OMAGH BOMB BUILT BT RIRA DELIVERED BY CIRA
Omagh bomb built by RIRA, delivered by CIRA'
By Diarmaid Mac Dermott and Liz Walsh
FBI agent David Rupert told the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday that the alleged leader of the Real IRA, Michael McKevitt, told him that the August 1998 Omagh bombing, was a joint operation by the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA.
Mr Rupert said McKevitt told him during his first face-to-face meeting with him at the Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan in September 1999 that he claimed "20 per cent responsibility" for Omagh and gave "80 per cent" to the Continuity IRA.
It was claimed that McKevitt said the Real IRA had acquired the car and built the bomb but had given it to the Continuity IRA to pick the target and deliver it.
Mr Rupert said McKevitt was "horribly upset" because the device had gone to Omagh. He said McKevitt was upset because the bomb could not be left at the intended spot and was driven down the road where it exploded, killing 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.
Mr Rupert (51), an American businessman who agreed to infiltrate dissident republicans for the FBI and the British Security Service (MI5), told the court of his first encounter with McKevitt, the first person charged in the Republic with directing terrorism.
Sitting in the witness box just feet away from McKevitt, the 6ft 8in-tall American told of his first impressions of McKevitt and how they "clicked" right away.
It was the fourth day of the trial of Michael McKevitt (53), of Beech Park, Blackrock, Co Louth, who pleaded not guilty to two charges - membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA, between August 29 1999 and March 28 2001 and to directing the activities of the same organisation between March 29 1999 and October 23 2000.
Mr Rupert told prosecuting counsel George Birmingham SC that he met Micky Donnelly, from Derry, when he attended a Republican Sinn Fein (RSF) Ard Fheis in Dublin.
He said Mr Donnelly was "hardcore Continuity Army". He was the OC in Derry and was also on the RSF Ard Comhairle.
Mr Rupert said his impression of RSF was "let's talk about it, let's collect money for it, but let's not do anything about it because we might end up in jail.
But Micky Donnelly's attitude was - let's do some damage".
He said that during one trip in late 1999 veteran Co Donegal republican Joe O'Neill spoke to him about a couple of people.
He mentioned a John Joe McCusker, from near Enniskillen, who, it was claimed, was second in command behind Des Long of the Continuity IRA.
The court heard that Geraldine Taylor, from Belfast, was mentioned as Republican Sinn Fein's person in Belfast and also the 'army' person in Belfast.
Mr Rupert said that he had, at Mr O'Neill's direction, got in contact in the US with Frank O'Neill who was involved in the Irish Freedom Committee, the main dissident republican group in Chicago.
Mr Rupert said that, through his contacts, he had become " a major sidekick of the Irish Freedom Committee in the US".
About the same time, Micky Donnelly started talking to him about a new group that was forming from remnants of the Real IRA. He spoke about Bernadette Sands McKevitt and Michael McKevitt.
Mr Rupert said Mr Donnelly suggested to him that "higher ups" wanted to meet him and when he reported this to his British Security Service contacts, he was told to hold back and see what developed.
The court heard that on a Sunday morning in September 1999 a meeting took place in the Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan between McKevitt, Mr Donnelly, Mr Rupert, Seamus McGrane and Philip Kent.
Mr Rupert said Seamus McGrane was introduced to him as head of training for the army.
"The meeting went real smooth. I liked Mr McKevitt - he was pretty personable. I liked him, I felt the feeling was mutual," he said.
Mr Rupert said he and McKevitt talked about an army conference in June 1999 on a beach in lnishowen when members of the Continuity Army, the INLA, the Real IRA and some members of the Provisional IRA came together under the new name of Oglaigh na hEireann.
He was told that McKevitt's was not head of the army council because he did not want it to be known as his army.
But Mr Rupert added: "I took it to be that he was the man in charge."
It was claimed that McKevitt had taken about 98 per cent of the Continuity IRA, all of the Real IRA, a number of INLA and a few members of PIRA.
The FBI agent said he was told that they were in the process of retraining the Continuity IRA and preparing for a campaign.
McKevitt was "on the Continuity Army real bad" and spoke of a weapons contract with the Balkans.
He said that Des Long came to the table with the contract for the Weapons and wanted to split the weapons with McKevitt who. had set up the transportation arrangements, but the Continuity never came up with their share of the money and McKevitt got the money, the deal and all the weapons.
Mr Rupert said McKevitt again claimed that he was not head of the army council.
"I have been in business and long time and when you meet the man in charge it's not hard to tell," he said.
He said he was given a command structure to report to and McKevitt was number one, Liam Campbell number two and Bernadette Sands McKevitt, number three.
They discussed the Omagh bomb which Mr Rupert said was "a black mark even to the hardest of hard core republicans".
McKevitt said there had been an agreement for a joint claim between the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA for the bomb but the Real IRA claimed responsibility and then Ruairi O Bradaigh made a speech denouncing the bomb, leaving the Real IRA in a "hot spot".
McKevitt also mentioned a campaign in England and a plan to carry out cyber terrorism.
He asked Mr Rupert to approach Joe O'Neill with a view to RSF becoming the political front for Oglaigh na hEireann. Mr Rupert said McKevitt could not approach RSF because he and Ruairi O Bradaigh had fallen out.
The court heard that McKevitt also proposed that Mr Rupert should take up the role of liaison member of the army council for the US and Mr Rupert agreed to try to bring American support on board.
Before he left Ireland he broached with Joe O'Neill the subject that McKevitt had asked him to do.
"Joe O'Neill's initial reaction was 'over my dead body'... That particular night at Joe O'Neill's was the last time I saw him in person," he said.
The trial continues.
By Diarmaid Mac Dermott and Liz Walsh
FBI agent David Rupert told the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday that the alleged leader of the Real IRA, Michael McKevitt, told him that the August 1998 Omagh bombing, was a joint operation by the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA.
Mr Rupert said McKevitt told him during his first face-to-face meeting with him at the Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan in September 1999 that he claimed "20 per cent responsibility" for Omagh and gave "80 per cent" to the Continuity IRA.
It was claimed that McKevitt said the Real IRA had acquired the car and built the bomb but had given it to the Continuity IRA to pick the target and deliver it.
Mr Rupert said McKevitt was "horribly upset" because the device had gone to Omagh. He said McKevitt was upset because the bomb could not be left at the intended spot and was driven down the road where it exploded, killing 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.
Mr Rupert (51), an American businessman who agreed to infiltrate dissident republicans for the FBI and the British Security Service (MI5), told the court of his first encounter with McKevitt, the first person charged in the Republic with directing terrorism.
Sitting in the witness box just feet away from McKevitt, the 6ft 8in-tall American told of his first impressions of McKevitt and how they "clicked" right away.
It was the fourth day of the trial of Michael McKevitt (53), of Beech Park, Blackrock, Co Louth, who pleaded not guilty to two charges - membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA, between August 29 1999 and March 28 2001 and to directing the activities of the same organisation between March 29 1999 and October 23 2000.
Mr Rupert told prosecuting counsel George Birmingham SC that he met Micky Donnelly, from Derry, when he attended a Republican Sinn Fein (RSF) Ard Fheis in Dublin.
He said Mr Donnelly was "hardcore Continuity Army". He was the OC in Derry and was also on the RSF Ard Comhairle.
Mr Rupert said his impression of RSF was "let's talk about it, let's collect money for it, but let's not do anything about it because we might end up in jail.
But Micky Donnelly's attitude was - let's do some damage".
He said that during one trip in late 1999 veteran Co Donegal republican Joe O'Neill spoke to him about a couple of people.
He mentioned a John Joe McCusker, from near Enniskillen, who, it was claimed, was second in command behind Des Long of the Continuity IRA.
The court heard that Geraldine Taylor, from Belfast, was mentioned as Republican Sinn Fein's person in Belfast and also the 'army' person in Belfast.
Mr Rupert said that he had, at Mr O'Neill's direction, got in contact in the US with Frank O'Neill who was involved in the Irish Freedom Committee, the main dissident republican group in Chicago.
Mr Rupert said that, through his contacts, he had become " a major sidekick of the Irish Freedom Committee in the US".
About the same time, Micky Donnelly started talking to him about a new group that was forming from remnants of the Real IRA. He spoke about Bernadette Sands McKevitt and Michael McKevitt.
Mr Rupert said Mr Donnelly suggested to him that "higher ups" wanted to meet him and when he reported this to his British Security Service contacts, he was told to hold back and see what developed.
The court heard that on a Sunday morning in September 1999 a meeting took place in the Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan between McKevitt, Mr Donnelly, Mr Rupert, Seamus McGrane and Philip Kent.
Mr Rupert said Seamus McGrane was introduced to him as head of training for the army.
"The meeting went real smooth. I liked Mr McKevitt - he was pretty personable. I liked him, I felt the feeling was mutual," he said.
Mr Rupert said he and McKevitt talked about an army conference in June 1999 on a beach in lnishowen when members of the Continuity Army, the INLA, the Real IRA and some members of the Provisional IRA came together under the new name of Oglaigh na hEireann.
He was told that McKevitt's was not head of the army council because he did not want it to be known as his army.
But Mr Rupert added: "I took it to be that he was the man in charge."
It was claimed that McKevitt had taken about 98 per cent of the Continuity IRA, all of the Real IRA, a number of INLA and a few members of PIRA.
The FBI agent said he was told that they were in the process of retraining the Continuity IRA and preparing for a campaign.
McKevitt was "on the Continuity Army real bad" and spoke of a weapons contract with the Balkans.
He said that Des Long came to the table with the contract for the Weapons and wanted to split the weapons with McKevitt who. had set up the transportation arrangements, but the Continuity never came up with their share of the money and McKevitt got the money, the deal and all the weapons.
Mr Rupert said McKevitt again claimed that he was not head of the army council.
"I have been in business and long time and when you meet the man in charge it's not hard to tell," he said.
He said he was given a command structure to report to and McKevitt was number one, Liam Campbell number two and Bernadette Sands McKevitt, number three.
They discussed the Omagh bomb which Mr Rupert said was "a black mark even to the hardest of hard core republicans".
McKevitt said there had been an agreement for a joint claim between the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA for the bomb but the Real IRA claimed responsibility and then Ruairi O Bradaigh made a speech denouncing the bomb, leaving the Real IRA in a "hot spot".
McKevitt also mentioned a campaign in England and a plan to carry out cyber terrorism.
He asked Mr Rupert to approach Joe O'Neill with a view to RSF becoming the political front for Oglaigh na hEireann. Mr Rupert said McKevitt could not approach RSF because he and Ruairi O Bradaigh had fallen out.
The court heard that McKevitt also proposed that Mr Rupert should take up the role of liaison member of the army council for the US and Mr Rupert agreed to try to bring American support on board.
Before he left Ireland he broached with Joe O'Neill the subject that McKevitt had asked him to do.
"Joe O'Neill's initial reaction was 'over my dead body'... That particular night at Joe O'Neill's was the last time I saw him in person," he said.
The trial continues.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0595
Published Date: 25-Jun-03
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