STOP NOW PROVOS TELL REAL IRA RENEGADES
Stop now, Provos tell Real IRA renegades
By Chris Thornton
Security Correspondent
THE Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein both put pressure on the so-called Real IRA to suspend its campaign of violence after the Omagh massacre, it emerged today.
And Sinn Fein's chairman, Mitchel McLaughlin, said his party is using intermediaries in an attempt to persuade the gang to declare a full ceasefire.
He said they are also hoping to persuade the the INLA and Continuity IRA to also halt their campaigns.
The Real IRA, which admitted the 28 murders in the Omagh bombing, announced yesterday that it was suspending attacks as it considered its future.
Dublin republicans told the Irish News that the leader of the group had been threatened and told to stop the gang's campaign.
The Real IRA leader "was made an offer he couldn't refuse," one republican said.
The dissident leader, who had been the Provisional IRA's quartermaster, took substantial quantities of Semtex from arms dumps when he defected last year, the republicans said.
He is alleged to have previously used the powerful explosive as a guarantee against assassination, telling the Provos: "If you kill me, you will never get the Semtex back."
Mr McLaughlin said that in urging the Real IRA to call a ceasefire, Sinn Fein told the group that they needed "to recover the situation' after the "disastrous consequences" of Saturday's bomb.
"I am making it clear that we got an announcement from the Real IRA which was insufficient in itself and there is ongoing work which requires a degree of sensitivity and very, very careful and discreet management," he said.
By Chris Thornton
Security Correspondent
THE Provisional IRA and Sinn Fein both put pressure on the so-called Real IRA to suspend its campaign of violence after the Omagh massacre, it emerged today.
And Sinn Fein's chairman, Mitchel McLaughlin, said his party is using intermediaries in an attempt to persuade the gang to declare a full ceasefire.
He said they are also hoping to persuade the the INLA and Continuity IRA to also halt their campaigns.
The Real IRA, which admitted the 28 murders in the Omagh bombing, announced yesterday that it was suspending attacks as it considered its future.
Dublin republicans told the Irish News that the leader of the group had been threatened and told to stop the gang's campaign.
The Real IRA leader "was made an offer he couldn't refuse," one republican said.
The dissident leader, who had been the Provisional IRA's quartermaster, took substantial quantities of Semtex from arms dumps when he defected last year, the republicans said.
He is alleged to have previously used the powerful explosive as a guarantee against assassination, telling the Provos: "If you kill me, you will never get the Semtex back."
Mr McLaughlin said that in urging the Real IRA to call a ceasefire, Sinn Fein told the group that they needed "to recover the situation' after the "disastrous consequences" of Saturday's bomb.
"I am making it clear that we got an announcement from the Real IRA which was insufficient in itself and there is ongoing work which requires a degree of sensitivity and very, very careful and discreet management," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0112
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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