GOOD FRIDAY PRISONER HELD OVER 500LB BOMB
GOOD FRIDAY PRISONER HELD OVER 500LB BOMB
EXCLUSIVE by JILLY BEATTIE and JEFF EDWARDS
Riddle of Real IRA terror target
ONE of three men being questioned about the seizure of 500lb of explosives near Belfast is an ex-prisoner freed under the early release scheme, it emerged last night.
Another is believed to be the brother of a man killed by an IRA punishment squad two years ago.
The 500lbs of home-made explosives were packed into plastic bags in the boot of a car stopped at Hillsborough, Co Down.
Detectives believe the haul was being taken to a rendezvous with an expert bomb-maker who would fit the fuses and timers.
There is also speculation it may have been en route to England where Army bases have recently doubled their guard and increased security patrols in anticipation of an attack.
A senior Scotland Yard source told The Mirror: "We have received strong intelligence that a dissident group in Northern Ireland has been planning a major bomb attack on a mainland target.
"There have also been a series of threats which are not ordinary hoaxes. We know they are coming from genuine terrorists.
"We believe the bomb intercepted in Belfast may have been on its way to England - probably to London."
Police arrested three men. Two of them come from the Twin-brook area of West Belfast. The third is also from West Belfast.
One, a convicted terrorist, was freed early from the Maze Prison under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement last year.
A second is thought to be the brother of a man shot dead after a fall-out with an IRA commander in 1998.
The men were stopped as part of a major security surveillance operation.
Secretary of State Peter Mandelson said in Washington that police had prevented "another potential atrocity".
The Real IRA declared a ceasefire after the Omagh bomb, but it has been linked with a number of failed attacks over the last month.
Last night Lagan Valley Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson called for an immediate halt to the prisoner releases.
He said: "The Government has opened the gates and freed the bombers on to the streets who are now in the position to renew their terrorist activities.
"The people of Northern Ireland are now paying a high price for this utter folly."
Since the signing of the peace agreement, 320 republican and loyalist paramilitaries have been set free early. A further 120 are due to get out before July 28.
North Belfast Sinn Fein Assembly member Gerry Kelly said the discovery of the explosives and continuing1 loyalist attacks was evidence that the political vacuum was being filled.
He added: "If you want to deal with the decommissioning issue then you must deal with the causes of conflict."
Troop reductions in Northern Ireland announced yesterday has further angered unionists.
A battalion - some 500 men - is being withdrawn from Belfast in a move which the RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan said would not affect the overall capability to protect the community.
The reduction brings troop levels down to below 14,000 and means that for the first time since the start of the Troubles in 1969 there will be no battalion specifically tasked to patrol Belfast.
EXCLUSIVE by JILLY BEATTIE and JEFF EDWARDS
Riddle of Real IRA terror target
ONE of three men being questioned about the seizure of 500lb of explosives near Belfast is an ex-prisoner freed under the early release scheme, it emerged last night.
Another is believed to be the brother of a man killed by an IRA punishment squad two years ago.
The 500lbs of home-made explosives were packed into plastic bags in the boot of a car stopped at Hillsborough, Co Down.
Detectives believe the haul was being taken to a rendezvous with an expert bomb-maker who would fit the fuses and timers.
There is also speculation it may have been en route to England where Army bases have recently doubled their guard and increased security patrols in anticipation of an attack.
A senior Scotland Yard source told The Mirror: "We have received strong intelligence that a dissident group in Northern Ireland has been planning a major bomb attack on a mainland target.
"There have also been a series of threats which are not ordinary hoaxes. We know they are coming from genuine terrorists.
"We believe the bomb intercepted in Belfast may have been on its way to England - probably to London."
Police arrested three men. Two of them come from the Twin-brook area of West Belfast. The third is also from West Belfast.
One, a convicted terrorist, was freed early from the Maze Prison under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement last year.
A second is thought to be the brother of a man shot dead after a fall-out with an IRA commander in 1998.
The men were stopped as part of a major security surveillance operation.
Secretary of State Peter Mandelson said in Washington that police had prevented "another potential atrocity".
The Real IRA declared a ceasefire after the Omagh bomb, but it has been linked with a number of failed attacks over the last month.
Last night Lagan Valley Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson called for an immediate halt to the prisoner releases.
He said: "The Government has opened the gates and freed the bombers on to the streets who are now in the position to renew their terrorist activities.
"The people of Northern Ireland are now paying a high price for this utter folly."
Since the signing of the peace agreement, 320 republican and loyalist paramilitaries have been set free early. A further 120 are due to get out before July 28.
North Belfast Sinn Fein Assembly member Gerry Kelly said the discovery of the explosives and continuing1 loyalist attacks was evidence that the political vacuum was being filled.
He added: "If you want to deal with the decommissioning issue then you must deal with the causes of conflict."
Troop reductions in Northern Ireland announced yesterday has further angered unionists.
A battalion - some 500 men - is being withdrawn from Belfast in a move which the RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan said would not affect the overall capability to protect the community.
The reduction brings troop levels down to below 14,000 and means that for the first time since the start of the Troubles in 1969 there will be no battalion specifically tasked to patrol Belfast.
Further Information
Publisher: THE MIRROR
Ref: TM/099
Published Date: 17-Mar-00
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.