COMPLETE TEXT OF TODAY'S IRA STATEMENT
02/02/05 16:14 EST
FOLLOWING IS THE COMPLETE TEXT OF TODAY'S STATEMENT BY THE IRA
"In August 1994, the leadership of Óglaigh na hÉireann
announced a complete cessation of all military operations.
We did so to enhance the democratic peace process and
underline our definitive commitment to its success.
"That cessation ended in February 1996 because the British
Government acted in bad faith when the then British Prime
Minister John Major and Unionist leaders squandered that
unprecedented opportunity to resolve the conflict.
"However, we remained ready to engage positively and in July
1997 we reinstated the cessation on the same basis as
before. Subsequently, we honoured the terms of our cessation
with discipline and honesty, despite numerous attempts to
misrepresent those terms by others.
"Since then - over a period of almost eight years - our
leadership took a succession of significant and ambitious
initiatives designed to develop or save the peace process.
Those included:
•Engaging with the Independent International Commission on
Decommissioning;
•Agreeing that independent inspectors could inspect the
contents of a number of IRA dumps, allowing regular
re-inspections to ensure that the weapons remained secure
and the reporting of what they had done both publicly and to
the IICD;
•Setting out a clear context for dealing definitively with
the issue of arms;
•Acknowledging past mistakes, hurt and pain the IRA has
caused to others and extending our sincere apologies and
condolences for the deaths and injuries of non-combatants
caused by us;
•Agreeing a scheme with the IICD to put arms completely and
verifiably beyond use;
•Implementing this scheme to save the peace process by
putting three separate tranches of weapons beyond use on:
- 23 October 2001
- 11 April 2002
- 21 October 2003; and
•Seeking to directly and publicly address unionist concerns.
"In 2004 our leadership was prepared to speedily resolve the
issue of arms, by Christmas if possible, and to invite two
independent witnesses, from the Protestant and Catholic
churches, to testify to this. In the context of a
comprehensive agreement we were also prepared to move into a
new mode and to instruct our Volunteers that there could be
no involvement whatsoever in activities which might endanger
that agreement.
"These significant and substantive initiatives were our
contributions to the peace process. Others, however, did not
share that agenda. Instead, they demanded the humiliation of
the IRA.
"Our initiatives have been attacked, devalued and dismissed
by pro-unionist and anti-republican elements, including the
British Government. The Irish Government have lent
themselves to this. Commitments have been broken or
withdrawn. The progress and change promised on political,
social, economic and cultural matters, as well as on
demilitarisation, prisoners, equality and policing and
justice, has not materialised to the extent required, or
promised.
"British forces, including the PSNI, remain actively engaged
in both covert and overt operations, including raids on
republicans' homes.
"We are also acutely aware of the dangerous instability
within militant unionism, much of it fostered by British
military intelligence agencies. The British/loyalist
apparatus for collusion remains intact.
"The political institutions have been suspended for years
now and there is an ongoing political impasse.
"At this time it appears that the two governments are intent
on changing the basis of the peace process. They claim that
'the obstacle now to a lasting and durable settlement... is
the continuing paramilitary and criminal activity of the IRA'.
"We reject this. It also belies the fact that a possible
agreement last December was squandered by both governments
pandering to rejectionist unionism instead of upholding
their own commitments and honouring their own obligations.
"We do not intend to remain quiescent within this
unacceptable and unstable situation. It has tried our
patience to the limit. Consequently, on reassessment of our
position and in response to the governments and others
withdrawing their commitments;
•We are taking all our proposals off the table.
•It is our intention to closely monitor ongoing developments
and to protect to the best of our ability the rights of
republicans and our support base.
"The IRA has demonstrated our commitment to the peace
process again and again. We want it to succeed. We have
played a key role in achieving the progress achieved so far.
We are prepared, as part of a genuine and collective effort,
to do so again, if and when the conditions are created for this.
"But peace cannot be built on ultimatums, false and
malicious accusations or bad faith. Progress will not be
sustained by the reinstatment of Thatcherite criminalisation
strategies, which our ten comrades died defeating on hunger
strike in 1981. We will not betray the courage of the hunger
strikers either by tolerating criminality within our own
ranks or false allegations of criminality against our
organisation by petty politicians motivated by selfish
interests, instead of the national need for a successful
conclusion to the peace process.
"Finally, we thank all those who have supported us through
decades of struggle. We freely acknowledge our
responsibility to enhance genuine efforts to build peace and
justice. We reiterate our commitment to achieving Irish
independence and our other republican objectives. We are
determined that these objectives will be secured."
P O'Neill
Irish Republican Publicity Bureau
Dublin
ENDS
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