Irish Republican News · February 4, 2006

Disband the IMC - SF

Sinn Féin 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to end its political backing and funding for the IMC and to have the legislation, which brought it into being, repealed.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 Féin 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.”

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