IRA statement must be given a guarded welcome

THE Provisional IRA took an unprecedented step yesterday in apologising for murders of what it described as “all non-combatants” in the Troubles of the past 30 years.
The terrorist organisation, which has been responsible for 1,800 deaths, made particular reference to the heinous crimes of Friday July 21, 1972, when 27 of its bombs went off without warning in the centre of Belfast, killing nine people and causing serious injury to scores of innocent civilians.
The republican statement, which was quite unexpected, acknowledged the pain and grief of relatives of murder victims which the IRA would consider as combatants – policemen, soldiers, prison officers and loyalist paramilitaries, but, not surprisingly, the Provos expressed no regrets over their deaths.
Making apologies and expressing regrets for violent actions against what it describes as “legitimate targets” have never been part of the IRA’s vocabulary and this statement, indicating at face value a dramatic change in republican movement policy, needs to be given a welcome.
Occasionally in the past, when IRA terrorist attacks went badly wrong for the Irish republican movement, statements were issued to try to lessen the murderous impact of the atrocities, but generally these were treated across the community divide with the utter contempt that they deserved.
Now, in what may be interpreted as a ground-making move, the IRA has effectively said sorry for the violent excesses carried out in its terrorist campaign of the past three decades. The expression may be couched in republican rhetoric, but it does fall along similar lines to the statement of regrets issued by the loyalist paramilitaries after their ceasefires of 1994.
The Bloody Friday massacre of 30 years ago is probably the most timely and appropriate atrocity for the Provisionals to express apologetic tones about.
The enormity of the loss of life and injury
on that fateful day, through a succession
of no-warning bombs, made it one of worst atrocities of the Troubles, and the pain to
ordinary civilians and security force members in having to cope with the added burden
of a catalogue of deliberately-designed
bomb hoaxes demonstrated the evil and
callousness of those responsible.
The Bloody Friday attacks were a carefully planned exercise and it is regrettable that the terrorists took 30 years to offer sympathy to those most tragically affected.
A great many people, not all of them unionists, will still need to be convinced that the current expressions of remorse from IRA ranks are the genuine article.
It may not be a coincidence that the IRA statement comes only a week ahead of the deadline set by First Minister David Trimble for a response to his demand for a much tougher Government line against paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, especially the IRA, which the UUP leader has accused of orchestrating sectarian violence, including shootings at Belfast interface areas, as well as involvement in terrorist training in Columbia, targeting of security force personnel and a break-in at the Special Branch department of Castlereagh Police
Station.
The IRA statement could be a deliberate tactic designed to take the sting out of any zero tolerance measures which the Prime Minister may have in mind to ensure the republican movement is fully signed up to the terms of the Belfast Agreement, and commitments to non-violence contained in the Mitchell Principles.
But Government reaction, judging by the comments last night of Secretary of State Dr John Reid, indicates that the latest IRA statement is the mood music which Tony Blair wants to hear and, instead of a requirement of censure and punitive action, the Prime Minister may feel inclined to give the republican movement one last chance.
Parleying with words, however, signally fails to address the fundamental issue – that
permanent peace and stability will never ever be achieved in Northern Ireland until terrorist violence is ended and the paramilitary organisations, both republican and loyalist, shut up shop for good.
Actions should speak louder than words
from an organisation which says it is committed to the peace process and both
Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern must insist that the next move in the chain of events for the Provisional IRA is total disbandment. And the same goes for the loyalist terror groups.