I've just had a glance through the newest IMC report. It's the usual mishmash and most of it is not even worth commenting on, but this part really annoyed me:

There are a number of questions in people’s minds about Sinn Féin’s long term aims and the nature of the leadership it may give to PIRA now or in the future. These include the following. How does Sinn Féin now view the claim made by PIRA to be the lawful government and representative of the people in Ireland North and South?

For the love of all that is holy, how many times do we have to answer this question? Off the top of my head, within the past six months Gerry Adams, Gerry Kelly, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Seán Crowe have all stated publicly that we don't view the IRA as the legitimate government. I'm not sure the IRA even view themselves as the legitimate government anymore.

Along similar lines I heard today, for the second time recently, the accusation that republicans allowed the Guildford Four to rot in prison rather than identify the real bombers. Of course this is nonsense - the Guildford Four rotted in prison because the English courts refused to accept the Balcombe Street Gang's admission of responsibility for these attacks. But nonetheless people continue to make this accusation and others who certainly know better (such as Henry McDonald, in a radio interview on, I think, Today FM a couple months ago) allow them to get away with it.

I know these are hardly the worst things republicans have been accused of, but still, it gets on my nerves.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just read it today and it seems to me that the bulk of "activity" is being perpetrated by the loyalist paramilitaries.....why is this not referred to in the Irish media? Instead one could easily get the impression that the RA is the only force still operative, whilst the loyalists have all taken up leek growing, sun ray lamps, and bling collecting.

Wednesday said...

Well, the argument they use is that IRA activity is a bigger issue than loyalist activity because of Sinn Féin's governmental aspirations. They don't seem to grasp the role that loyalist activity has in perpetuating IRA activity.

Chris Gaskin said...

Just discovered the blog and it's fantastic, I intend to link straight away

Wednesday said...

Thanks :) I'm a big fan of yours as well.

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