HUNT FOR BOMBERS GOES ON
Hunt for bombers goes on
By Michael O'Toole
Dublin Correspondent
THE Irish government last night pledged to track down the Omagh bombers despite a ceasefire declaration by the Real IRA.
Sources closed to the dissident group responsible for the bomb attack that killed 29 people admitted last night that "physical force republicanism is gone for a long time".
And Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that intelligence reports had satisfied him that the Real IRA's cessation of violence was genuine.
But he warned there would be no let up in the hunt for the Omagh bombers.
His pledge was backed up by Tanaiste Mary Harney who said: "No deal was done with this group. No deal will be done with this group.
"It would not be acceptable to even contemplate doing a deal with a group of people that could carry out the kind of atrocity that was carried out in Omagh.
"The Omagh bombers are not covered by the Belfast agreement on Northern Ireland. That event took place afterwards.
One source close to the dissident group last night rushed to pour cold water on claims that the Real IRA cessation came about as a result of threats made to dissidents by members of the Provisionals last week.
He described those threats as a "public relations exercise" and said there was little possibility of them being carried out.
And he said he believed the Draconian measures introduced by the Irish and British governments in the aftermath would not now be used.
He predicted that the Garda and RUC would now only target alleged members about whom they had sufficient proof to pursue a prosecution.
The source said "I don't think the governments ever wanted to use these new laws.
"I don't think they ever wanted to have one wing of a prison filling up with men, while in another wing all the Provos are being released."
But government sources rubbished these claims, saying that any person involved in any of the bomb attacks linked to the Real IRA would be targeted by gardai.
The group announced a suspension of "all military operations" three days after it launched the Omagh attack.
Sources later said their campaign of violence was "futile" and that a ceasefire was inevitable.
But there was one main reason why it took so long for the ceasefire to be announced - members had to convince the group leader and another high ranking dissident that a cessation was the only option left to them.
The men - a former IRA quartermaster in Dundalk and the former chief of engineering for the Provisionals based in lnchicore in west Dublin - were both adamant that the suspension should stand and that the dust would soon settle from the Omagh atrocity.
But it now appears that they have been persuaded to call a full cessation.
It is claimed that the group's strategy is to let the 32 County Sovereignty Movement - which has been consistently linked to the Real IRA - proceed with a legal battle in the United Nations later this month.
The 32 County group last night pledged to intensify its efforts to prevent "some within the wider Republican family" of "accepting British Sovereignty".
The RIRA is thought to have held a convention in recent days which allowed the ceasefire in order to help the 32 County Sovereignty Movement in its challenge - as well as prevent their members being rounded up by gardai and the RUC.
By Michael O'Toole
Dublin Correspondent
THE Irish government last night pledged to track down the Omagh bombers despite a ceasefire declaration by the Real IRA.
Sources closed to the dissident group responsible for the bomb attack that killed 29 people admitted last night that "physical force republicanism is gone for a long time".
And Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that intelligence reports had satisfied him that the Real IRA's cessation of violence was genuine.
But he warned there would be no let up in the hunt for the Omagh bombers.
His pledge was backed up by Tanaiste Mary Harney who said: "No deal was done with this group. No deal will be done with this group.
"It would not be acceptable to even contemplate doing a deal with a group of people that could carry out the kind of atrocity that was carried out in Omagh.
"The Omagh bombers are not covered by the Belfast agreement on Northern Ireland. That event took place afterwards.
One source close to the dissident group last night rushed to pour cold water on claims that the Real IRA cessation came about as a result of threats made to dissidents by members of the Provisionals last week.
He described those threats as a "public relations exercise" and said there was little possibility of them being carried out.
And he said he believed the Draconian measures introduced by the Irish and British governments in the aftermath would not now be used.
He predicted that the Garda and RUC would now only target alleged members about whom they had sufficient proof to pursue a prosecution.
The source said "I don't think the governments ever wanted to use these new laws.
"I don't think they ever wanted to have one wing of a prison filling up with men, while in another wing all the Provos are being released."
But government sources rubbished these claims, saying that any person involved in any of the bomb attacks linked to the Real IRA would be targeted by gardai.
The group announced a suspension of "all military operations" three days after it launched the Omagh attack.
Sources later said their campaign of violence was "futile" and that a ceasefire was inevitable.
But there was one main reason why it took so long for the ceasefire to be announced - members had to convince the group leader and another high ranking dissident that a cessation was the only option left to them.
The men - a former IRA quartermaster in Dundalk and the former chief of engineering for the Provisionals based in lnchicore in west Dublin - were both adamant that the suspension should stand and that the dust would soon settle from the Omagh atrocity.
But it now appears that they have been persuaded to call a full cessation.
It is claimed that the group's strategy is to let the 32 County Sovereignty Movement - which has been consistently linked to the Real IRA - proceed with a legal battle in the United Nations later this month.
The 32 County group last night pledged to intensify its efforts to prevent "some within the wider Republican family" of "accepting British Sovereignty".
The RIRA is thought to have held a convention in recent days which allowed the ceasefire in order to help the 32 County Sovereignty Movement in its challenge - as well as prevent their members being rounded up by gardai and the RUC.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0378
Published Date: 09-Sep-98
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