HOPES OF AN END TO VIOLENCE AS REAL IRA CALL CEASEFIRE
Hopes of an end to violence as 'Real IRA' call ceasefire
THERE are now hopes that the suffering endured by the people of Omagh will be the last seen in Northern Ireland, following the announcement of a ceasefire by the so-called Real IRA, Omagh District Council vice-chairman, Mr. Allan Rainey, said yesterday (Wednesday).
The Real IRA carried out the Omagh bomb attack which killed 29 people and injured hundreds of others. On Monday night it announced "a complete cessation of all military activity."
While there has been a general welcome for the ceasefire announcement, some political commentators said it would come as little comfort to those who had suffered injury or bereavement.
Mr Rainey said he heard the news at about 4am on Tuesday, and had been delighted by it. It should, he said, have been music to everyone's ears.
He said that on his visits to see injured people in hospital it was clear that they wanted peace.
It was an answer to prayers that the actions of evil men would be brought to an end, said Mr Rainey.
There was now an obligation on all political leaders to push for an end to violence, he added.
He said that a message to the terror groups which came out of the visits was "You owe it to these people to stop".
It was too early to tell if all the violence had ended, but there were hopes that the pain and suffering the people of Omagh had gone through would be the last, he said. It was the desire of those who had lost loved ones, and those who had been injured, that the suffering they were enduring would not be in vain.
There was now a challenge he said for all groups to foresake violence and to use the peaceful means that were opening up.
"They must now come in from the cold to the negotiating scene and put their problems on the table to see if there is a more peaceful and democratic way forward," Mr Rainey said.
SDLP West Tyrone Assembly member, Mr. Joe Byrne, said he very much welcomed the fact that the Real IRA had faced up to the widespread public revulsion throughout Ireland to the Omagh bombing, and had declared a ceasefire.
"Unfortunately the victims of the Omagh bombing will gain little comfort from this belated decision," he said.
"It is very apparent to me that the swift action by the Irish and British governments in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing greatly concentrated all of the minds in the republican movement, especially the Real IRA.
"It is now very clear that no longer will many people indulge in the luxury of ambivalence towards political violence throughout Ireland.
"It is very regrettable that the Omagh community has had to bear the brunt of human savagery before the republicans, who have practiced political violence for so long, came to their senses."
Mr. Byrne went on to say that, thankfully, the will of the people, as exemplified by the Referendum, was going to be allowed to prevail.
Hopefully, new political structures would not be allowed to work for the benefit of all, he said.
Mr. Oliver Gibson, the DUP's local Assemblyman, said any cessation of violence was certainly welcome, and would be welcomed by everyone in Omagh and West Tyrone.
"However, we must be realistic, because the business of terrorists is terror. And it is easily predicted that in a short time the terror machine will re-emerge, perhaps repackaged and relabelled, and with a new set of tactics and strategies," he said.
He pointed out that, over the past 28 years, West Tyrone had suffered murders and atrocities prior to the 'Black Saturday' in Omagh. And each time, the usual "Draconian announcements" of swift legal action and determined efforts to secure convictions had been made.
"In truth, it is no comfort to realize that a ceasefire means exactly what it says - a temporary cessation of violence in the midst of a war," he said.
"There are those who foolishly believe that there will be immediate and imminent action, but we must face the reality that the arms dumps of semtex and more than 1,000 armalites still remain in their hidden caches, and the training grounds are still extant.
Mr Gibson said there would not have been an Omagh bomb if affirmative action had been taken and if there had been a display of the necessary political will and skill by all concerned to deal with terrorists.
He added that some commentators had hinted that the perpetrators of the bomb were well-known.
"If that is the case, why are the three interested governments still so inactive, despite recent legislation, in allowing various brands of terror to still operate?" he asked.
"We will not have peace in Northern Ireland until good order is restored, and that means dealing with the terrorist whose business is terror".
Alliance councilor, Mrs Ann Gormley, meanwhile, said she hoped the announcement of a ceasefire meant the "callous" bomb of August 15 would be the last act of terrorism to be perpetrated on the people of Northern Ireland.
"Surely now it is also time for other organizations to say that all conflict is over for good, and that ammunition will be handed in, particularly the material for making bombs," she said.
THERE are now hopes that the suffering endured by the people of Omagh will be the last seen in Northern Ireland, following the announcement of a ceasefire by the so-called Real IRA, Omagh District Council vice-chairman, Mr. Allan Rainey, said yesterday (Wednesday).
The Real IRA carried out the Omagh bomb attack which killed 29 people and injured hundreds of others. On Monday night it announced "a complete cessation of all military activity."
While there has been a general welcome for the ceasefire announcement, some political commentators said it would come as little comfort to those who had suffered injury or bereavement.
Mr Rainey said he heard the news at about 4am on Tuesday, and had been delighted by it. It should, he said, have been music to everyone's ears.
He said that on his visits to see injured people in hospital it was clear that they wanted peace.
It was an answer to prayers that the actions of evil men would be brought to an end, said Mr Rainey.
There was now an obligation on all political leaders to push for an end to violence, he added.
He said that a message to the terror groups which came out of the visits was "You owe it to these people to stop".
It was too early to tell if all the violence had ended, but there were hopes that the pain and suffering the people of Omagh had gone through would be the last, he said. It was the desire of those who had lost loved ones, and those who had been injured, that the suffering they were enduring would not be in vain.
There was now a challenge he said for all groups to foresake violence and to use the peaceful means that were opening up.
"They must now come in from the cold to the negotiating scene and put their problems on the table to see if there is a more peaceful and democratic way forward," Mr Rainey said.
SDLP West Tyrone Assembly member, Mr. Joe Byrne, said he very much welcomed the fact that the Real IRA had faced up to the widespread public revulsion throughout Ireland to the Omagh bombing, and had declared a ceasefire.
"Unfortunately the victims of the Omagh bombing will gain little comfort from this belated decision," he said.
"It is very apparent to me that the swift action by the Irish and British governments in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing greatly concentrated all of the minds in the republican movement, especially the Real IRA.
"It is now very clear that no longer will many people indulge in the luxury of ambivalence towards political violence throughout Ireland.
"It is very regrettable that the Omagh community has had to bear the brunt of human savagery before the republicans, who have practiced political violence for so long, came to their senses."
Mr. Byrne went on to say that, thankfully, the will of the people, as exemplified by the Referendum, was going to be allowed to prevail.
Hopefully, new political structures would not be allowed to work for the benefit of all, he said.
Mr. Oliver Gibson, the DUP's local Assemblyman, said any cessation of violence was certainly welcome, and would be welcomed by everyone in Omagh and West Tyrone.
"However, we must be realistic, because the business of terrorists is terror. And it is easily predicted that in a short time the terror machine will re-emerge, perhaps repackaged and relabelled, and with a new set of tactics and strategies," he said.
He pointed out that, over the past 28 years, West Tyrone had suffered murders and atrocities prior to the 'Black Saturday' in Omagh. And each time, the usual "Draconian announcements" of swift legal action and determined efforts to secure convictions had been made.
"In truth, it is no comfort to realize that a ceasefire means exactly what it says - a temporary cessation of violence in the midst of a war," he said.
"There are those who foolishly believe that there will be immediate and imminent action, but we must face the reality that the arms dumps of semtex and more than 1,000 armalites still remain in their hidden caches, and the training grounds are still extant.
Mr Gibson said there would not have been an Omagh bomb if affirmative action had been taken and if there had been a display of the necessary political will and skill by all concerned to deal with terrorists.
He added that some commentators had hinted that the perpetrators of the bomb were well-known.
"If that is the case, why are the three interested governments still so inactive, despite recent legislation, in allowing various brands of terror to still operate?" he asked.
"We will not have peace in Northern Ireland until good order is restored, and that means dealing with the terrorist whose business is terror".
Alliance councilor, Mrs Ann Gormley, meanwhile, said she hoped the announcement of a ceasefire meant the "callous" bomb of August 15 would be the last act of terrorism to be perpetrated on the people of Northern Ireland.
"Surely now it is also time for other organizations to say that all conflict is over for good, and that ammunition will be handed in, particularly the material for making bombs," she said.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1181
Published Date: 10-Sep-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.