let the defaulters board the train at the next station, if that’s the analogy we use.

MARK DEVENPORT

We’ll come on to the Assembly in a moment, but just also on the Westminster election, another candidate who might be considering whether to run is Dr. Kieran Deeny down in West Tyrone, the health campaigner. You’ve got a close relationship with him at Stormont, is it your guess he’ll stand, would you urge him to do so?

DAVID FORD

I know from speaking to Kieran earlier this week that he’s under considerable pressure in the constituency to stand. There’s pressure because people are not happy with the inadequacy of representation they’re getting, specifically having an abstentionist MP when matters are discussed at Westminster, and it is of course the case that Kieran Deeny topped the poll in the Assembly election against all the pundits predictions, including, I admit, mine. 

He clearly has attracted widespread support across the community and he’s probably the only person in West Tyrone who could give a serious challenge to Sinn Féin. If that’s what people are saying to him I can quite understand it and sympathise with those views.

MARK DEVENPORT

It’s still a safe Sinn Féin seat though isn’t it?

DAVID FORD

I think it’s potentially interesting. As somebody who predicted that if he was very lucky. Kieran Deeny might win the sixth seat out of six and then saw him top the poll, I’m not making any predictions this time that he’s not going to win.

MARK DEVENPORT

Moving on to the Assembly, as you say a lot of focus this week on the cost of the Assembly with the Government’s revelation that it has cost £53.5m since its suspension. The Ulster Unionists appear divided between those who want it closed down forthwith and those who want it to be given some kind of new life as a scrutiny body for Direct Rule Minister. Where would you stand on that argument?

DAVID FORD

I’m not interested in the Ulster Unionist split, I’m interested in the Alliance policy. If the Ulster Unionists have split between recreating the 1982 Assembly to do a sort of vague scrutiny job on Direct Rule, or closing down the Assembly altogether, that’s not what I’m interested in. I was elected to be a legislator, I was elected to govern Northern Ireland in conjunction, in partnership with other democratic parties. 

I wanted that to be on an inclusive basis, that’s what the Good Friday Agreement said. If we can’t have it on an inclusive basis then we must have it on the most inclusive basis possible and that means a real Executive formed and the Assembly doing the work of legislation with as many people as possible involved. 

That’s why Alliance has supported the idea of a voluntary coalition. Not just the difficulties with Sinn Féin as at present, but there might also have been difficulties in the past with the DUP of their unwillingness to agree policies, perhaps post ’98 that would have been their position. But what we need is a coherent Government which actually understands what it’s at. 

A program for Government which means something rather than something which is passed by the Executive, passed by the Assembly and then forgotten within individual departments. That’s what we need to get good Government for Northern Ireland and it’s also something which would get away from the difficulties of those who currently have vetoes and who’s vetoes are being reinforced by democrats who are not prepared to stand up to them and by the Government not being prepared to stand up to them.

MARK DEVENPORT

But if the Governments don’t go down your chosen route for a voluntary coalition perhaps because they feel that they can’t secure the necessary nationalist representation in such a coalition, do you think that there is merit in this idea of bringing back the Assembly with a scrutiny role?

DAVID FORD

Well that condition, I think, would be extremely sad. The thought that the SDLP would refuse to move on and would hang around protecting Sinn Féin despite all they’re saying about the activities of republicans. But if that was the case I don’t see at this stage that a scrutiny Assembly looking at Direct Rule Ministers is what we really need. 

It might have been something that would have worked for three months if the December package had actually been agreed, if people had lived up to their obligations and while we went through a short phase to allow decommissioning to happen, before institutions were set up properly. 

It was perhaps possible that that would have been a way of getting people into the way of Assembly work, same as we had a shadow period in ‘98/’99, I just do not see that as being any long term benefit to Northern Ireland. Now maybe a short term attempt at that, while we see what else we can establish, might have some merits, but I certainly don’t want to see that as all we get. 

I think there are too many people, particularly in some sections of the Ulster Unionist Party, who would readily settle for playing that kind of game and I actually think it would damage the process of good governance. You image the situation in which John Spellar goes to the Assembly and promotes water charges. 

How many parties do you think are going to be in favour of water charges or any other difficult decision? We’ll all end up seeing people from right around the chamber playing petty opposition politics and no responsibility and in particular no commitment to working together and building the united community that we so badly need in Northern Ireland.

MARK DEVENPORT

So a scrutiny Assembly in your view is worse than no Assembly?

DAVID FORD

It might have some short term value if it was part of getting the institutions running properly, that’s what I’m saying.

MARK DEVENPORT

Do you think there’s any chance that republicans and nationalists would participate in an Assembly without an Executive?

DAVID FORD

Well the lessons from 1982 were that nobody from the nationalist side was prepared to participate. I think there must be serious questions about who would participate in something short of that. But that’s where I think that much of the current questioning comes down to asking the SDLP and the Ulster Unionists if they’re prepared to participate in Government without necessarily depending on looking over their shoulder all the time. That was the problem of the first Assembly term, even though David Trimble and Seamus Mallon and then Mark Durkan were given responsibilities to lead, it’s my opinion that they Unionist Party spent all its time looking over its shoulder at the DUP and the SDLP spent far too much time looking over its shoulder at Sinn Féin. If they’d actually governed Northern Ireland together instead of firing memos up and down the long corridors at each other and no real participation together, even in the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister, then they mightn’t have done as badly as they did in the election 14 months ago.

MARK DEVENPORT

The Governments are still considering what their response should be to these allegations of IRA involvement in the Northern Bank raid. I mean some unionists fear that there are going to be no sanctions because of the way that times seems to be elapsing now. Do you still expect sanctions and if so what do you think is likely?

DAVID FORD

I’m sure there will be sanctions, there cannot not be sanctions given the seriousness of the crime and the apparent perpetrators and I don’t think there’s anybody who seriously believes that it was not run by the Provisional IRA. There have to be sanctions, exactly what they will be is not something that I have any particular bee in my bonnet about, that’s part of the reason why Alliance recommended the idea which has now become the IMC, the external body to look at these issues and to make recommendations to Government. 

But of course the biggest sanction of all against Sinn Féin will be to see democracy running with Ministers in place in Northern Ireland with Sinn Féin left out until such time as they live up to their obligations. Not a permanent exclusion but an exclusion by themselves until they learn what democracy and solely peaceful means are really about.
 
 
 

Northern Ireland Information Service 
Morning Digest, Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 
Northern Bank robbery 

The News Letter Ps 1 and 5 reports that Hugh Orde will quit his job as PSNI Chief Constable if his assessment of the IRA's £26.5m Northern Bank robbery is proved wrong. Also see Irish News P9, Guardian P8, Irish Independent P18, Daily Mirror P4, The Sun P2, The Guardian P8.

Jan. 22, 2005
SINN FÉIN TO MEET WITH AHERN NEXT WEEK

Sinn Féin are to meet with Irish premier Bertie Ahern next week in a bid to resolve the fallout from the Northern Bank robbery, it emerged today. 

The party`s justice spokesman, Aengus O Snodaigh, said he was optimistic that the `hurdle` in the peace process could be crossed. 

"Hopefully, this will stir further progress. At the moment, the worry is that people will disengage until the Westminster elections in May and that talks will be put on hold," he said. 

Mr Ahern, who is returning from a trade mission to China, has accused Sinn Féin of having prior knowledge of the Northern Bank robbery last month. 

PSNI chief constable Hugh Orde also blamed the IRA for the raid, which netted 32 million euros (£26.5 million). 

Mr Ahern has also said that the issue of alleged IRA criminality had to be resolved before the Irish Government re-entered peace negotiations with Sinn Féin. 
 

According to the latest MRBI opinion poll published today, 62% of people believe the Irish and British governments should continue to negotiate with Sinn Féin, compared with 26% who believe negotiations should be suspended. 

Mr O`Snodaigh said this reflected the level of public support for the peace process. 

"The poll shows people are capable of making their own minds up rather than listening to the Taoiseach," he said. 

The poll was conducted last Monday and Tuesday among a national quota sample of 1,000 voters throughout all constituencies. 

A spokeswoman for the Taoiseach confirmed a meeting had been arranged for next week with Sinn Féin but said the exact date had not yet been set. 

Jan. 23, 2005
ADAMS TO CONFRONT AHERN ON BANK ROBBERY COMMENTS

By Irish American Information Service

The Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has said Irish premier Bertie Ahern will have to explain his comments on the Northern Bank robbery, when the two meet this week. 

Writing in an Irish preiodical, the Village Magazine, this weekend, Mr Adams said the accusation that Sinn Féin`s leadership had prior knowledge of the robbery was `wrong`. 

He said: "By far the most damaging aspect of all of this has been the remarks of the Taoiseach that the Sinn Féin leadership had prior knowledge of the Northern Bank robbery. His accusation is completely without foundation. It is wrong. When the Taoiseach sits down with us this week he will have to explain his comments." 

Mr. Adams added: "At the beginning of this phase the governments spoke to us of the need to establish whether the DUP wanted to do a deal; whether they wanted ‘cover’, ‘a fig leaf’ to facilitate their involvement." 

"We put it to them and we received a commitment from them, that if it became clear the DUP wasn`t up for a deal, if they didn`t want `cover` or a `fig leaf`, as the governments hoped they would, then the governments would proceed with all those aspects of the Agreement that they were capable of implementing." 

"The detail of all of this cannot be revealed at this time but when it is people of goodwill will be in no doubt as to the good faith engagement by our leadership." 

"I was already firmly of the view that the issue of IRA arms and alleged activities, by that organization, was being used as an excuse to prevent progress." 

"So Martin McGuinness and I and others were up for creating the conditions in which these issues could be resolved. There was also a very clear need to get the DUP to accept the changed political landscape, which the Good Friday Agreement involves and there was the question of Sinn Féin reviewing our attitude to the PSNI, if a proper context was agreed." 

"These were big challenges for us. We also had to make a sustained effort to keep both governments tied to the Good Friday Agreement given their past breaches of that Agreement." 

"When the effort to get a comprehensive agreement failed Sinn Féin and the British government proceeded to explore how the governments could deliver on the commitment they made to us. This continued in the week leading up to Christmas. The Irish government was less than enthusiastic. No one should be in any doubt of the depth of the difficulties in the process at that time." 

"It was in the course of this work that the Northern Bank was robbed. Then came the accusation, subsequently denied by the IRA, that it was involved." 

"This triggered a relentless campaign of vilification against Sinn Féin," Adams said. 

Program: GMU
Date & Time 24.1.05 ((7.06)
Subject Sinn Féin access to No 10

CONOR BRADFORD

As the Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams prepares to meet the Taoiseach, Tony Blair is being urged not to allow Adams entry into 10 Downing Street. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, the first since the Northern Bank robbery, but Conservative spokesman for Northern Ireland David Lidington wants the meeting cancelled. What exactly is your line of thinking on this?

DAVID LIDINGTON

My line of thinking on it is that it is perfectly understandable for Paul Murphy and Northern Ireland Ministers to continue to meet, talk to Sinn Féin. They have got to deal with the reality of the situation. I think that access to the Prime Minister in a meeting at No 10 is to give Sinn Féin/IRA a status that in the wake of the Northern Bank raid they simply don’t merit. I actually think its one way of the Government demonstrating that there can’t simply be a return to normal business as usual by making it clear that Sinn Féin is not going to have access to Tony Blair for the time being.

CONOR BRADFORD

Innocent until proved guilty, there is a lot of talk about the IRA being behind this robbery. We don’t actually have any proof, nobody has been charged, should we not wait and see how this thing pans out before we start banning people entry into Downing Street?

DAVID LIDINGTON

The Government itself, in the form of the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister have said that they are 100% certain that the Chief Constable Hugh Orde is right and that the Provisional IRA were responsible for this robbery. 

Now if that is the position that the Government are taking then it seems to me that consequences follow from that. Ministers themselves are saying we can’t have business as usual with Sinn Féin any longer, well let’s have some demonstration of that. At the moment I am fearing that we are getting some words, but we are not getting even the mildest sanctions.

CONOR BRADFORD

So as a point of principle I can see that you feel that it is wrong for the Prime Minister to allow Gerry Adams into Downing Street. But behind the scenes in the land of real politic Northern Ireland essentially would be pretty ungovernable without Sinn Féin on board, they are a very large party, they represent a lot of people. It is a very difficult situation isn’t it?

DAVID LIDINGTON

It is certainly a difficult situation and I remain of the view that the best outcome is for the republican movement to complete the transition that needs to be made between terrorism and a full fledged commitment to exclusively democratic and peaceful means. 

But the evidence of the last few weeks is that we are some distance from that happening and I think that what the Government should demonstrate now is that it is ready to try to take the political process forward and not wait indefinitely for Sinn Féin to catch up. 

And it was afterwards at Leeds Castle that Tony Blair was saying not more than four months ago that if this flow doesn’t work then we are going to have to look for a different way forward. And I think that there is real frustration amongst the democratic parties, whether unionist or nationalist, that everybody else is being punished and everybody else is being held up because the republican movement won’t live up to the commitments that they gave in 1998.

Jan. 25, 2005
‘Northern bank Robbery Has Bankrupted Political Progress'

By Paul Durkin

It is rare that everybody in the North agrees. But there’s one thing nobody doubts: huge damage was done to the peace process by the Northern Bank raid – and politically nationalists have most to lose.

Debate about who was responsible for the robbery has raged. For the SDLP it is not a matter of just accepting Hugh Orde’s word. The Taoiseach has been every bit as clear that the IRA was responsible – based on the Irish Government’s own intelligence. Bertie Ahern has worked hard for the peace process and it is inconceivable that he would have said what he did without the clearest information in front of him. 

Against this are Gerry Adams’ denials. But his word on these things has not meant much in the past. "The IRA has denied any involvement and I accept that … Crimes like this can pay no part in the republican struggle and those who are seeking to blame Sinn Féin know this." Gerry Adams’ words not about the Northern Bank raid but about the murder of Garda McCabe during an 

IRA armed robbery in 1996. He said much the same about the murder of Frank Kerr during another IRA armed robbery just after the 1994 ceasefire. 

Sinn Féin’s complaints that the Chief Constable should not say what organisation was responsible before any trial also ring hollow. Sinn Féin, like the SDLP, have often called on the authorities to rule quickly on whether the UDA carried out attacks. So Sinn Féin can hardly complain when the Chief Constable rules on them now. If they really cared about justice, they would tell people to cooperate with the PSNI and Gardai to bring those responsible to justice – something that Gerry Adams has refused to do.

Because let’s be clear. This was not some victimless crime. Two employees of the Northern Bank were forced to rob their own workplaces. If they did not their entire families, who were held hostage for over 24 hours, would be murdered. 

Far from being audacious, this was brutal and callous. The people who carried out this raid have no respect for working people. They have no respect for families. They have no respect for the nationalist community. Nationalists voted for the Agreement, change and peace. No nationalist voted for kidnapping, brutality and theft.

Because of the raid, getting the Agreement is going to be harder again. That is why nationalists and pro-Agreement people have been betrayed. 

As for the SDLP, we have consistently sought the Agreement’s full implementation. We still seek that now. 

That is why when the SDLP meets the two Governments over the coming days, our message will be clear. Neither the DUP nor Sinn Féin should be able to abuse their mandate and stand in the way of what the people of Ireland voted for.
 

As for the paramilitaries, now is not the time for endless talks, but for tough messages. Instead of being indulged, their activities must be exposed. They must know that there is no room any more for their criminality anywhere on this island. That applies every bit as much to drug-dealing loyalists as it does to republicans.

Criminality and the IRA’s damage to the Agreement must also be made an issue for all the Irish people. That’s why we should consider recalling the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, bringing together all the parties on the island. It could express the demand of the Irish people for an end to all paramilitarism. It could express the Irish people’s support for the Agreement and question Sinn Féin on whether they are really up for the Agreement.

Above all, the Governments need to end the veto given to Sinn Féin and the DUP on political progress. For as long as they have that veto, they will ruthlessly exploit it for their own electoral ends.

Two problem parties, Sinn Féin and the DUP, have held the future of Ireland to ransom. They have stymied progress and worked to keep the North in a state of polarised suspension. Now is the time for the Governments to be firm with them. It is time for them to be challenged for once and for all to live up to the Agreement. And if they do not, it is time to end their stranglehold on progress on this island. 
 

Jan. 25, 2005
Hume Agrees with Ahern on Northern Bank Robbery

Former SDLP Leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner and Foyle MP John Hume has said that he agrees with the Taioseach’s assessment of who was responsible for the Northern Bank robbery. The following are his comments concerning the situation:

"The Northern Bank armed robbery has caused enormous damage to the peace process and to the Good Friday Agreement.

"Sinn Fein has denied that the IRA was responsible for this robbery. However, their denials have not always been true in the past.

"Also, it is not just Hugh Orde who has blamed the IRA for the robbery - the Taoiseach has been totally clear on this, based on the Irish Government’s own intelligence. I believe the Taoiseach. He has worked enormously hard for the peace process and I do not think that he would have said what he did without clear information in front of him.

"As I said in the House of Commons, the two Governments should give the public as much information as they can on why they believe the IRA was responsible. That way the public will be able to draw their own conclusions on who is telling the truth. Obviously, there may well be some information so sensitive that it cannot be revealed - but the more the public know the better.

"The Good Friday Agreement was approved by the people of Ireland, North and South. It is their will. It is time that the IRA - and loyalist paramilitaries - accepted the will of the people and wound up all their activities for good so that the political process can never again be held hostage by these kinds of events in the future."
 

Jan. 25, 2005
AHERN MEETS WITH SINN FÉIN IN DUBLIN

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said after a meeting with Irish premier Bertie Ahern today that Ahern could not stand up claims that the republican leadership had prior knowledge of the Northern Bank robbery. 

The peace process in Northern Ireland was thrown into crisis last month after the record heist in Belfast, which local police blamed on the IRA. 

Speaking after almost two hours of discussions, Mr Adams said: "We asked him to stand up those accusations and he could not stand them up." 

He added: "There can be no intelligence or no evidence because we simply didn`t have any knowledge." 

Sinn Féin reaffirmed its commitment to power-sharing talks and said the peace process was more important than the bank heist. 

But Mr Adams said the Irish Government did not want to impose political sanctions against Sinn Féin. 

He said: "I also want to welcome other remarks that the taoiseach made where he said the government was opposed to sanctions, the government was opposed to exclusion, to demonising or criminalising or to in anyway excluding any section of people." 

However, Mr Adams acknowledged that the process was "in profound difficulties". 

The SDLP and the Ulster Unionists are also holding talks with the taoiseach on Tuesday. 

The talks follows an allegation by the PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde that the IRA was behind the raid on the bank head office. 

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is to hold talks with Adams at Chequers on Thursday. Blair is also due to hold talks next week with Mr Ahern and the SDLP. 

Two days later, the prime minister will meet Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble. 

Blair also recently met Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley whose party has called for the removal of allowances and privileges at Westminster from Sinn Féin's four MPs. 

Jan. 27, 2005
PROCESS IN DEEP SENSE OF CRISIS SAYS ADAMS

The peace process is in the grips of a "very deep sense of crisis", Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams warned today. 

Speaking at Westminster ahead of a meeting deferred until tomorrow with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Adams said the British and Irish governments were contributing to the problem by suggesting they are taking a hard-line approach to his party. 

Adams, who will have talks with Blair at his country residence Chequers in Buckinghamshire, told journalists: "I think it is very fair to say that there is a very deep sense of crisis in the peace process at this time." 

"It predates the Northern Bank robbery and the accusations that have flowed from it. Obviously the accusations flowing from that robbery have compounded the difficulties, but the difficulties emerged in December when Ian Paisley of the DUP rejected what were seismic initiatives on a range of issues by Republicans and the comprehensive agreement which would have flowed from that." 

The £26.5 million Northern Bank raid in Belfast - which Northern Ireland chief constable Hugh Orde has blamed on the IRA - had been seized on by "anti-Republican elements" for their own purposes, said Mr Adams. 

Adams told reporters: "Tomorrow's meeting, I hear it has been characterised, I hear Tom Kelly [Mr Blair's official spokesman] at his work, characterising it as a confrontation, we are going to be told straight what is happening and so on and so forth." 

"We are approaching the meeting positively. No one should think for one moment that we are going to be at a meeting which will be characterised by the spin. Tony Blair knows us well enough, knows what has been achieved, knows his own contribution to it, knows our contribution to it, and knows that confrontation just won't work." 

Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, said the party's delegation would use the meeting to raise the case of Mr Martin Doherty, who is in custody for being in contempt of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. 

Doherty, 49, from Derry, refused to give evidence to the tribunal and was jailed for three months. 

McGuinness said: "The nationalist community believe it is an absolute disgrace that he has been sentenced to three months' imprisonment for contempt of the Saville tribunal simply because he was not prepared to attend that tribunal . . . on the basis that he wasn't even at the Bloody Sunday march on that day." 
 
 

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