Sinn Féin scorn second report on paramilitaries

The British government will today release the second report by a commission appointed to monitor republican and loyalist paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland.

As the North’s politicians waited to see the Independent Monitoring Commission’s findings, Sinn Féin went on the offensive claiming its contents were of little interest to nationalists and republicans.

Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew denounced the IMC as a puppet of those in the British political and security system which her party believes are opposed to the Good Friday Agreement.

The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP claimed: “The purpose of the IMC is to subvert the peace process and provide cover for anti-Agreement elements to seek the exclusion of republicans from any future political institutions.

“They have no credibility and the contents of the report are of little interest to nationalists or republicans. Our focus is on seeing the Good Friday Agreement implemented, not subverted by the IMC or anyone else.”

The Independent Monitoring Commission was formed last year and was also tasked with monitoring how the British government is living up to its pledges to scale down security in Northern Ireland.

Its members comprise the former deputy director of the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency Richard Kerr, ex-Metropolitan Police anti-terrorist chief John Grieve, retired Irish civil servant Joe Brosnan and ex-Stormont Assembly Speaker Lord Alderdice.

Last week the IMC handed in its latest report on paramilitary activity.

The report is expected to show a reduction in IRA activity but unionists and moderate nationalists will be scrutinising for encouraging signs that the Provisionals are preparing to wind down their organisation in preparation for a deal restoring devolution.

The Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists insist the IRA must end all paramilitary and criminal activity and complete disarmament if Sinn Fein is to join them in a future Stormont power sharing government.

The report is expected today to examine robberies linked to republicans in recent months.

It will also focus on loyalist paramilitary violence just days after Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy met the Progressive Unionists, who are linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force and representatives of the Ulster Defence Association about reinvigorating their role in the peace process.

SDLP deputy leader Dr Alasdair McDonnell attacked Sinn Féin ahead of the release of today’s report for being in denial about IRA criminality and the role of the IMC in exposing and highlighting its activities.

The South Belfast Assembly member noted: “The IMC has made some mistakes and the SDLP has been clear about them but Sinn Féin is going to extraordinary lengths to deny the basic truths that everyone knows and the IMC highlighted.

“They say that all paramilitaries including loyalists and the IRA are up to their necks in criminality.

“Loyalists are poisoning their own communities with drugs, while the IRA is holding up businesses with armed robberies and holding up the political process by not bringing this activity to an end.

“Instead of trying to demonise the IMC, Sinn Féin needs to do much more to control the IRA and bring the armed robberies and other criminality that is hurting everyone in our community to an end.

“As for loyalists and dissident republicans, they must be told to shut down or be locked up.”

Cross community Alliance Party justice spokesman Stephen Farry also defended the IMC, claiming it was there to shine a spotlight on the dark deeds of paramilitaries and create pressure on them to change.

“With Sinn Féin making demands for action regarding ’On the Runs’, they need to be careful about making claims that certain matters are outside the Agreement,” the North Down councillor said.