More threats reported against the McCartney sisters, this time from "republican elements". They're saying the McCartneys will be hurt if they persist in "discrediting the republican movement".

Assuming for the moment this is true, I don't believe the IRA are involved in it. If for no other reason than they surely have a sharper sense of irony than that (at least, I hope they do, although after P. O'Neill's last statement about the McCartney murder I suppose you would have to wonder a little bit). It needs to be remembered that "republican elements" includes people other than Sinn Féin and the IRA - and while republican dissidents initially were as keen to latch on to the McCartneys as the SDLP and southern establishment were, many of them were alienated when the sisters went to the US and began rubbishing republicanism in general to the politicians and media over there. And it certainly wouldn't be beyond some of them to threaten the McCartneys in the full and deliberate knowledge that mainstream republicanism would take the criticism for it.

Perhaps I'm being paranoid here, but I wonder if the fact that the reports refer only to generic "republican elements" is telling. When Fergal Toal was arrested on drugs charges last month many of the reports referred to him as "a former republican prisoner", his membership of the INLA rather than the IRA going conveniently unmentioned although most journalists would surely be aware of it. But when the IRA are (alleged to be) involved in something they rarely hesitate to say "the IRA"!

On a final note, I've just heard on the radio that tomorrow's Sunday Tribune will be carrying a column by Nuala O'Faolain wondering why the southern media have gone soft on Paisley and suggesting that it's just "not PC" to blame anyone other than Sinn Féin for the impasse. Should be interesting; perhaps I'll at last get my money's worth on the €2 that I inexplicably continue to shell out on that stupid paper every week.