INLA SET TO CALL CEASEFIRE
INLA set to call ceasefire, says its political wing
THE Irish National Liberation Army, one of the most ruthless paramilitary organisations in the bloody history of the Troubles, is set to call a ceasefire in the wake of the Omagh outrage.
A statement from the group is expected within hours after an unprecedented statement from the group's political wing, the Irish Republican Socialist Party last night.
Spokesmen Willie Gallagher said there was now no legitimate reason for any group to continue with a violent conflict, and went further by calling on both the INLA and other groups to stop.
Explaining the republican socialist movement's new position in a statement faxed from their Falls Road HQ in west Belfast, Mr Gallagher said: "Following the referendum the leadership of the IRSP has been considering the implications of that vote.
"It is well known that we opposed the Good Friday Agreement on the grounds that it fell far short of republican socialist objectives.
"We campaigned for a no vote. Since the referendum, we have been engaged in consultations with many agencies and individuals and have come to the following conclusions:
"We now accept in the light of the referendum and the clearly expressed wishes of the people on the island that there is now no basis for continuation of armed struggle by Irish republicans.
"In light of the referendum result, the IRSP are pledged to continue to strive towards our goal of a Socialist Republic by internationally recognised political activity. Therefore we call on the Irish National Liberation Army, who we know have been considering a ceasefire, to reach a decision quickly. We also call on all other republican groups to accept that there is now no basis for armed struggle and to desist now."
The amazing statement took many observers by surprise in light of an internal struggle within the INLA over a ceasefire.
Prisoners in the Maze asked for a cessation months ago, but this was resisted by some within the organisation's leadership.
It appears the so-called INLA doves won the argument and that the IRSP would not have asked for a ceasefire if they were not confident one would be announced, possibly within hours.
There has been a number of contacts between the British Government and the IRSP in recent weeks, with the former hoping to persuade the INLA to call a cessation. They have been behind some of the most outrageous attacks of the Troubles.
They rose to prominence after a split within the Official IRA in the mid-70s and grabbed worldwide headlines with the car bomb killing of Margaret Thatcher aide Airey Neave in a Westminster car park in 1979.
One of its worst atrocities was the bombing of the Droppin Well bar in the Co Derry town of Ballykelly on December 6, 1982. Seventeen people lost their lives.
Courtesy of Irish Examiner
THE Irish National Liberation Army, one of the most ruthless paramilitary organisations in the bloody history of the Troubles, is set to call a ceasefire in the wake of the Omagh outrage.
A statement from the group is expected within hours after an unprecedented statement from the group's political wing, the Irish Republican Socialist Party last night.
Spokesmen Willie Gallagher said there was now no legitimate reason for any group to continue with a violent conflict, and went further by calling on both the INLA and other groups to stop.
Explaining the republican socialist movement's new position in a statement faxed from their Falls Road HQ in west Belfast, Mr Gallagher said: "Following the referendum the leadership of the IRSP has been considering the implications of that vote.
"It is well known that we opposed the Good Friday Agreement on the grounds that it fell far short of republican socialist objectives.
"We campaigned for a no vote. Since the referendum, we have been engaged in consultations with many agencies and individuals and have come to the following conclusions:
"We now accept in the light of the referendum and the clearly expressed wishes of the people on the island that there is now no basis for continuation of armed struggle by Irish republicans.
"In light of the referendum result, the IRSP are pledged to continue to strive towards our goal of a Socialist Republic by internationally recognised political activity. Therefore we call on the Irish National Liberation Army, who we know have been considering a ceasefire, to reach a decision quickly. We also call on all other republican groups to accept that there is now no basis for armed struggle and to desist now."
The amazing statement took many observers by surprise in light of an internal struggle within the INLA over a ceasefire.
Prisoners in the Maze asked for a cessation months ago, but this was resisted by some within the organisation's leadership.
It appears the so-called INLA doves won the argument and that the IRSP would not have asked for a ceasefire if they were not confident one would be announced, possibly within hours.
There has been a number of contacts between the British Government and the IRSP in recent weeks, with the former hoping to persuade the INLA to call a cessation. They have been behind some of the most outrageous attacks of the Troubles.
They rose to prominence after a split within the Official IRA in the mid-70s and grabbed worldwide headlines with the car bomb killing of Margaret Thatcher aide Airey Neave in a Westminster car park in 1979.
One of its worst atrocities was the bombing of the Droppin Well bar in the Co Derry town of Ballykelly on December 6, 1982. Seventeen people lost their lives.
Courtesy of Irish Examiner
Further Information
Publisher: THE EXAMINER
Ref: TEX/040
Published Date: 18-Aug-98
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