STOP FREEING PRISONERS DONALDSON DEMANDS
Stop freeing prisoners Donaldson demands
By MERVYN PAULEY
THE Government came under Ulster Unionist pressure yesterday to halt the release of terrorist prisoners and to ensure there is no place in government for Sinn Fein ahead of an arms handover.
MPs Jeffrey Donaldson and the Rev Martin Smyth made separate calls for a stronger Labour line on the hot-potato issues as Tony Blair prepared to fly to Belfast to announce a security crackdown.
Lagan Valley MP Mr Donaldson, who opposed the Good Friday deal over the early release scheme, insisted no terrorists should be allowed out of jail until a start was made on arms decommissioning.
"It is clear from what security sources tell me that some of the vital components used in the Omagh bomb were taken from IRA arms dumps, including the detonator and the Semtex explosive," he said.
"Therefore it is absolutely crucial that the Government holds all representatives of terrorist organisations who have signed up to the Agreement to account and insists they deliver on decommissioning.''
Mr Donaldson warned there could be dire consequences as a result of prison releases.
He said: "There is some evidence to suggest that some of the IRA people who have defected to the Real IRA are in fact former prisoners.
"The Government needs to be absolutely sure that terrorist organisations, and the individual prisoners, have given up violence for all time.
"Otherwise what guarantee have we that some of the prisoners released in the future won't defect to organisations like the Real IRA?"
According to reports, an IRA terrorist recently freed in Eire defected to the Real IRA. Moves get under way next month for the first of the republican and loyalist prison in the Maze to be let out under the terms of the Stormont deal.
Mr Donaldson insisted: "Government must demand, on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland, that terrorist organisations keep their side of the Agreement."
Sir John Blelloch, joint chairman of the Prison Sentence Review Commission, which decides which prisoners should be freed, defended the body from Mr Donaldson's criticism.
Its job was to apply the criteria set out in the Sentencing Act, he said.
"The Commissioners are appalled by what happened in Omagh. We grieve for the families and communities. But we feel that as an instrument of the Good Friday Agreement, we must get on with our job until the Government tells us otherwise.
"The decisions we make about who can go out and who can stay inside are laid down in the Act. It is the Act that will drive what we do."
Sir John said that people freed under the Act were under licence, which could be revoked if they reoffended.
Meanwhile Mr Smyth, the South Belfast MR said: "Peace in a democracy can never be promoted by giving practitioners of terror a built-in place in executive government.
"Real peace will come when republicans hand over or destroy their weapons and give evidence against the perpetrators of terror.
"It will not come when they exercise their kangaroo courts and execute those who have embarrassed them."
UUP member Alex Kane said: "Mr Blair should deploy the full might of the UK's military, intelligence, political and policing resources to remove terrorist weapons and explosives - not within two years and not in tandem with political progress. The removal should begin today."
By MERVYN PAULEY
THE Government came under Ulster Unionist pressure yesterday to halt the release of terrorist prisoners and to ensure there is no place in government for Sinn Fein ahead of an arms handover.
MPs Jeffrey Donaldson and the Rev Martin Smyth made separate calls for a stronger Labour line on the hot-potato issues as Tony Blair prepared to fly to Belfast to announce a security crackdown.
Lagan Valley MP Mr Donaldson, who opposed the Good Friday deal over the early release scheme, insisted no terrorists should be allowed out of jail until a start was made on arms decommissioning.
"It is clear from what security sources tell me that some of the vital components used in the Omagh bomb were taken from IRA arms dumps, including the detonator and the Semtex explosive," he said.
"Therefore it is absolutely crucial that the Government holds all representatives of terrorist organisations who have signed up to the Agreement to account and insists they deliver on decommissioning.''
Mr Donaldson warned there could be dire consequences as a result of prison releases.
He said: "There is some evidence to suggest that some of the IRA people who have defected to the Real IRA are in fact former prisoners.
"The Government needs to be absolutely sure that terrorist organisations, and the individual prisoners, have given up violence for all time.
"Otherwise what guarantee have we that some of the prisoners released in the future won't defect to organisations like the Real IRA?"
According to reports, an IRA terrorist recently freed in Eire defected to the Real IRA. Moves get under way next month for the first of the republican and loyalist prison in the Maze to be let out under the terms of the Stormont deal.
Mr Donaldson insisted: "Government must demand, on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland, that terrorist organisations keep their side of the Agreement."
Sir John Blelloch, joint chairman of the Prison Sentence Review Commission, which decides which prisoners should be freed, defended the body from Mr Donaldson's criticism.
Its job was to apply the criteria set out in the Sentencing Act, he said.
"The Commissioners are appalled by what happened in Omagh. We grieve for the families and communities. But we feel that as an instrument of the Good Friday Agreement, we must get on with our job until the Government tells us otherwise.
"The decisions we make about who can go out and who can stay inside are laid down in the Act. It is the Act that will drive what we do."
Sir John said that people freed under the Act were under licence, which could be revoked if they reoffended.
Meanwhile Mr Smyth, the South Belfast MR said: "Peace in a democracy can never be promoted by giving practitioners of terror a built-in place in executive government.
"Real peace will come when republicans hand over or destroy their weapons and give evidence against the perpetrators of terror.
"It will not come when they exercise their kangaroo courts and execute those who have embarrassed them."
UUP member Alex Kane said: "Mr Blair should deploy the full might of the UK's military, intelligence, political and policing resources to remove terrorist weapons and explosives - not within two years and not in tandem with political progress. The removal should begin today."
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/103
Published Date: 25-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.