SINN FEIN FACES THREATS CLAIM
Sinn Fein faces 'threats' over arms row
By Noel McAdam and Desmond McCartan
SINN Fein was today accused of making threats, after a warning that even a token gesture on decommissioning would "destabilise" the IRA leadership. Party chairman Mit-chel McLaughlin said the Omagh bombing by republican dissidents had demonstrated the need to ensure no further "siphoning off' from the edges of the IRA.
"It is absolutely crucial that doesn't happen and the only way I think we can guarantee that won't happen is to move forward decisively and honourably with what we said we would do in the Good Friday Agreement, which set up those political institutions that are meant to be the alternative to the armed struggle," he added.
Ulster Unionist Assembly security spokesman Michael McGimpsey accused Mr McLaughlin of engaging in threats.
"How can Mitchel McLaughlin assure the people of Omagh that there will never be another atrocity like theirs, when republican terrorists have ready access to Semtex, detonators and machine guns?" he said.
DUP leader Ian Paisley said: "What he is really saying is that there will be more Omaghs, more massa
cres if there is an insistence on decommissioning. It is a sinister and diabolical threat to the whole future."
Mr McLaughlin, speaking after a public meeting in Drogheda last night, said: "I think there is a very real possibility that the issue would be pushed to the point of giving us an either/or scenario and the either/or would be either the Agreement or decommissioning.
"My view - and this is my informed view - is that the IRA know that if they were to even make a token gesture, that would destabilise their leadership and ... nobody could predicate the consequences of that."
The new tension came as Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern held early morning talks in Germany to review the progress of continuing efforts to overcome the impasse on decommissioning and on efforts to complete the legislative framework by March 10 for the transfer of powers to the Assembly.
By Noel McAdam and Desmond McCartan
SINN Fein was today accused of making threats, after a warning that even a token gesture on decommissioning would "destabilise" the IRA leadership. Party chairman Mit-chel McLaughlin said the Omagh bombing by republican dissidents had demonstrated the need to ensure no further "siphoning off' from the edges of the IRA.
"It is absolutely crucial that doesn't happen and the only way I think we can guarantee that won't happen is to move forward decisively and honourably with what we said we would do in the Good Friday Agreement, which set up those political institutions that are meant to be the alternative to the armed struggle," he added.
Ulster Unionist Assembly security spokesman Michael McGimpsey accused Mr McLaughlin of engaging in threats.
"How can Mitchel McLaughlin assure the people of Omagh that there will never be another atrocity like theirs, when republican terrorists have ready access to Semtex, detonators and machine guns?" he said.
DUP leader Ian Paisley said: "What he is really saying is that there will be more Omaghs, more massa
cres if there is an insistence on decommissioning. It is a sinister and diabolical threat to the whole future."
Mr McLaughlin, speaking after a public meeting in Drogheda last night, said: "I think there is a very real possibility that the issue would be pushed to the point of giving us an either/or scenario and the either/or would be either the Agreement or decommissioning.
"My view - and this is my informed view - is that the IRA know that if they were to even make a token gesture, that would destabilise their leadership and ... nobody could predicate the consequences of that."
The new tension came as Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern held early morning talks in Germany to review the progress of continuing efforts to overcome the impasse on decommissioning and on efforts to complete the legislative framework by March 10 for the transfer of powers to the Assembly.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0563
Published Date: 26-Feb-99
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