BOMBERS OF OMAGH ARE CHIEF SUSPECTS
Bombers of Omagh are chief suspects
ALTHOUGH the RIRA claimed the firebomb attacks in Newry last week, the PSNI has not yet attributed them to any group.
A police spokeswoman said yesterday that the investigation has been handed over to the major investigation team at Newry and is still at an early stage. "Detectives are still examining the claim of responsibility made and are appealing for anyone who was shopping in the Cornmarket and Damolly Retail Park areas last Tuesday and may have noticed anything suspicious to contact them," she said.
The latest assessment of the RIRA by the IMC, in April, described it as "violent, ruthless and dangerous". The report said it continued to seek to enhance its capacity, partly through recruitment and the acquisition of munitions and through the acquisition of intelligence on members of the security forces. It had also committed "acts of violence and intimidation" and was involved in organised crime. The IMC said that RIRA's status was broadly the same as other dissident groups.
"The organisation has been involved in acts of violence, including shootings. It has gathered information on a variety of perceived targets."
It pointed the finger at the group for hoax devices in Londonderry and Ballymena in December and at a Newry police station in January. The IMC also blamed RIRA for a kidnapping/robbery in Londonderry in February, which secured �30,000, and an armed robbery in Ballymena the previous month. It has also been involved in extortion.
Two years ago, it was blamed for sending letter bombs to police DPP members and SDLP councillors Eamonn O'Neill in Castlewellan and Michael Carr in Warrenpoint.
In June last year, police recovered the body of 24-year old Armagh man Gareth O'Connor from Newry canal. He was on bail for charges of RIRA membership when he went missing and the PSNI attributed his death to the IRA.
The Real IRA emerged primarily because of the IRA's 1994 and 1997 ceasefires and Sinn Fein's signing of the Belfast Agreement in April, 1998. The 32-Sovereignty Committee is widely seen as the political organisation closest to its thinking. RIRA was responsible for the Omagh bombing, which killed 28 people and wounded 310 in 1998.
ALTHOUGH the RIRA claimed the firebomb attacks in Newry last week, the PSNI has not yet attributed them to any group.
A police spokeswoman said yesterday that the investigation has been handed over to the major investigation team at Newry and is still at an early stage. "Detectives are still examining the claim of responsibility made and are appealing for anyone who was shopping in the Cornmarket and Damolly Retail Park areas last Tuesday and may have noticed anything suspicious to contact them," she said.
The latest assessment of the RIRA by the IMC, in April, described it as "violent, ruthless and dangerous". The report said it continued to seek to enhance its capacity, partly through recruitment and the acquisition of munitions and through the acquisition of intelligence on members of the security forces. It had also committed "acts of violence and intimidation" and was involved in organised crime. The IMC said that RIRA's status was broadly the same as other dissident groups.
"The organisation has been involved in acts of violence, including shootings. It has gathered information on a variety of perceived targets."
It pointed the finger at the group for hoax devices in Londonderry and Ballymena in December and at a Newry police station in January. The IMC also blamed RIRA for a kidnapping/robbery in Londonderry in February, which secured �30,000, and an armed robbery in Ballymena the previous month. It has also been involved in extortion.
Two years ago, it was blamed for sending letter bombs to police DPP members and SDLP councillors Eamonn O'Neill in Castlewellan and Michael Carr in Warrenpoint.
In June last year, police recovered the body of 24-year old Armagh man Gareth O'Connor from Newry canal. He was on bail for charges of RIRA membership when he went missing and the PSNI attributed his death to the IRA.
The Real IRA emerged primarily because of the IRA's 1994 and 1997 ceasefires and Sinn Fein's signing of the Belfast Agreement in April, 1998. The 32-Sovereignty Committee is widely seen as the political organisation closest to its thinking. RIRA was responsible for the Omagh bombing, which killed 28 people and wounded 310 in 1998.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/655
Published Date: 16-Aug-06
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