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>The below report on the "peace-meeting" at the AOH >Hall in Derry, is to-day rubbished in the Foyle News >by leading "Dissidents" - RIRA, INLA ETC. > >Real IRA ready to renounce violence ><a rel=nofollow target=_blank >href="http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,, >2084037,00.html">http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politic >s/story/0,,2084037,00.html</a> > >Dissidents unite to end arms struggle > >Henry McDonald, Ireland editor >Sunday May 20, 2007 >The Observer > >The Real IRA, the Republican dissident group that was >responsible for the Omagh bombing, will this week say >that it is to renounce violence having agreed with the >Irish National Liberation Army and the Continuity IRA >on a peaceful Northern Ireland strategy. It has been >forced to accept that there is a mass of opposition to >terrorism even among working-class republicans. > >One dissident republican source told The Observer >yesterday: 'What use is planting a few firebombs in >furniture stores and garden centres?' > >Article continues >'While the violence goes on the Provos can paint those >opposed to their strategy as mad bombers and killers. >There must be an alternative republican strategy to >Sinn Fein and the sell-out at Stormont, but it must be >political and peaceful.' > >Dissident organisations have been under severe >pressure ever since the Omagh bomb nine years ago. >Twenty-nine people and two unborn babies died when a >Real IRA bomb ripped apart the centre of the Co Tyrone >market town in August 1998. To date no one has yet >been jailed in relation to the massacre. > >The Real IRA stood condemned across the world for what >was the single biggest atrocity of the Northern >Ireland Troubles. Its leader Michael McKevitt, the >Provisional IRA's former 'quarter master general' was >later arrested and jailed for directing terrorism. > >The organisation was forced to declare a ceasefire and >although it has since tried to renew its armed >campaign RIRA has been hit by mass arrests, >infiltration and the interception of arms shipments. > >A key measurement of the success of the Irish security >forces against it is that there are now more dissident >republicans in the Republic's prisons than there were >Provos back when the IRA declared a ceasefire in 1994. > >The latest meeting of dissidents at the Ancient Order >of Hibernians' hall in Derry city centre brought >together ex-prisoners and republicans opposed to Sinn >Fein sitting in what they see as a 'partitionist' >government at Stormont. > >Ex-IRA prisoner Danny McBrearty organised the >conference that was attended by 200 delegates. He >confirmed that the gathering formulated a way for an >alternative republican strategy. > >A republican veteran who attended said recent sporadic >attacks in Newry and Belfast were only 'having a >nuisance value' and were in danger of putting >nationalist people out of work. 'It's clear from our >own people that the appetite for a war has long gone. >CIRA and RIRA are poorly armed despite shopping >expeditions to the former Eastern bloc. > >'The groups have been reduced to launching fire bomb >attacks on commercial targets which aren't going to >win us any favours.' An INLA source also confirmed >this weekend that the three terror groups were united >in acknowledging that there was no support for armed >struggle. 'It's time we listened to the people and >gave them a real political alternative,' the source >said.

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