IRA not allowed to 'blackmail': Harney
An Tánaiste Mary Harney has warned that the IRA would not be allowed to “blackmail” democratic governments in the North's peace process.
She said: “Sinn Féin and the IRA are the reason the process has been in difficulties. They can’t have it every way they want. They’re not going to blackmail the Irish and governments.”
Ms Harney was speaking in the wake of last night's statement by the IRA that it is withdrawing its commitment to decommision all weapons.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny accused republicans of only being interested in peace talks on their own terms while Labour leader Pat Rabbitte called on all democratic parties to hold firm against their “petulant and belligerent” threats.
Mr Kenny, who called for a debate on the issue in the Dáil today, described last night’s strongly-worded IRA statement as an “affront” to Irish people, north and south of the Border.
“This statement provides further evidence that the republican movement is only interested in peace negotiations on their own terms. This demonstrates that they do not share the democratic values of other parties,” he said.
Mr Kenny called on Sinn Féin to re-establish its bona fides and to clarify if they will still abide by their commitments to the Good Friday Agreement.
He added: “This statement will cause significant further damage to public confidence in the peace process and in particular to the credibility of Sinn Féin’s commitment.”
Pat Rabbitte said everybody had been expecting the republican movement to make a clear departure from criminality and violence.
“Instead, what we have got from the IRA is a petulant, belligerent and somewhat threatening statement that seeks to place the blame for the current impasse at everyone else’s door,” he said.
“Rather than inching forward as we had all hoped, the Republican movement now appears to be in rapid retreat towards the attitudes that plunged Northern Ireland into 30 years of violence and conflict.
“All democratic parties must hold firm into their commitment that there must be a total rejection of criminality and paramilitarism by the Republican movement if Sinn Féin is to be treated as a normal democratic political party.”
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