Irish Republican News, 5 February 2006
Disband the IMC - Sinn Fein
"The fact that the IMC claims that the IRA has held on to weapons
has been effectively dismissed by the body that was actually and
legitimately set up under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement
to deal with the issue, namely the International Independent
Commission for Decommissioning, should sound the death knell for
this discredited body.
...
(It is clear that) the IMC is nothing more than a body to
provide rejectionist unionists with an excuse not to engage in
the peace process"
Sinn Fein has published a Bill in the Dublin parliament calling
for the 26-County government to end its political backing and
funding for the IMC and to have the legislation, which brought it
into being, repealed.
The party's leader in the Dail, Caoimhghin O Caolain TD described
the so-called 'International Monitoring Commission' as "a
Frankenstein monster" created by the two governments to appease
rejectionist unionists.
Deputy O Caolain said, "Once again the accusations made against
republicans by the collection of spooks and anti-republican
cranks that make up the International Monitoring Commission are
based on nothing more than unsubstantiated allegations and
innuendo from nameless securocrats within the British
establishment.
"The fact that the IMC claims that the IRA has held on to weapons
has been effectively dismissed by the body that was actually and
legitimately set up under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement
to deal with the issue, namely the International Independent
Commission for Decommissioning, should sound the death knell for
this discredited body."
Mr o Caolian said it was clear to more than republicans and
nationalists that the IMC was "nothing more than a body to
provide rejectionist unionists with an excuse not to engage in
the peace process" since its inception.
"We will argue that the two governments, instead of facing down
the rejectionists and demanding that they engage in the process
with Sinn Fein and the other parties, have created a Frankenstein
monster which is now firmly under the control of the political
police who have sought to frustrate this process at every step of
the way.
"It is time to end this dangerous farce and disband the IMC and
get on with the job of delivering a real and sustainable peace
process, which includes the re-establishment of the political
institutions as a matter of urgency."
PROTEST AT POLICING BOARD MEETING
Also on Thursday, republicans disrupted a meeting of the North's
Policing Board in Belfast to protest "political policing".
As PSNI chief Hugh Orde was about to give his assessment on a new
report by the "Independent Monitoring Commission" half a dozen
people stood up and demanded to know where the information came
from.
Robert McClenaghan, of the group An Fhirinne, asked: "Who
provided intelligence to the likes of the IMC?
"Is it the same Special Branch police, same military people and
the same members of the NIO (Northern Ireland Office) who have
been involved in collusion for the last 35 years?"
His protest, while others in the group held aloft placards and
shouted "political policing" surprised board members who demanded
to know how the "security breach" had been allowed.
The protesters were quickly dragged out of the public meeting,
leaving members of the DUP furious.
Sammy Wilson accused the protestors of "defending murderers".
Ulster Unionist representative Sam Foster demanded to know how
the security breach had been allowed.
"The top echelons of police could have been shot," he declared
"They have no respect for anybody."