NETTING OF SUSPECTS TO REMAIN WEAPON OF LAST RESORT
Netting of suspects to remain weapon of last resort
By BRIAN DOWLING Political Staff
ALTHOUGH the Government is keeping the option of internment open it still poses grave political difficulties.
When the British Government introduced internment in the North in August 1971 it effectively spawned a new generation of IRA members - the operation resulted in many innocent people being incarcerated.
In the months leading up to the Good Friday Agreement there was a view that internment might be a realistic option in a situation where the agreement was endorsed North and South but dissidents would subsequently try to wreck it.
The thinking was that the agreement backed by massive public support would create a political and security atmosphere where internment could be considered as a weapon against maverick paramilitaries who attempted to undermine a democratic vote.
For internment to work would require pinpoint intelligence by security forces in both parts of the island and its implementation would have to be precisely targeted. The real danger, would be a botched operation which only benefit dissidents.
For those reasons senior political and security figures believe a knee-jerk reaction of immediate internment would play into the hands of hardliners intent on wrecking the peace process and could create serious political difficulties for the Sinn Fein leadership and exacerbate the split in the IRA.
The most worrying aspect of the Omagh attack is that there is little in the way of a political response to prevent further such attacks. The only political option is the Good Friday Agreement and its implementation.
In that respect the Taoiseach, the Government and security advisers are working to devise a security response that is effective while at the same time does not provide any grounds for extremists to exploit.
The Taoiseach said he was ready to be "ruthless" in suppressing any dissident group. This fueled a view that internment was under serious and active consideration but all the indications last night were that the Government would deploy every security weapon at its disposal, short of rounding up people.
Internment remains a weapon of last resort and although the government would be reluctant to embark on such a course the Taoiseach stressed it would not yield its right to do so if it was the only means available to stopping further violence.
By BRIAN DOWLING Political Staff
ALTHOUGH the Government is keeping the option of internment open it still poses grave political difficulties.
When the British Government introduced internment in the North in August 1971 it effectively spawned a new generation of IRA members - the operation resulted in many innocent people being incarcerated.
In the months leading up to the Good Friday Agreement there was a view that internment might be a realistic option in a situation where the agreement was endorsed North and South but dissidents would subsequently try to wreck it.
The thinking was that the agreement backed by massive public support would create a political and security atmosphere where internment could be considered as a weapon against maverick paramilitaries who attempted to undermine a democratic vote.
For internment to work would require pinpoint intelligence by security forces in both parts of the island and its implementation would have to be precisely targeted. The real danger, would be a botched operation which only benefit dissidents.
For those reasons senior political and security figures believe a knee-jerk reaction of immediate internment would play into the hands of hardliners intent on wrecking the peace process and could create serious political difficulties for the Sinn Fein leadership and exacerbate the split in the IRA.
The most worrying aspect of the Omagh attack is that there is little in the way of a political response to prevent further such attacks. The only political option is the Good Friday Agreement and its implementation.
In that respect the Taoiseach, the Government and security advisers are working to devise a security response that is effective while at the same time does not provide any grounds for extremists to exploit.
The Taoiseach said he was ready to be "ruthless" in suppressing any dissident group. This fueled a view that internment was under serious and active consideration but all the indications last night were that the Government would deploy every security weapon at its disposal, short of rounding up people.
Internment remains a weapon of last resort and although the government would be reluctant to embark on such a course the Taoiseach stressed it would not yield its right to do so if it was the only means available to stopping further violence.
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/021
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
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