British report says PIRA still exists, controls arms

Posted by Jim on October 20, 2015

The future of the political institutions remains uncertain following an
MI5/PSNI review of the status of the Provisional IRA and loyalist
paramilitary groups which found that the PIRA continues to exist and
control some arms caches, but in a “much reduced” form.

Speaking at Westminster, British Direct Ruler Theresa Villiers said the
review, drafted by a three-person panel specially appointed to the task
last month, was “evidence-based and credible”.

The assessment also found that leaderships of the PIRA and loyalist
groups are “committed to peaceful means to achieve their political
objectives” — but some individuals still represent “a threat to
national security”.

Regarding the IRA, it claimed that the “senior leadership, Provisional
Army Council and departments with specific responsibility” all continue
to exist, as well as some regional command structures. Some activity
takes place at the local level, it said, but “without the knowledge or
direction of the leadership”.

It said the PIRA organisation now had a “wholly political” focus,
engaging in low-level efforts to identify informers, gather
intelligence on other republican groups and monitor remaining arms
supplies — but it is no longer involved in “targeting” or “terrorist
attacks against the state or its representatives”.

It is also neither recruiting, nor seeking a new source of weapons, the
statement added.

The report endorses last month’s assessment by PSNI chief George
Hamilton in which he said individual members of the Provisional IRA
were involved in the recent murder of Kevin McGuigan, an east Belfast
republican suspected of involvement in the murder of former IRA
commander Jock Davison in May.

Regarding loyalists, the statement said that the UDA had broken into
essentially autonomous units while some UVF structures remained intact.
Both are engaged in organised crime and ‘paramilitary assaults’.

In his response, the DUP’s Nigel Dodds said the party would continue
with talks but did not immediately promise to revive the institutions
from the ‘zombie’ state in which it placed them last month.

He said the report ‘illustrates the hard work ahead’ in the current
talks process at Stormont. The continued existence of the IRA and
loyalist paramilitary groups is ‘unacceptable’ and must be ended, he
added.

Speaking ahead of today’s report, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said
that “whatever its conclusions Sinn Fein will not tolerate any
undermining of the rights of citizens who vote for Sinn Fein. This
party has a mandate, democratically achieved at the ballot box and we
will not accept any infringement or erosion of that mandate by the
British government or anyone else.”