Orde backs McDowell’s SF-army council claim

THE most senior police officer in the North yesterday backed up Justice Minister Michael’s McDowell’s contention that senior Sinn Féin members were also on the Provisional IRA’s Army Council.

As condemnation continued over the IRA's offer to shoot the killers of Robert McCartney, PSNI chief constable Hugh Orde interviewed in a British newspaper agreed Mr McDowell had made a reasonable assumption when claiming that Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness were on the IRA Army Council.

Mr Orde declined to state who is or isn't on the army council, but his implicit acceptance will serve to give strong substance to Mr McDowell's claims, said Department of Justice sources.

Meanwhile, the deep political damage sustained by the republican movement over this week's extraordinary IRA statement deepened yesterday.

Several leading Sinn Féin members yesterday pointedly distanced themselves from the controversial line in the statement.

Martin McGuinness said the inclusion of the line offering to shoot the killers was a mistake and unfortunate. He that said one sentence in the statement was taking away from the many positive aspects which dispelled the notion that the IRA was going to protect or cover up those involved in the murder.

However, no senior political figure in Ireland or Britain yesterday was prepared to look beyond that one sentence. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern described the IRA offer as "horrific" and said that the extraordinary statement had shocked him.

"Even for somebody like me that's involved with this day-to-day for 10 years, I have to say I was shocked last (Tuesday) night, and I read that statement more than once," Mr Ahern said.

"Those who work with me on the peace process didn't believe it. They just did not believe it. And I'm talking about public servants who have long experience at this. So it is a shock. But, you know, we have to keep going," the Taoiseach added.

In a brief response to the IRA statement, Mr McCartney's family said that the IRA's investigation was a matter for itself, but that the only justice the family wanted to see was in a court of law.

Meanwhile, the PSNI was continuing to question one of the three IRA men expelled in relation to the January 30 murder. He was arrested on suspicion of murder yesterday after he walked into a police station yesterday, accompanied by his solicitor.

Police working on the case believe that they have interviewed everybody involved in the events outside Magennis's bar in Belfast but are still encountering what was described as a "wall of silence."