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PoW Leader Defects
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Date Posted: 09:00:48 09/18/02 Wed
Taken from "Stormont-Watch" - via www.voy.com/70381/
>Irish News - Wed. Sept. 18-2002: Report by Valeria
>Robinson
>
>RIRA split deepens as leader defects
>
>The Real IRA has suffered a davastating blow with one
>of its most senior members defecting to another
>republican group.
>
>Liam Campbell convicted last year of Real IRA (RIRA)
>membership and believed to be one of the group's
>leading members, was moved last week to the E4 wing
>which houses Continuity IRA (CIRA) inmates in
>Portlaoise Prison.
>
>Campbell requested to be moved after clashing with
>other members of the paramilitary group over moves to
>disband the dissident group in favour of supporting
>the Northern Ireland peace process.
>
>Sources have claimed that the Co. louth man is furious
>that many RIRA members in the Republic want to move
>away from violence.
>
>The split in Portlaoise mirrors a north/south divide
>in the organisation which has seen Belfast and South
>Armagh members exert control over its paramilitary and
>political wings.
>
>Confidence among souther members has waned since the
>arrest of Michael McKevitt, the Dundalk man said to
>head the dissidents, and the UK police operation which
>smashed a British-based RIRA unit after it had carried
>out a series of high profile bomb attacks.
>
>Over the past 12 months, an increasing number of
>disenchanted supporters, including a number of
>founding members in Munster, have distanced themselves
>from the group, while others have been recruited by
>the CIRA.
>
>It is believed that anger has been growing in the
>north that individuals representing Michael McKevitt
>have been holding tentative peace talks with Irish
>government officials.
>
>Fears that McKevitt was willing to dissolve the RIRA
>led to a successful takeover bid by the northern
>contingent.
>
>It is now unlikely that McKevitt, who is awaiting
>trial, has any control over the dissident group he is
>creduited with founding.
>
>Liam Campbell, a married father-of-two, was said by
>the Gardai Special Branch to have played a central
>role in the running of the Real IRA.
>
>When gardai raided his home at Upper Faughart in
>Dundalk two years ago, they discovered an underground
>bunker containing mobile phones, sterling cash, walkie
>talkies and a radio scanner.
>
>During the search of a car and garage, they found
>paper-disposal body suits and, in the garage, white
>gloves, black insulating tape and tubing similar to
>that used by people making explosives. A two-way CB
>radio was seized from a shed.
>
>In October last year, Campbell was jailed for five
>years after being convicted in the Special Criminal
>Court of being a member of the unlawful organisation.
>
>#######################################################
>>
>News from HMP Maghaberry
>
>The "punishment document" handed to Derry City PoW
>Cíaran McLaughlin, after his "disciplinary hearing" a
>few days ago, will to-night be delievered to the Full
>Status Now Campaign (FSNC) which was recently
>established by the October Fifth (1968 Civil Rights'
>Veterans & Supporters) Association. This will
>immediately be posted on "Stormont-Watch", due to much
>public and media interest in this prisoners' plight.
>[See earlier postings on the "Watch"].
>
>The first of the FSNCampaign's letters to political
>prisoners went in the post this afternoon. Details of
>this initial communication were posted to the "Watch"
>and the FSNC forum, which can be located via
>http://www.voy.com/102812/
>
>Subscribers to the "Watch" are cordially invited to
>join the FSNCampaign, by writing "Register" in the
>subject box of their e-mail, or sending a brief
>solidarity message. Those wishing to do so should
>contact the campaign's central workstation: via
>fsncampaign@hotmail.com
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