SCISSIONE IN SENO AL CIRA: VANTAGGI PER IL REAL IRA?
Scissione all’interno del Continuity a causa di disaccordi di intenti
Divisione all’interno del Continuity IRA dopo il rifiuto del direttivo dell’organizzazione paramilitare repubblicana di intensificare le azioni in Irlanda del Nord.
Il CIRA Army Council (forte presenza di membri del Republican Sinn Fein nel suo organico) infatti sembra non ritenere giustificato l’uso della violenza in Irlanda del Nord nonostante non ci sia stat alcuna formale ammissione. Ne è conseguito il rifiuto (è il terzo negli ultimi due anni) di convocare il ‘congresso militare generale’ per eleggere un nuovo comando.
I servizi di sicurezza e le forze di polizia ritengo questo uno step molto importante nelle dimaniche repubblicane. La scissione del CIRA potrebbe infatti dare origine ad una nuova organizzazione oppure gli elementi separatisti potrebbero andare a gonfiare le file del Real IRA.
Il Republican Sinn Fein sta per perdere il suo leader nonchè ex capo di stato maggiore dell’IRA, Ruairí Ó Brádaigh e un’analista di intelligence ha spiegato che il “RSF sta sempre più adottando una posizione più neutrale verso l’uso della violenza in Irlanda del Nord. Ci sono certamente membri del RSF che credono che avere un ala militare sia un ostacolo che impedisce al partito di avanzare politicamente”.
Il candidato alla successi di Ó Brádaigh è Des Long (l’attuale vicepresidente), che ha dichiarato di non essere a conoscenza della scissione ma di dissensi all’interno del gruppo paramilitare, “la frammentazione non porterà a nulla. Se hanno proposte differenti, devono sedersi e presentarle”.
Des Long ha anche ammesso di esser uno dei sostenitori dell’uso della violenza in Irlanda del Nord, posizione questa condivisa dal Republican Sinn Fein. “Non condannerei mai chi imbraccia le armi contro l’occupazione del nostro Paese, ma c’è bisogno di controllo e disciplina”.
I servizi di sicurezza ritengono che possa essere una delle fazioni scissioniste, responsabile dell’omicidio di Stephen Carroll, ufficiale della PSNI freddato il 9 marzo scorso, in un attentato rivendicato dal CIRA.
Real IRA may be the winners of Continuity’s big split (Times On Line)
The Continuity IRA (CIRA) has split up over the organisation’s refusal to appoint a new leadership and to step up attacks against the security forces in Northern Ireland.
The security services believe recent bomb attacks and the murder of a police officer in Armagh last March, for which the republican group claimed responsibility, were not sanctioned by its leadership. The attacks were carried out by factions of the CIRA in Fermanagh, Armagh and Monaghan operating independently.
The hardliners believe the CIRA army council, which is dominated by members of Republican Sinn Fein (RSF), no longer consider that the use of violence is justified, but will not admit this.
The CIRA’s refusal to hold a “general army convention” to elect a new leadership has also provoked divisions. The terrorist group has refused requests to organise an army convention on three separate occasions in the past two years, citing security reasons.
The CIRA army council is appointed by the army executive, veteran republicans who are mainly drawn from the ranks of RSF. Its executive has the power to appoint new army council members. The executive is in turn elected at a general army convention, or special delegate conference.
Another gripe which prompted the split is the refusal of Saoirse, the RSF newspaper, to publish details of attacks carried out by the CIRA, the military wing of RSF.
The security services believe the split is a significant development. Gardai and MI5, the British security service, believe that the breakaway factions may eventually amalgamate or join the Real IRA (RIRA) to create a new organisation, but it will take at least two years for this to happen.
Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, a former IRA chief of staff and president of RSF, is preparing to retire in November. His withdrawal is likely to provoke a change in RSF policy and direction, according to both republican and security sources.
“RSF will either become more militant or adopt a more neutral stance towards the use of violence in Northern Ireland. There are certainly people in RSF who believe that having a military wing is a hindrance and is preventing the party from making political gains,” said one intelligence analyst.
Des Long, the party’s vice president and Ó Brádaigh’s likely successor, said that he was “unaware” of a split, but admitted he was conscious of dissent within the paramilitary group.
“There may be some (CIRA) people who believe that enough is not being done, but fragmenting won’t achieve anything. If there are differences, they should sit down and sort them out,” said Long.
He said he personally continued to support the use of violence against the security forces in Northern Ireland.
“This is also the position of Republican Sinn Fein. I would never condemn anyone who takes up arms against the occupation of our country, but it has to be controlled and disciplined,” he said.
Long added that the decision by Saoirse not to publish articles on the CIRA was made by the newspaper’s editorial board, but he noted that RSF had not condemned any attacks claimed by the paramilitary group.
The security services believe the breakaway factions have been responsible for several attacks, including the murder of Stephen Carroll, a PSNI officer who was shot dead in March in Craigavon.
The intelligence assessment is based on analysis of information gleaned from listening devices and informants.
Carroll was the first member of the PSNI killed by the CIRA, which was also involved in the Omagh bombing that killed 29 people and unborn twin girls in August 1998.
The Five Demands 