McGuinness says reports unfounded and misleading
Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness today dismissed speculation the IRA was poised to disband as “totally unfounded and misleading”.
There was no basis to stories in a number of newspapers saying the IRA was close to announcing an end to all military operations, punishment beatings and surveillance operations and the decommissioning of its weapons, he said.
Mr McGuinness, Education Minister in the power-sharing administration prior to its suspension and an admitted IRA commander in the 1970’s, said the speculation was damaging and undermined the multi-party talks currently taking place.
He spoke out in Dublin as Sinn Fein leaders met to discuss the political process.
His comments brought swift response from Ulster Unionists.
They said if the IRA was not going to do what was needed then Sinn Fein could not return to government.
Mr McGuinness said the reports, which claimed he was spearheading moves to persuade IRAs to remove the threat of violence and effectively disband were way off the mark.
“I think people need to be very aware that there are people out there – and unnamed sources – their stories I think are very unhelpful,” he said.
“They basically amount to totally unfounded speculation and I think they are quite mischievous.”
