Independent , 28. April 2002
Police in N Ireland 'sabotage' peace deal
By David McKittrick Ireland correspondent
Both the Government and senior police figures in Northern Ireland are
convinced that top policemen are working against the peace process,
according to authoritative sources in Belfast.
They believe that a number of officers have been planting exaggerated and
distorted newspaper stories with the aim of disrupting the process.
This particularly worries the authorities because it has produced an air of
crisis in the peace process, which has built up partly because of the issue
of IRA activity in Colombia and of possible IRA involvement in the
Castlereagh Special Branch break-in.
But senior sources say that, while republicans have a case to answer, leaks
from within the senior echelons of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
have seriously exacerbated matters.
One senior source said: "We don't believe the whole thing is orchestrated,
but there is an element of political motivation in this and a number of
other areas.
"This is more than just innocent gossip and talking to sources. There seem
to be a few people who have an axe to grind – individuals who have
particular political slants and don't like the process."
During Mo Mowlam's term as Northern Ireland Secretary, a stream of damaging
leaks from within government indicated that some were against the process.
Now sources say that some recent reports have been "not entirely wrong", but
have been selective and exaggerated with mischievous intent.
Suspicions remain strong that the IRA was involved in the Castlereagh
break-in, but this has not been established. Gerry Adams and other Sinn Fein
leaders have been adamant that republicans were not responsible.
Castlereagh, Colombia and other issues have been seized on by Unionist
opponents of the Good Friday Agreement, who are applying pressure on the
Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble. The issues are to be debated in the
Northern Ireland Assembly tomorrow.
Mr Trimble, who met Gerry Adams on Friday, said afterwards: "The crucial
point was explained that nobody in the Unionist community believed a word
that republicans are saying about recent events.
"This is rapidly draining the credibility of this administration and this
process."
Mr Adams said: "There are difficulties within republicanism about these
events and about how others have reacted to these events, and, as Mr Trimble
has told us, there are difficulties within Unionism.
"We appreciate that this is the case and understand the destabilising effect
of all of these allegations, but the destabilising is more acute within
Unionism."