The Five Demands

Secondo una notizia pubblicata da NewsLetter, i Troubles potrebbero tornare.
L’Assembly ha ieri dichiarato, in risposta ad una mozione dell’Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott, che vi è una crescente possibilità che i Troubles, stiano tornando ancora una volta, nella forma di una rinnovata minaccia dissidente repubblicana.
Il DUP Upper Bann MLA David Simpson ha sostenuto che il  gruppo repubblicano Eirigi stesse cercando di aderire ad altreorganizzazioni per attaccare il processo di pace.
“Questo al fine di fornire opposizione politica per il Sinn Fein e accelerare ulteriormente l’attuale frammentazione delle principali organizzazioni”, ha asserito.
Eirigi si dichiara estraneo all’attuale crisi del governo, ma il presidente Brian Leeson ha ricordato che : “Fin dalla sua formazione, Eirigi ha sempre sottolineato che l’ultimo esperimento politico britannico a Stormont è destinato per fallimento”.

Troubles ‘could be returning’ (NewsLetter)

There is a growing possibility that the Troubles, in some form, are returning again, in the guise of a renewed dissident republican threat, the Assembly heard yesterday.
The House debated concerns over continued republican paramilitarism, in response to a motion from Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott.
He said: “There’s a distinct possibility that the Troubles we worked so hard to get away from are returning again.”
At the weekend a 100lb bomb was discovered in a hedgerow in south Armagh – believed to have been set for a passing police patrol.
Last week a female school teacher was targeted – mistaken for an off-duty PSNI officer – when a bomb (which failed to detonate) was left under her car.
And Mr Elliott also noted recent bomb attacks in his own Fermanagh constituency, at Rosslea and Lisnaskea.
He recalled that “worryingly” Semtex which was bought by the IRA was used in these attacks – raising questions about IRA decommissioning, links to dissidents or how much the likes of the Real IRA took from under the Provisional IRA’s watch.
Renegades have also attempted to kill officers in Londonderry and Dungannon and the Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde has warned that the level of threat is at its highest.
DUP Upper Bann MLA David Simpson said splinter republican group Eirigi was trying to join other hardline organisations to attack the peace process.
“This is with a view to providing political opposition to Sinn Fein and further accelerate the ongoing fragmentation of the mainstream organisations,” he alleged.
Eirigi dismissed any suggestion it was responsible for the Executive crisis.
Chairman Brian Leeson said: “Since its formation, Eirigi has consistently pointed out that Britain’s latest political experiment at Stormont was destined for failure.
“The blame lies at the feet of those – including the DUP – who were willing participants in trying to make a success story out of a failed political entity – the six-county state.”
DUP North Antrim Assembly member Mervyn Storey told the Assembly the growth of dissident republican organisations stemmed largely from the fact that the Sinn Fein leadership spun their supporters a “right old yarn” over devolution of policing and justice.
“The current artificially created Sinn Fein Executive crisis is more about Sinn Fein covering their backs rather than anything substantial,” he added.
But Sinn Fein’s John O’Dowd said: “Some of the people within these organisations – the so-called dissident organisations – are state agents and have been state agents for many years.
“Why have they been allowed to continue their activity? Is there someone within the intelligence services who is as opposed to the peace process as these dissident republicans are?”