DOVES' HOLD SWAY BUT MAVERICK FEARS GROW
Doves' hold sway, but maverick fears grow
The loyalist paramilitary groups' ceasefire, already under a degree of strain, is expected to hold despite renewed pressure after the Omagh bomb. NOEL McADAM reports
THE loyalist paramilitaries' truce is generally expected to hold despite the Omagh bomb horror.
But fears are growing that maverick loyalist terrorists could carry out "revenge" attacks on soft nationalist targets.
The Loyalist Volunteer Force also said yesterday its ceasefire would remain intact despite the provocation of Omagh.
Pastor Kenny McClinton, who is the LVFs contact with the decommissioning body, said the "doves" in the organisation had held sway and "reason was prevailing".
Revulsion, anger and disgust are for the moment continuing to cloud any detailed analysis of the likely political fall-out on the loyalist side.
The slaughter in Omagh undoubtedly puts intense pressure on loyalist leaders already facing demands by hardliners to retaliate in the face of continuing bombings and attacks by dissident republicans.
Loyalism is also riven with the same divisions which pockmark the wider unionist family following the Agreement and referendum, as well as the tensions and violence surrounding Drumcree and its grisly aftermath.
But reports that a number of loyalist leaders were meeting in secret session to debate a response could not be confirmed by sources yesterday.
Political parties connected to loyalist paramilitaries have warned, however, that reprisals would only play into the hands of those responsible for the Omagh devastation.
In a joint statement, the leaders of the Ulster Democratic Party urged loyalists to remain calm in the face of such a "mindless bombing".
They deplored the senseless loss or life but urged loyalists "not to be drawn into any retaliatory action which would play into the hands of those republicans intent on wrecking this peace process.
"The security forces should not be detracted from pursuing those responsible for this dastardly deed and should be given every assistance possible, particularly from the nationalist community."
The Omagh bomb undoubtedly strengthens the hand of those within loyalism who argue that republicanism has not given up the armalite end of its strategy.
"What puts the pressure on is those who say the republican strategy has just moved from armalite and ballot box to armalite and cabinet seat -
that they are gaining ground all the time while loyalists are losing out." said one loyalist.
Another loyalist source said: "It is going to be very difficult to keep everyone in check. But I believe the political leaders will still be able to persuade the paramilitaries to hold the line.
"Ervine and Hutchinson are generally seen as doing a good job and for loyalists to end their ceasefire now would only take the pressure off Sinn Fein."
Others argued the Omagh attack was to some degree a mistake, but in its conception and how it was carried out.
"To place a bomb in a mainly nationalist town - if it had been Portadown or Lisburn it would have been much harder to hold the line. As it is, this is an attack on the entire community," one loyalist said.
"There is a possibility that there was no intent to cause such a large loss of life - someone, somewhere, made a mistake, either in the messages or where the car bomb was left, or something," said a source.
"There is a realisation that this is counter-productive to the organisation which carried it out."
Another source said: "There is no real justification for loyalists going back to violence given the high percentage of the nationalist
Community which supported the agreement which involved the two main loyalist groups.
"In the past it was very noticeable that while the broad sweep of unionists only limited support to parties linked to paramilitaries, even after the ceasefires and apologies from loyalists, the vote for Sinn Fein went up and up, even against the background of atrocities like Canary Wharf and so on.
"The argument was of course that the vote was in support of the line taken by Adams in the direction of democracy.
"The biggest question in most loyalist minds is whether Adams and McGuinness are sincere. I myself am still not 100% certain that they are committed to the democratic path."
A source close to the paramilitaries who is also an Ulster Unionist Party member said: "The most worrying aspect is the possibility of individual loyalists taking it into their heads to carry out some form of retaliation.
The loyalist paramilitary groups' ceasefire, already under a degree of strain, is expected to hold despite renewed pressure after the Omagh bomb. NOEL McADAM reports
THE loyalist paramilitaries' truce is generally expected to hold despite the Omagh bomb horror.
But fears are growing that maverick loyalist terrorists could carry out "revenge" attacks on soft nationalist targets.
The Loyalist Volunteer Force also said yesterday its ceasefire would remain intact despite the provocation of Omagh.
Pastor Kenny McClinton, who is the LVFs contact with the decommissioning body, said the "doves" in the organisation had held sway and "reason was prevailing".
Revulsion, anger and disgust are for the moment continuing to cloud any detailed analysis of the likely political fall-out on the loyalist side.
The slaughter in Omagh undoubtedly puts intense pressure on loyalist leaders already facing demands by hardliners to retaliate in the face of continuing bombings and attacks by dissident republicans.
Loyalism is also riven with the same divisions which pockmark the wider unionist family following the Agreement and referendum, as well as the tensions and violence surrounding Drumcree and its grisly aftermath.
But reports that a number of loyalist leaders were meeting in secret session to debate a response could not be confirmed by sources yesterday.
Political parties connected to loyalist paramilitaries have warned, however, that reprisals would only play into the hands of those responsible for the Omagh devastation.
In a joint statement, the leaders of the Ulster Democratic Party urged loyalists to remain calm in the face of such a "mindless bombing".
They deplored the senseless loss or life but urged loyalists "not to be drawn into any retaliatory action which would play into the hands of those republicans intent on wrecking this peace process.
"The security forces should not be detracted from pursuing those responsible for this dastardly deed and should be given every assistance possible, particularly from the nationalist community."
The Omagh bomb undoubtedly strengthens the hand of those within loyalism who argue that republicanism has not given up the armalite end of its strategy.
"What puts the pressure on is those who say the republican strategy has just moved from armalite and ballot box to armalite and cabinet seat -
that they are gaining ground all the time while loyalists are losing out." said one loyalist.
Another loyalist source said: "It is going to be very difficult to keep everyone in check. But I believe the political leaders will still be able to persuade the paramilitaries to hold the line.
"Ervine and Hutchinson are generally seen as doing a good job and for loyalists to end their ceasefire now would only take the pressure off Sinn Fein."
Others argued the Omagh attack was to some degree a mistake, but in its conception and how it was carried out.
"To place a bomb in a mainly nationalist town - if it had been Portadown or Lisburn it would have been much harder to hold the line. As it is, this is an attack on the entire community," one loyalist said.
"There is a possibility that there was no intent to cause such a large loss of life - someone, somewhere, made a mistake, either in the messages or where the car bomb was left, or something," said a source.
"There is a realisation that this is counter-productive to the organisation which carried it out."
Another source said: "There is no real justification for loyalists going back to violence given the high percentage of the nationalist
Community which supported the agreement which involved the two main loyalist groups.
"In the past it was very noticeable that while the broad sweep of unionists only limited support to parties linked to paramilitaries, even after the ceasefires and apologies from loyalists, the vote for Sinn Fein went up and up, even against the background of atrocities like Canary Wharf and so on.
"The argument was of course that the vote was in support of the line taken by Adams in the direction of democracy.
"The biggest question in most loyalist minds is whether Adams and McGuinness are sincere. I myself am still not 100% certain that they are committed to the democratic path."
A source close to the paramilitaries who is also an Ulster Unionist Party member said: "The most worrying aspect is the possibility of individual loyalists taking it into their heads to carry out some form of retaliation.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0056
Published Date: 18-Aug-98
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