IRA rejects abduction claims

The Provisional IRA today denied it authorised an attempted abduction in Belfast which has caused a fresh crisis in the peace process.

A source commenting on behalf of the Provisionals’ leadership, told the republican newspaper An Phoblacht that “the IRA did not authorise any action against Bobby Tohill”.

Mr Tohill was abducted by a four-man gang in Belfast last Friday.

However, police managed to intercept the vehicle which was taking him away.

The IRA statement came as Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble threatened to pull out of talks on the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

He said in the House of Commons that it was “utterly unreasonable” to expect his party to remain in the talks with republicans, and he threatened to walk out on Monday unless the British government “summons up the courage” to act.

Briatin's Prime Minister Tony Blair warned Sinn Féin and the IRA that they could not be allowed to talk about human rights one day and then start “beating human rights out” of people the next.

The Prime Minister said there could be no compromise on that agreement and he warned that if the IRA was implicated then “action will have to follow”.