SOCCER SUMMIT LED TO ANTI-TERROR VOW
SOCCER SUMMIT LED TO ANTI-TERROR VOW
By IAN HERNON
THE ANTI-TERROR plan which two governments hope will nab the Omagh bombers was hatched at a football match, Sunday Life can reveal.
Tony Blair and Irish Premier Bertie Ahern agreed last Christmas to jointly stamp down hard on any groups who used violence to wreck the Northern Ireland Peace Process. The venue was the VIP Box at Newcastle's St James's stadium, during a Newcastle v United Manchester United match. A Downing Street spokesman said "They got on very well at the game, and Mr Ahern agreed that there was popular support both sides of the Irish border for the peace agreement ... if anyone did resort to terror, he would be absolutely ruthless in dealing with them.
Last week, Ahern unveiled a "draconian" crackdown on terrorist renegades such as the Real IRA, whose bombing of Omagh left 28 dead.
On Tuesday, Blair will go further in his response to the outrage. The Prime Minister will fly to Belfast, where he will announce new curbs. His measures will make it easier to: Lock up members of an illegal terror group -convictions will be possible on the say-so of a senior police officer, provided that there is some back-up evidence. Tap the phones of terrorist suspects - restrictions on electronic eaves dropping will be eased to counter the latest threat. Confiscate the property of landlords, who allow their premises to be used as arms dumps or terrorist safe houses.
Ensure that former paramilitaries paroled early under the Good Friday Agreement are swiftly back inside if they show any signs of backing the RIRA. Government lawyers are still arguing over whether such measures can be put into effect using existing laws or whether they will need new legislation. If necessary, Blair will haul MPs back from their summer recess to push it through Parliament.
Security chiefs believe there will be no escape for the Omagh bombers because they have no support in local communities. And the low numbers of active RIRA members -now believed to be less than 80 - will make it easier to round them up.
Blair's key message is that the Omagh murderers have failed to wreck the peace process... and that the near universal horror at the slaughter may have strengthened it.
He will say: "This outrage has brought people together. Awful and appalling though it was, provided we keep our nerve, provided we keep the political process going, then good will come out of this evil." An aide said that the reaction had been so massive Omagh could be "the last horrific event" before real peace. The "relationship of trust" between Blair and Ahern has been strengthened, while the Prime Minister believes that Ulster First Minister, David Trimble showed "real qualities of leadership".
Blair also believes that the clear condemnation of the bombing by Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness was "significant and sincere". They expressed the disgust of the republican movement and showed that the RIRA renegades have "no friends at home or abroad".
Mr Blair will stress "it is important to show that the peace process was strong enough to withstand such a horrific tragedy".
By IAN HERNON
THE ANTI-TERROR plan which two governments hope will nab the Omagh bombers was hatched at a football match, Sunday Life can reveal.
Tony Blair and Irish Premier Bertie Ahern agreed last Christmas to jointly stamp down hard on any groups who used violence to wreck the Northern Ireland Peace Process. The venue was the VIP Box at Newcastle's St James's stadium, during a Newcastle v United Manchester United match. A Downing Street spokesman said "They got on very well at the game, and Mr Ahern agreed that there was popular support both sides of the Irish border for the peace agreement ... if anyone did resort to terror, he would be absolutely ruthless in dealing with them.
Last week, Ahern unveiled a "draconian" crackdown on terrorist renegades such as the Real IRA, whose bombing of Omagh left 28 dead.
On Tuesday, Blair will go further in his response to the outrage. The Prime Minister will fly to Belfast, where he will announce new curbs. His measures will make it easier to: Lock up members of an illegal terror group -convictions will be possible on the say-so of a senior police officer, provided that there is some back-up evidence. Tap the phones of terrorist suspects - restrictions on electronic eaves dropping will be eased to counter the latest threat. Confiscate the property of landlords, who allow their premises to be used as arms dumps or terrorist safe houses.
Ensure that former paramilitaries paroled early under the Good Friday Agreement are swiftly back inside if they show any signs of backing the RIRA. Government lawyers are still arguing over whether such measures can be put into effect using existing laws or whether they will need new legislation. If necessary, Blair will haul MPs back from their summer recess to push it through Parliament.
Security chiefs believe there will be no escape for the Omagh bombers because they have no support in local communities. And the low numbers of active RIRA members -now believed to be less than 80 - will make it easier to round them up.
Blair's key message is that the Omagh murderers have failed to wreck the peace process... and that the near universal horror at the slaughter may have strengthened it.
He will say: "This outrage has brought people together. Awful and appalling though it was, provided we keep our nerve, provided we keep the political process going, then good will come out of this evil." An aide said that the reaction had been so massive Omagh could be "the last horrific event" before real peace. The "relationship of trust" between Blair and Ahern has been strengthened, while the Prime Minister believes that Ulster First Minister, David Trimble showed "real qualities of leadership".
Blair also believes that the clear condemnation of the bombing by Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness was "significant and sincere". They expressed the disgust of the republican movement and showed that the RIRA renegades have "no friends at home or abroad".
Mr Blair will stress "it is important to show that the peace process was strong enough to withstand such a horrific tragedy".
Further Information
Publisher: SUNDAY LIFE
Ref: SL/038
Published Date: 23-Aug-98
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