Paisley: Minister should quit over IRA claims

Northern Ireland Office minister Shaun Woodward was today urged to resign over claims that the IRA was still involved in criminal activity.

After meeting US Congressmen in Belfast, Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley said he believed the minister must go after Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kinkaid told Northern Ireland’s Policing Board yesterday that the IRA was still engaged in criminality.

Mr Woodward had claimed the organisation was not sanctioning criminal activities, even if individual members were involved.

Mr Paisley said: “I believe he should go.”

Mr Paisley was concerned that any suggestion by the minister that IRA activity had ceased had serious implications for the wider political process.

“If the British Government is going to use a report in an untruthful way to try and paint a picture which had not been painted for them by the security forces, then that is an act of deception,” the DUP leader said.

“Let the people have the facts, not the colouring of those facts to suit political policy.”

Mr Paisley said the DUP have a good idea of what was in the briefing given by the security forces about the IRA and would wait for the Independent Monitoring Commission’s report on paramilitary activity which is expected at the end of this month or early February.

He observed that it did appear members of the IMC wanted to be honest with the people.

The DUP leader, who is due to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday, said he would be telling him his party wanted total honesty.

“I will be asking that we know what the police have said is not reflected by the remarks that have been made by the Security Minister.”

After a round of meetings with Northern Ireland parties, US Congressmen Brian Higgins, Jim Walsh and Tim Murphy would not be drawn on the controversy because they said they were not privy to the information given to the Policing Board.

New York Congressman Walsh, speaking on behalf of the group, urged Northern Ireland politicians to complete moves to bring back devolution.

“We think this process has been very good for the people of Northern Ireland and we would like to see progress continue,” he said.

“The remarkable announcement last year of the decommissioning and the full cessation of violence by the IRA and the decision by Sinn Féin’s leadership to go fully into democratic means and reject all violence and paramilitary activity was an incredibly important announcement here but also certainly in the United States for those who follow this very closely.

“So now the question arises in the United States among our constituents: Okay, that’s behind us, when is a Government formed? When does devolution occur in Northern Ireland?

“We are really here to monitor that, understanding that there is an IMC report coming very soon and that there is a movement by the two governments to create momentum to get the government back and up running.”