DECISIVE ACTION MUST BE NOW
Decisive action must be now
FINDING an appropriate and effective security response to the Omagh bombing is now the main priority of both the Irish and British governments.
In the search for decisive action, some have suggested that selective internment - on both sides of the border - might be an effective weapon against the enemies of the peace process.
Powers of internment were scrapped in Northern Ireland by the new Labour government last November, but remain on the law books in the Republic. It's understood the power could be reintroduced in Northern Ireland relatively easily.
The number of active renegade republicans is generally considered to be quite small. The identity and whereabouts of their leaders is thought to be well known to the security forces.
The thinking goes that with powers of internment the security forces, on both sides of the border, could round-up these individuals and halt their murderous activities.
Unlike the 1971 operation in Northern Ireland which was brutal, indiscriminate and entirely counterproductive; this new sweep would be controlled, precise and effective.
It would be effective not only operationally, but politically. Because unlike 1971, this time internment would be on an all-Ireland basis and would have the support of the vast majority of the population, including pro-agreement republicans.
But this analysis is dismissed as "wishful thinking" by republicans who support the peace process, and police sources also warn that knee-jerk responses could be counterproductive.
Well-placed republican sources told the Irish News that internment could play into the hands of renegades because the issue has such huge significance within the wider republican community.
The general feeling was that it would give renegades a cause celebre and would therefore be a "fundamental mistake" encouraging the involvement of a wide range of groups and individuals such as international justice groups.
Republicans warn that there are no "quick fixes". They view Gerry Adams' condemnation of the bombing as highly significant and point to the united response across the political spectrum.
The public demands a quick response from the political leaders, but that is unlikely to mean a quick solution.
FINDING an appropriate and effective security response to the Omagh bombing is now the main priority of both the Irish and British governments.
In the search for decisive action, some have suggested that selective internment - on both sides of the border - might be an effective weapon against the enemies of the peace process.
Powers of internment were scrapped in Northern Ireland by the new Labour government last November, but remain on the law books in the Republic. It's understood the power could be reintroduced in Northern Ireland relatively easily.
The number of active renegade republicans is generally considered to be quite small. The identity and whereabouts of their leaders is thought to be well known to the security forces.
The thinking goes that with powers of internment the security forces, on both sides of the border, could round-up these individuals and halt their murderous activities.
Unlike the 1971 operation in Northern Ireland which was brutal, indiscriminate and entirely counterproductive; this new sweep would be controlled, precise and effective.
It would be effective not only operationally, but politically. Because unlike 1971, this time internment would be on an all-Ireland basis and would have the support of the vast majority of the population, including pro-agreement republicans.
But this analysis is dismissed as "wishful thinking" by republicans who support the peace process, and police sources also warn that knee-jerk responses could be counterproductive.
Well-placed republican sources told the Irish News that internment could play into the hands of renegades because the issue has such huge significance within the wider republican community.
The general feeling was that it would give renegades a cause celebre and would therefore be a "fundamental mistake" encouraging the involvement of a wide range of groups and individuals such as international justice groups.
Republicans warn that there are no "quick fixes". They view Gerry Adams' condemnation of the bombing as highly significant and point to the united response across the political spectrum.
The public demands a quick response from the political leaders, but that is unlikely to mean a quick solution.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0011
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
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