07-08-2003 12:32									#1
	Real IRA Leader Found Guilty Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: Real IRA leader found guilty Aug 07, 2003 The leader of an IRA splinter group that was behind the deadliest bomb attack in Northern Irish history was found guilty on Wednesday of directing terrorism and could face life imprisonment. A Dublin court also convicted Real IRA boss Michael McKevitt, a 53-year-old businessman from the Irish border town of Dundalk, of belonging to an illegal organisation. Relatives of some of the 29 victims of the 1998 Omagh bombing called McKevitt a coward for refusing to leave his cell to hear the judgement. "We now know what we suspected all along. McKevitt is a terrorist, a man who has the blood of innocent people on his hands," Stanley McCombe, who lost his wife in the blast, said outside the heavily-guarded court. McKevitt was the first person in Ireland to be convicted of directing terrorism, a charge introduced after Omagh. He will be sentenced on Thursday but has already indicated his intention to appeal. The prosecution's case relied heavily on the evidence of former FBI spy David Rupert, a US citizen who was paid more than $US1 million to infiltrate the Real IRA while posing as the group's chief fund-raiser in the United States. Dissident republicans still a threat The verdict follows renewed activity by dissident republicans in recent months. Security sources say that while the Real IRA is small, with an active membership numbering in the dozens rather than hundreds, they are taking no chances. "There remains within this jurisdiction groups who are hell-bent on attacking democratic principles and we will do all in our power to investigate them," said Detective Superintendent Martin Callinan of the Irish police force. McKevitt, who is married to the sister of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands who died in 1981, was arrested in early 2001 and had denied both the charges on which he was convicted. He sacked his legal team in the latter stages of the five-week trial and pledged to take no further part in a "political show trial". The Real IRA split from the main Irish Republican Army in 1997 after opposing the British province's peace process. The following August the group detonated a 225-kg car bomb in Omagh on a busy Saturday afternoon. The prosecution case against McKevitt hinged on evidence by Rupert, who described how he had sat in on Real IRA "army council" meetings with McKevitt as a renewed campaign of violence in Britain and Northern Ireland was being discussed. McKevitt, he said, had been in favour of an attack that would "be spectacular and overshadow Omagh". Although McKevitt's defence sought to cast Rupert as an unreliable witness, drawing attention to his shady business past, the court ruled that his testimony was credible. Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed at Omagh, said he hoped the tide was now turning in favour of the victims' families, who have yet to see anyone charged with murder in relation to the bombing which occurred five years ago next week.

All I can say is

	07-08-2003 12:39									#2
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belonging to an illegal organisation

WHAT ABOUT FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY? 1984 IS NOW!!!

	07-08-2003 13:03									#3
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It is a similar situation to that in 1916-1920. The Dail Eireann was an illegal organisation and it's members could be arrested. People like Michael Collins had to traverse Dublin in disguise (most of the others, like de Valera et al) were in British jails. The Real IRA are just as extreme as those in the Easter Rising.

	07-08-2003 14:38									#4
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quote: Originally posted by Zylka belonging to an illegal organisation WHAT ABOUT FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY? 1984 IS NOW!!!

What about being a member of Al Qaeda. I suppose funding from the US makes the organisation ok.

	07-08-2003 17:01									#5
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quote: Originally posted by Frozzy It is a similar situation to that in 1916-1920. The Dail Eireann was an illegal organisation and it's members could be arrested. People like Michael Collins had to traverse Dublin in disguise (most of the others, like de Valera et al) were in British jails. The Real IRA are just as extreme as those in the Easter Rising.

Unless I'm mistaken Dublin is now firmly in the hands of Irish nationalists, so McKevitt is facing Irish jail, not British. Hopefully this trial sends a clear cut signal that the Irish nation doesn't consider the IRA terrorists to be Irish patriots.

	07-08-2003 17:16									#6
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It's great to see justice is sometimes achieved

	07-08-2003 18:36									#7
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great news, and not before time

	07-08-2003 20:08									#8
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20 year sentence and refused leave to appeal.

He has already done 2 1/2 years on remand towards the sentence though and it won't stop him running the organisation from inside jail.

	07-08-2003 20:11									#9
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PIRA might whack him

	07-08-2003 22:33									#10
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surely he'll be put in isolation, to prevnt him running the org from behind bars and being whacked?

	07-08-2003 22:45									#11
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If he planned or contributed to deadly bombings, he should be fed feet first into a wood chipper.

	07-08-2003 23:25									#12
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This is good news; McKevitt and his gang of thugs have very little support down south; I don't think anyone will be sad to see the back of him. Unfortunately, the Irish (and British) governments are letting extremists like him, both loyalist and nationalist, back on the streets every day under the 'Good Friday' agreement.

On top of this, a large IRA training camp was uncovered earlier this week somewhere in Munster I believe. The IRA are definitely not having a good week.

Hopefully Britain reinstates the Northern Ireland Assembly soon.

	08-08-2003 00:26									#13
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i don't see how that would help, not until the IRA disarm.

but good news on the training camp too

	08-08-2003 00:47									#14
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Personally, I can't see any harm in reinstating the NI assembly. The paramilitaries are becoming more and more marginalized every day - most people support a political solution. By giving them a parliament, the British would be encouraging this. Even if the paramilitaries don't disarm, they won't dare carry out an attack, as no-one will support them. The IRA ceasefire has held since 1994, and I can't see it breaking except for an extraordinary reason (e.g. if the British re-introduced internment, but I can't see that happening either ).

Gradually, these guys will realize by themselves that their war is over; it's time to put the guns away and go home. Of course they could go the route of Johnny Adair and the rest of his motley crew and turn to organized crime, but I believe the PIRA is too professional to allow that to occur.