UNIONISTS ATTACK IRA HYPOCRISY
Unionists attack IRA 'hypocrisy
Interview sparks condemnation
By Niall Blaney
UNIONISTS yesterday accused the IRA of "cherry-picking" after it called on the dissident republican group behind the Omagh bombing to disband.
First Minister David Trimble said it was "not good enough" that the IRA failed to use the statement to declare its war was over.
Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson said the Provisional IRA was guilty of gross hypocrisy.
The paramilitary group warned the Real IRA it must dissolve "sooner rather than later".
And it pledged to alleviate the suffering of the families of the disappeared.
Mr Donaldson, MP for Lagan Valley, said: "It is hypocritical of the Provisional IRA to be calling on the Real IRA to disband when the Provisionals have shown no willingness to disband their larger and much more dangerous terrorist group.
"If the IRA wants to promote the peace process it should do so by immediately implementing the requirements set out in the Good Friday agreement, including the decommissioning of all illegal weapons."
He said It was telling that the IRA statement, made in the republican newspaper An Phoblacht/Republican News, did not give any indication of IRA decommissioning.
"The IRA is happy to have its prisoners released and have its representatives having seats in government, but it is not prepared to take the steps required of it - to decommission and say that the war is over. They must realise that they cannot cherry-pick parts of the Belfast agreement."
Mr Donaldson said the IRA had been hinting at revealing the graves of the disappeared for some time, but to no avail.
"All they have done is to add to the agony of the families. All the leaks to the press have led to nothing."
In the An Phoblacht interview the IRA spokesman said the Omagh bombing had damaged the republican struggle for independence.
He said: "They (the Real IRA) should disband and they should do so sooner rather than later."
He said the dissident group's suspension of military action was "not enough".
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams welcomed the IRA statement as "positive".
He said: "Sinn Fein welcomes the position and the helpful tone of this week's AP/RN interview with the leadership of the IRA.
"There is a collective responsibility on political leaders to match the public mood by working hard to quickly implement the provisions of the Good Friday agreement.
"This means speedy progress on the time-frame, institutions and political process put in place in April by the agreement," added the Sinn Fein leader.
Fine Gael leader John Bruton said the IRA's refusal to decommission was "a calculated defiance of democratic authority".
And he said only bodies authori Oireachtas were entitled to us" maintain a private army.
He said: "This is fundamental to concept of civic republicanism.
"It is unthinkable that a associated with a private army t defying the state's laws simultaneously sit at the cabini this or any other jurisdiction."
The Fine Gael leader said minister with a private army a would not be on the same level a minister with no private army.
He added: "The refusal of the I say that the war is over is a fu defiance of the agreement.
"This is not a word game. Refi the war is over means that the IR the right to use warfare to get defiance of the democratically will of the people of Ireland, south."
The human rights group FA welcomed the IRA's intention to whereabouts of the graves disappeared.
A spokesman said: "At long last that we are getting some positivi this issue. No one could possit the-, terrible emotional agony families of the disappeared ha' because they cannot even give relatives a decent Christian burial.
Interview sparks condemnation
By Niall Blaney
UNIONISTS yesterday accused the IRA of "cherry-picking" after it called on the dissident republican group behind the Omagh bombing to disband.
First Minister David Trimble said it was "not good enough" that the IRA failed to use the statement to declare its war was over.
Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson said the Provisional IRA was guilty of gross hypocrisy.
The paramilitary group warned the Real IRA it must dissolve "sooner rather than later".
And it pledged to alleviate the suffering of the families of the disappeared.
Mr Donaldson, MP for Lagan Valley, said: "It is hypocritical of the Provisional IRA to be calling on the Real IRA to disband when the Provisionals have shown no willingness to disband their larger and much more dangerous terrorist group.
"If the IRA wants to promote the peace process it should do so by immediately implementing the requirements set out in the Good Friday agreement, including the decommissioning of all illegal weapons."
He said It was telling that the IRA statement, made in the republican newspaper An Phoblacht/Republican News, did not give any indication of IRA decommissioning.
"The IRA is happy to have its prisoners released and have its representatives having seats in government, but it is not prepared to take the steps required of it - to decommission and say that the war is over. They must realise that they cannot cherry-pick parts of the Belfast agreement."
Mr Donaldson said the IRA had been hinting at revealing the graves of the disappeared for some time, but to no avail.
"All they have done is to add to the agony of the families. All the leaks to the press have led to nothing."
In the An Phoblacht interview the IRA spokesman said the Omagh bombing had damaged the republican struggle for independence.
He said: "They (the Real IRA) should disband and they should do so sooner rather than later."
He said the dissident group's suspension of military action was "not enough".
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams welcomed the IRA statement as "positive".
He said: "Sinn Fein welcomes the position and the helpful tone of this week's AP/RN interview with the leadership of the IRA.
"There is a collective responsibility on political leaders to match the public mood by working hard to quickly implement the provisions of the Good Friday agreement.
"This means speedy progress on the time-frame, institutions and political process put in place in April by the agreement," added the Sinn Fein leader.
Fine Gael leader John Bruton said the IRA's refusal to decommission was "a calculated defiance of democratic authority".
And he said only bodies authori Oireachtas were entitled to us" maintain a private army.
He said: "This is fundamental to concept of civic republicanism.
"It is unthinkable that a associated with a private army t defying the state's laws simultaneously sit at the cabini this or any other jurisdiction."
The Fine Gael leader said minister with a private army a would not be on the same level a minister with no private army.
He added: "The refusal of the I say that the war is over is a fu defiance of the agreement.
"This is not a word game. Refi the war is over means that the IR the right to use warfare to get defiance of the democratically will of the people of Ireland, south."
The human rights group FA welcomed the IRA's intention to whereabouts of the graves disappeared.
A spokesman said: "At long last that we are getting some positivi this issue. No one could possit the-, terrible emotional agony families of the disappeared ha' because they cannot even give relatives a decent Christian burial.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0342
Published Date: 01-Sep-98
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