TERROR GROUP BELIEVES IN USING THE BOMB WITHOUT THE BALLOT BOX
Terror group believes in using the bomb without the ballot box
By TOM BRADY
THE terrorist organisation behind Saturday's outrage in Omagh has no political direction, according to senior intelligence officers last night.
The self-styled Oglaigh na hEireann has links with the 32-County Sovereignty Committee and the latter is alleged to be its political wing.
But intelligence sources say it has no deep political thinkers and its primary aim is a military solution to the Northern troubles using the bomb without the ballot box.
The prime movers behind Oglaigh na hEireann are all experienced militarists and had little involvement with Sinn Fein while part of the Provisional movement.
Its leader, the former IRA quartermaster general, split with the Provisionals last October after being forced off its ruling army executive but had not been politically active with Sinn Fein for twenty years.
And its second most dangerous operator, the former IRA head of engineering, had also been out of Sinn Fein for more than a decade before he also defected from the military wing.
One of the few towns where the 32 County group has an active political presence is Omagh but despite that Sinn Fein has managed to increase its share of the nationalist vote there in recent elections.
The main public face behind the 32 County group is a sister of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. Mrs Bernadette Sands McKevitt was elected vice chairwoman of the group last year and has acted regularly as spokeswoman for the organisation.
She is closely supported by her husband, Mickey McKevitt (50), a long serving and hardline republican, and a tightly-woven band of supporters around their Dundalk and north Louth base.
Another veteran republican, Joe Dillon, initially acted as public relations officer for the group but he was arrested and charged following the seizure of explosives in Howth, Co Dublin last January.
In the South the political group is organised by a number of key players including former leading Cork republican Michael Burke and is also understood to have the support of convicted ex-IRA man Ciaran "Kiwi'' Dwyer.
One senior intelligence source told the Irish Independent last night: "The Provisionals learned that there was no pointing in planting a bomb unless you had a political strategy running alongside it. This group haven't even thought about the dual approach.''
After the formation of the 32 County Sovereignty group, Bernadette Sands McKevitt said she had never been a member of Sinn Fein and "refuted entirely'' suggestions that she was a former member of the IRA leadership.
She said she would support peace "most definitely'' and asked if she supported the current IRA ceasefire added: "I suppose I would, yes.''
But she admitted that her group had problems with the Mitchell Principles. "History has shown that partition has been the underlying problem and what's now on offer is more or less a modernised version of partition.''
By TOM BRADY
THE terrorist organisation behind Saturday's outrage in Omagh has no political direction, according to senior intelligence officers last night.
The self-styled Oglaigh na hEireann has links with the 32-County Sovereignty Committee and the latter is alleged to be its political wing.
But intelligence sources say it has no deep political thinkers and its primary aim is a military solution to the Northern troubles using the bomb without the ballot box.
The prime movers behind Oglaigh na hEireann are all experienced militarists and had little involvement with Sinn Fein while part of the Provisional movement.
Its leader, the former IRA quartermaster general, split with the Provisionals last October after being forced off its ruling army executive but had not been politically active with Sinn Fein for twenty years.
And its second most dangerous operator, the former IRA head of engineering, had also been out of Sinn Fein for more than a decade before he also defected from the military wing.
One of the few towns where the 32 County group has an active political presence is Omagh but despite that Sinn Fein has managed to increase its share of the nationalist vote there in recent elections.
The main public face behind the 32 County group is a sister of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. Mrs Bernadette Sands McKevitt was elected vice chairwoman of the group last year and has acted regularly as spokeswoman for the organisation.
She is closely supported by her husband, Mickey McKevitt (50), a long serving and hardline republican, and a tightly-woven band of supporters around their Dundalk and north Louth base.
Another veteran republican, Joe Dillon, initially acted as public relations officer for the group but he was arrested and charged following the seizure of explosives in Howth, Co Dublin last January.
In the South the political group is organised by a number of key players including former leading Cork republican Michael Burke and is also understood to have the support of convicted ex-IRA man Ciaran "Kiwi'' Dwyer.
One senior intelligence source told the Irish Independent last night: "The Provisionals learned that there was no pointing in planting a bomb unless you had a political strategy running alongside it. This group haven't even thought about the dual approach.''
After the formation of the 32 County Sovereignty group, Bernadette Sands McKevitt said she had never been a member of Sinn Fein and "refuted entirely'' suggestions that she was a former member of the IRA leadership.
She said she would support peace "most definitely'' and asked if she supported the current IRA ceasefire added: "I suppose I would, yes.''
But she admitted that her group had problems with the Mitchell Principles. "History has shown that partition has been the underlying problem and what's now on offer is more or less a modernised version of partition.''
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/004
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
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