The Hindu : Real IRA `wants' to give up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 03, 2002

International

International

Real IRA `wants' to give up

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON JULY 2. One of Northern Ireland's most dreaded terrorist groups, the Real IRA, and responsible for the 1998 Omagh bombing which killed 29 people, is reported to have been virtually crushed in what is seen as a blow to republican militancy.

Founded by hardline republican militants who broke away from the IRA when it accepted the Good Friday Agreement, the Real IRA has been engaged in a vicious terror campaign against the peace process. According to reports, however, the group is in such dire states now that it is secretly suing for peace in exchange for unspecified "concessions'' for its prisoners and other cadres.

With most of its frontline leaders, including the chief, Michael McKevitt, in jail, the organisation is in a limbo and believed to be incapable of launching a major attack. Close observers point out that this year it has not been involved in any significant action, whereas last year as many as 27 terror attacks were attributed to it.

The Times on Tuesday quoted security sources as saying that the Real IRA had been so heavily "penetrated'' by informants that its capacity to mount a serious operation had been "hugely undermined''. "The Garda Special Branch has effectively beaten the Real IRA. Their leaders are locked up and their remaining members are unable to mount any serious operations,'' they told the newspaper.

The informal peace overtures are believed to have come from the ailing and incarcerated Mr McKevitt and his brother Vincent who is out on bail because of a serious heart condition. The brothers virtually run the Real IRA and it appears that they have no more appetite left for "action'' but the Irish Government is reported to be sceptical because of the group's low credibility. After the Omagh bombing, it agreed to a ceasefire only to break it within months. It has been involved in a series of terrorist attacks in Northern Ireland and Britain since then.

Analysts, however, think that this time it is in such a bad shape that it might be serious about a face-saving compromise. If the Real IRA does capitulate, the faction opposed to a ceasefire is likely to join the Continuity IRA which is emerging as the main republican paramilitary group and is busy recruiting activists. The development comes as the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and his Irish counterpart, Bertie Ahern, plan to hold "crisis'' talks with republican and unionist leaders to revive the flagging peace process. The talks would be held amid reports of growing tension in Northern Ireland ahead of the annual July 12 Orangemen's Parade.

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