Debate appeal rejected as PR stunt

A call by Sinn Féin to meet with and “brief” the leaderships of three republican armed groups -- the INLA, Continuity IRA and Real IRA -- about the current situation has received a cool response.

One INLA source in the North West said the group would not be meeting with Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams.

“Adams is just playing politics with this public statement because he knows the back channels for meetings. The back channels to set up meetings between the groups are well established and on his going public with this I would question his sincerity.”

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement (linked to the Real IRA) described the offer as “a publicity stunt”.

A spokesman said that the Provisional Sinn Féin leadership had already accepted a policing deal agreed with the governments and the SDLP and DUP.

The spokesman also said a debate would be welcome but asked why this did not take place before a deal was done.

“It is in this context that we view such calls as a PR stunt as they are unlikely to shift Provisional Sinn Féin from its current policing policy,” he said.

The idea of talks also was dismissed out of hand by Republican Sinn Féin.

“Who is Mr Adams addressing?” Republican Sinn Féin president Ruairi O’Bradaigh asked.

“Is it the people who resigned recently from his party? For our part we are not dissidents.

“Mr Adams knows well our core values. “He knows that no reconciliation is possible.

“Republican Sinn Féin’s values once his own, before he and the Provos decided to accept the institutions of British rule in Ireland.

“The discussions he proposes do not refer to us.”

Urgent Appeal