IRPWA: DIRTY PROTEST NELL’ALA E3 DELLA PRIGIONE DI PORTLAOISE

E’ con grande rammarico che l’IRPWA invita la famiglia repubblicanaa a sostenere ancora una volta i POWs (prisoner of war, ndr) nella loro protesta contro la palese ingiustizia del sistema carcerario in Irlanda.
L’IRPWA è stata incaricata dai POWs repubblicani a precisare come e perché si è verificatoa questa protesta e di chiarirne le ragioni
Una protesta è attualmente in corso nell’ala E3 di Portlaoise Prison a causa della sospensione dei programmi di ‘rilascio temporaneo’ (TR, temporary release ndr) e del ‘rilascio compassionevole’ (CR, compassionate release ndr). E ‘ convinzione dei POW’s che questa sia una ritorsione alle azioni dell’ IRA nelle sei contee occupate, infatti, l’Irish Prison Service ha incaricato alcuni dei suoi portavoce a chiedere all’OC (Officer Commanding, ndr) dell’ala E3 se ‘crede nel frontiera’!
La situazione attuale è la seguente: due prigionieri repubblicani (Vinny Kelly e Justin McCarthy) sono attualmente impegnati in una no wash/dirty protest, non in una blanket protest come inizialmente lasciato trapelare.
Ad intervalli di tempo, tutti i POWs repubblicani aderiranno alla protesta, e in quella fase, vi sarà la sua escalation.
Il rappresentante dell’Irish Prison Service e il governatore hanno chiesto all’OC di riconsiderare la posizione dei POWs in attesa di un colloquio con il Free State Government. L’unica concessione dei POW sè stata di ritardare l’adesione di altri uomini alla protesta per un breve periodo di tempo per dare loro la possibilità di risolvere il problema. E’ impressione dell’IRPWA, che questa finestra di opportunità si chiuderà rapidamente e per questo ci appelliamo a tutti coloro che sono coinvolti nel Free State Government e nell’Irish Prison Service, a compiere notevoli sforzi per risolvere questa situazione intollerabile, non appena possibile.

Seguono il comunicato ufficiale dell’IRPWA e il comunicato ufficiale dei POW dell’ala E3 di Portlaoise Prison all’Irish Prison Service

Protest on E3 Portlaoise Gaol (IRPWA)
It is with great regret that the IRPWA call upon the republican family to once again support POW’s in their protest against the blatant injustice of the Prison system in Ireland.
The IRPWA have been tasked by the republican POW’s to state how and why this protest has occurred and to clarify the facts of this protest.
A protest is currently underway on E3 Portlaoise due to the suspension of the temporary release (TR) and compassionate release (CR) programmes. It is the belief of the POW’s that this has happened due to IRA actions in the occupied six counties, indeed the Irish Prison Service have indicated this much and one of their spokespersons has even asked the OC of E3 if he ‘Believed in the border’!
The situation at present is as follows: Two republicans prisoners (Vinny Kelly and Justin McCarthy) are currently involved in a no wash/dirty protest, NOT on the blanket as some have suggested. At intervals republican POW’s will join this protest until the whole landing is on protest , at this stage the protest will escalate.
The Irish Prison Service representative and the Governor have asked the Officer Commanding to reconsider the POW’s stance pending talks with the Free State government, the only concession the POW’s have been willing to make at this stage is to delay further men joining the protest for a short period to give them a chance to resolve the issue. It is the understanding of the IRPWA that this window of opportunity is fast closing and we would urge all those involved in the Free State government and the Irish Prison Service to make strenuous efforts to resolve this intolerable situation as soon as possible.

Statement from Republican Prisoners E3 to the Irish Prison Service.
The Irish Prison Service (IPS) states in its mission statement that one of its goals is to try to maintain relationships between prisoners and their families. This is one of the reasons for it’s Temporary Release (TR) programme. When a prisoner is released his chances of settling back into normal family relationships are improved. The programme was also to help prisoners to seek housing accommodation and social welfare payments and help further their education upon release.
The process for Political prisoners has always been compassionate on TR. We have always obeyed the rules set out surrounding releases of this nature. We have always maintained the integrity of being Republican prisoners by returning on time and there has never been an issue with this. We recognise the importance of these releases on the grounds that if we are to maintain family ties important events must be attended. In the past the IPS has allowed Republican prisoners to attend funerals of family and loved ones. It has also allowed for important religious events such as Christenings, First Holy Communions and Confirmations.
It has recently stopped all of this without any explanation being given. Examples of this include denials of applications to attend children’s First Holy Communions and funerals of close relatives. One application was submitted when a Republican prisoner’s only aunt passed away and the application came back denied after the funeral had already taken place. Another application was denied for a prisoner to attend the funeral of his twin’s mother and denied again for the twins Confirmation eight months after the death of their mother.
We the Republican prisoners of E3 landing will not tolerate this blatant discrimination and unjust treatment. It is only following recenet events in the six counties that this unfair treatment of our prisoners has intensified. We believe it is directly related and until the IPS and the Governor of Portlaoise Prison are willing to stop this harassment and mistreatment of all Republican prisoners we will commence protest. We will not be used as leverage for the British and Free State governments.

DICHIARAZIONE DI PASQUA DEL REAL IRA

E’ questo il testo della dichiarazione di Pasqua del Real IRA (Óglaigh na hÉireann) pubblicata dal Tribune.ie e che verrà letta il 13 aprile durante la commemorazione tenuta dal 32 County Sovereignty Movement a Derry.

Statement from the Real IRA to be read out at the 32 County Sovereignty Movement commemoration in Derry tomorrow
Real IRA statement: ‘It fell to the volunteers of Óglaigh na hÉireann to carry out the [Denis Donaldson] sentence and punishment demanded in our Army Orders’
‘The leadership of Óglaigh na hÉireann send fraternal greetings to our friends and comrades at home and overseas, especially to those incarcerated by the enemy here in Ireland and further afield.
“Special mention must be made of the families of our POWs. Their resilience in the face of adversity inspires us all. We would remind republicans that, at this time of commemoration, we have a special duty to all POWs and their dependents. We send solidarity greetings to all those revolutionaries fighting to defend the sovereignty of their nations.
“History has shown us that compromise with the British on the issue of national sovereignty has always resulted in those who have compromised condemning those who continue to uphold and defend Irish sovereignty.
“Our struggle is against the British occupation forces and the administrative arm of the British government in Ireland – be they in the RUC/PSNI, the NIO [Northern Ireland Office], or the quislings in Stormont [the DUP-Sinn Féin Executive]. The same has happened in Iraq and Afghanistan: those who assist the occupier always condemn the occupied. However, seldom in such blatant or hysterical terms as we have witnessed recently.
“A former comrade [Martin McGuinness] has come full circle and, with a knight of the British realm [Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde] at his shoulder, he has labelled our gallant volunteers as traitors to justify his Redmondite stance and home rule politics.
“Let us remind our former comrade of the nature and the actions of a traitor. Treachery is collaborating with the enemy, treachery is betraying your country. Let us give our one-time comrade an example. Denis Donaldson was a traitor and the leadership of the Provisional movement, under guidance from the British government, made provision for Donaldson to escape republican justice in the same manner as Freddie Scappaticci.
“It fell to the volunteers of Óglaigh na hÉireann to carry out the sentence and punishment demanded in our Army Orders and by the wider republican family. No traitor will escape justice regardless of time, rank or past actions. The republican movement has a long memory.
“Recent years have seen the reorganisation and restructuring of Óglaigh na hÉireann. This is continuing and is constantly evolving and being refined to keep abreast of enemy developments in technology and modes of war. It is vital that volunteers educate themselves in such developments and take the necessary steps to safeguard themselves and their comrades.
“Actions by volunteers of Óglaigh na hÉireann in the last year have proved that the tactical use of armed struggle can, and does, bring results. As was witnessed in Antrim, British soldiers and the colonial police will continue to lose their lives as long as the issue of national sovereignty remains unresolved. Óglaigh na hÉireann will continue to strike at the British occupation forces wherever and whenever we decide.
“We also reserve the right to execute anyone providing services, in any shape or form, to the enemy. Those who assist the occupiers have placed themselves in harm’s way. They know what they need to do to extricate themselves from a situation of their own making. There will be no further warnings.
“The same goes for the RUC/PSNI. Let us be clear so there is no further ambiguity on the matter: any young person fool enough to join the colonial police in the belief that the leadership of the Provisional movement will protect them, or give them cover, is sadly mistaken. The RUC/PSNI are a British police force, just like the old RIC [Royal Irish Constabulary].
“Like the RIC, some in their ranks portray themselves as Irish and there to protect and serve their communities. In reality, they are the first line of defence for the British government. They are being used to spy, arrest, interrogate, brutalise and uphold foreign laws against fellow Irishmen.
“By such actions, they forfeit any right to call themselves Irish. Once you don the uniform of your British paymaster, you become its instrument. He who pays the piper calls the tune.
“The leadership of Óglaigh na hÉireann urges republicans to be vigilant in the time ahead. We have no doubt that the British Army and colonial police will seek to once again spill republican blood for recent attacks on their ranks. The republican movement is prepared for this.
“The British political, military and security establishment, along with local allies, will redouble their efforts in the dirty tricks department and their campaign of criminalisation. They will seek to sow mistrust and divisions among republicans and will use counter-revolutionaries to do so. These people will one day be forced to answer for their actions.
“Finally, we reject the assertions of the pro-establishment media that Óglaigh na hÉireann is fractionalised or engaged in criminality. Óglaigh na hÉireann is a unified body committed to the cause of Irish sovereign national self-determination and an end to British rule in Ireland.
“Our recent actions speak louder than a thousand establishment lies. Beir Bua. Victory to the IRA!”
The Real IRA refers to itself as Óglaigh na hÉireann. However, in claims of responsibility to media it can use its more popular name, the’Real IRA’ to distinguish itself from a smaller dissident group which also calls itself Óglaigh na hÉireann

April 12, 2009

DICHIARAZIONE DI PASQUA DEL 32 CSM

32CSM Easter Oration 2009

Marian Price
A chairde, there are those who would say we are traitors gathered here to commemorate the actions of traitors. Pearse and Connolly were deemed to be traitors because the British trenches in the Somme were filled with Irishmen deceived into thinking that fighting in the imperial slaughter of the First World War would lead to Home Rule. Pearse and Connolly said it wouldn’t, and they were right, but still they were vilified and executed. Ninety three years later republicans once again state that the Home Rule strategy will not deliver Irish freedom. Calling us traitors for saying so from the steps of Stormont, flanked by Britain’s head policeman in Ireland, proves we are also right. We are immensely proud to share the views of Pearse and Connolly.
Once again British soldiers are being killed on Irish soil. Once again British soldiers are using Irish soil to train to kill in foreign wars. Once again establishment nationalists have moved to support the British regime in Ireland. Nothing has changed. Claiming that unity will be achieved by 2016 is similar to the deception employed to lure men to their deaths in the fields of Flanders in the lost hope of securing Home Rule. Nothing has changed here either. The men and women of 1916 fought for fundamental change. They were not reformists, but Irish separatists who articulated the basic republican message that our sovereignty is inalienable and indefeasable.
This year also marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the First Dail Eireann. The First Dail was the Proclamation in action. It was an Irish parliament of, by and for the Irish people. It declared our independence to the world and set about a radical social programme to cherish all of the children equally. It remains our blueprint for the future of our country and our people.
Our history is one of conflict because too often our history has been repeated. Political arrangements which usurp Irish sovereignty cannot lead to peace or freedom. Inherent in these arrangements is the attempted suppression of those who seek to defend our sovereignty. They murder us. They hang us. They intern us. They intimidate us. They malign us. It represents that familiar colonial chorus, ever desperate to maintain itself. Trading civil rights in return for recognition of foreign rule condemns our children to fight for that most basic of rights, their own freedom. The men and women of 1916 were not fooled or bought by the trappings of Home Rule nor intimidated by the forces of Westminster and her Irish lackeys. For them democracy meant more than an opinion poll rating or a gerrymandered election. The voice of the people can only be heard if it is freely expressed.
And this is the message which republicans need to articulate today. As republicans we need to put before the people our framework from within which Irish democracy can function without external impediment. We need to set our case against British occupation in a way which is relevant to our people’s needs today. Our aims cannot be solely the product of the past nor can they be a slave to that past. British reasons for remaining in Ireland will change according to modern British interests and republican strategies opposing these interests must adapt accordingly. But in doing so we cannot repeat the failures of history by compromising the legitimacy of our position for the appearance of short term gain. The British have no right to be here and our right to resist them is a matter for us to determine and not them.
We are constantly asked; what is your alternative? The answer depends on who is asking the question. To those who call us traitors we say; any alternative but yours. To those who call us anti democratic we say; let us negotiate without pre conditions. To those republicans who genuinely seek an alternative we say; let us construct one together. We must be clear that the Good Friday Agreement represents a significant defeat for republicanism. And in the face of this we need to be pragmatic and not reactionary. Recrimination is not an alternative. Working constructively together is. Along with other republican comrades the 32 County Sovereignty Movement has engaged in an initiative to forge a way forward from a unified republican position. The ideology behind it is the ideology of necessity. All republican banners are welcome because all republican banners are needed.
How we engage with the Irish people is as important as what we engage them on. From the outset the truth of what we say will be judged by the strength by which we say it. Eloquence and emotion are no substitutes to a unified voice. The politics of conflict resolution requires clarity to ensure that any resolution is just and democratic. Armed conflict is in existence because such a resolution has not been entered into. Neither republicans nor the British government can invoke the existence of armed conflict as an excuse not to engage in a process to find a final democratic resolution to the Anglo Irish conflict. We have to deal with reality as it is and not how we wish it to be.
Standing here in commemoration of 1916 let us invoke the clarity of the Proclamation as we now address the British government today. You must leave Ireland. If, as you say, you have no selfish, strategic or economic reasons for remaining in Ireland then there is no excuse for you not to leave. There is no problem in Ireland which demands your presence that the Irish people themselves cannot resolve. If you require a framework to allow you to disengage from our country we will construct one for you. But for this to happen you must go before the international community and renounce your claim to sovereignty over the Six Counties. A claim of sovereignty represents the bedrock of any strategic interest so let this be the basic test of your intentions.
We call on all republicans to realign ourselves around the securing of achievable aims. We have set forth a programme to rebuild the republican movement through political advancement. We have proposed that commemorating 1916 should be the annual barometer by which we measure our success especially in the run up to its centenary in 2016. Irish republicanism must be in a position on the occasion of this centenary to tell the Irish people that concrete political gains have been made toward making national reunification an unstoppable reality. The Proclamation is too important a document to condemn it to perpetual aspiration.
The Unity Initiative is the only realistic way forward. Armed struggle is a reality in our midst. We must address it for what it is, a symptom of the unwillingness of the British government to engage on the core cause of conflict, namely, its illegal claim to sovereignty over part of our country. For those who want armed struggle to cease they must come forward with proposals to address its cause. The politics of condemnation is a failed irrelevancy just as British micro Ministers are sitting in Stormont. The 32 County Sovereignty Movement have endeavoured since its formation to put such proposals into the public domain.
We sought a peaceful alternative through the auspices of the United Nations only to have that route disbarred to us when the US authorities, acting on influence from London and Dublin, banned our organisation from travelling there. But we are not deterred by this and efforts are underway to petition the Obama administration to reverse this policy. Because contrary to previous declarations made there, Ireland is not at peace.
We have sought dialogue with both governments, unionist and nationalist parties in an attempt to seek a peaceful way forward but these offers have been largely ignored. We thank all those who worked toward achieving this. And we say it again now; if you truly believe our position is so flawed come and tell us how, rather than grandstanding on media soap boxes. Our door remains open and we will not stop knocking on yours.
Comrades, the template of 1916 remains supremely relevant for us today. It was republican unity which drafted the Proclamation and allowed for the accommodation of its diverse views so magnificently. It was republican disunity which led to that fateful confusion on that day. They have given us the benefit of their foresight and the lessons of their errors. Let us leave here today all the wiser for both.Beir Bua.

End The Conflict, End British Rule In Ireland

End The Conflict, End British Rule In Ireland

If the conflict in Ireland is to end once and for all, so too must the illegal British claim to sovereignty over the Six Counties. That has been made clear in light of the violent events of recent days. That the so called peace process failed to openly address this central core issue of conflict is the reason for its failure now. Attempts to cocoon the problem in a puppet British Assembly arguing along sectarian lines are doomed to failure. From the outset of this process the British government have moved to defend their illegal sovereign claim to Irelands territory. This was evident when they made it an absolute pre-condition that the entry fee into negotiations was the acceptance of a partitionist outcome. Once republican leaders acquiesced to this British demand the republican project within that process was doomed. As it limped from crisis to crisis its British and unionist credentials began to assert themselves. What also emerged was the clear fact that rather than accept their abject defeat in negotiations with the British, republican leaders dug deeper into the morass whilst making outlandish and unsustainable claims about achieving Irish unity by certain dates to keep supporters on board. It was a classic British trap. This British strategy has now reached its pinnacle with a Provisional Sinn Fein leader standing at Stormont, under the British flag, as a minister of the British crown, calling IRA Volunteers ‘traitors’ for continuing to resist British occupation.

We note the ritual chorus of condemnation emanating from Leinster House. Far from reflecting a unity of purpose it represents a bankruptcy of will from that institution to pursue the objective of a Sovereign Irish Republic. From its inception Leinster House abandoned the Irish people in the Six Counties. It abandoned them further under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. It evolved a politics which made it a slave to vested interests. It is economically on its knees because of financial and political corruption at the highest level. It has selectively spurned its own referenda results because it lacked the courage to represent those results to the political elite in Europe. It is no position to lecture to anyone on any matter of substance.

From its inception the 32 County Sovereignty Movement has endeavored to place the issue of Irish National Sovereignty at the heart of the political process via peaceful methods. We sought to raise our concerns by pursuing our case at the United Nations only to have that peaceful route disbarred to us when London and Dublin petitioned Washington to have our organization declared illegal in the US. We petitioned all the main parties with detailed submissions but were met with silence. We sought peace. We seek peace, but we recognise clearly that this can only be achieved if true parity is brought to a negotiations process. Britain’s claim to have ‘no selfish, strategic or economic reasons’ to remain in Ireland is laid bare when one sees its use of Irish soil to train and dispatch British soldiers to kill in foreign wars. The British are not neutral in Ireland, no more than they are in Afghanistan or Iraq. To allow them to claim this, which the Good Friday Agreement does, represents a massive abdication of duty and responsibility by all those supposed nationalists who support it. The recent loss of life as a result of military action is yet another tragedy in the continuing conflict in Ireland. What is required to resolve it is an end to British Parliamentary activity in Ireland so that the people of the island can come to their own democratic arrangements as to how we govern ourselves.

Real IRA: 'The war is back on'

THE Real IRA says it is preparing to launch a new offensive after a major three-year internal reorganisation.

The paramilitary organisation said police officers in the north would be primary targets in its campaign.

"With more attacks on the RUC/PSNI we believe we can reach the stage where British soldiers are brought back onto the streets to bolster the cops.

"This will shatter the facade that the British presence has gone and normality reigns.

People will once again be made visibly aware that we remain occupied, " the dissidents said.

In its first interview in five years, two members of the Real IRA army council met the Sunday Tribune at a location near the border. The newspaper was also given photographs and a DVD of six heavily-armed Real IRA members on a training exercise near a British security watchtower along the border.

The Real IRA said that, after substantial restructuring, which saw some members in Belfast and elsewhere dismissed and units that "weren't up to scratch" disbanded, it now had "a new confidence".

The attempted murder of two police officers in Derry and Dungannon in November showed "the IRA believed it could kill a cop and take whatever the state threw at it". The Real IRA hasn't bombed Britain in six years. When asked if this was to change, the army council representative said: "We will attack Britain where and when we see fit. The law of averages suggests the longer a target hasn't been hit, then the more likely it is to be attacked."

The paramilitary group warned of firebomb attacks on shops and businesses in the north. Although it views members of the Stormont executive, including Martin McGuinness, as "British ministers" and hence "legitimate targets", it is unlikely to attack them.

"Targets aren't always chosen on legitimacy but on whether hitting them would be politically expedient or counter-productive and on the likely effect on public support, " the Real IRA leader said. But this decision would be "kept under review".

In a controversial claim, the Real IRA alleged it had "minimal involvement" in the Omagh bomb: "Our codeword was used . . . nothing more. To have stated this at the time would have been lost in an understandable wave of emotion. That is the only detail on Omagh we're prepared to give at the moment."

Previously, it had been claimed in some quarters that while the Real IRA made the bomb, Continuity IRA members planted it. However, the Real IRA is now alleging it didn't even make the bomb. Coming 10 years after the atrocity in which 29 people were killed, and without any detailed information to support its claim, the Real IRA's statement will be treated with scepticism.

The Real IRA denied reports it wanted to unite with Continuity IRA or INLA. It would work with both "on issues where there is common ground", but there would be no joint operations. "We are not seeking to amalgamate three armies into a 'super republican group', " the army council member said. He denounced Sinn Fein and Provisional IRA leaders for urging people to pass information about Real IRA attacks to the PSNI. The Real IRA said it wasn't engaged in any direct or indirect talks with the British or Irish governments.

http://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_scope=Tribune/News/Home%20News&id=82895&SUBCAT=Tribune/News/Home%20News

Full interview:


What are the Real IRA's objectives?

Our goal is the same as the IRA's has always been . . . to force a British withdrawal.

We're no different than the men and women of 1916, 1919, or 1969. Past generations of republicans are always used to condemn the present generation. There's a long tradition of comparing the 'good old IRA' with the 'bad new IRA'. It's nonsense. We follow in the tradition of Pearse and Connolly.

Who are the Real IRA's targets?

Those who promote and protect the illegal occupation of the six counties . . . British soldiers, RUC/PSNI members, and British government ministers. A pragmatic approach has always been taken to prison officers depending on conditions in the jails.

Does that mean members of the Stormont executive, including Martin McGuinness and other Sinn Fein politicians, are viewed as British ministers and thus legitimate targets in Real IRA eyes?

Those running the Stormont administration are as much British ministers as those sitting in Downing Street. However, targets aren't chosen always on legitimacy but on whether hitting them would be politically expedient or counter-productive and on the likely effect on public support.

The IRA never attacked the British army in Scotland because of its support base there and what was seen as solidarity with a fellow Celtic nation. But the decision on whether to actually hit a legitimate target is one that is kept under review.

Since its formation, the Real IRA has been unable to kill a single British soldier or police officer. From its own perspective, that must represent complete failure.

What are its future plans?

We're emerging from a threeyear period of reorganising in preparation for a renewed offensive. Success shouldn't be judged solely on body count so far. If there was minimal visible military activity in recent years, there was plenty of behind-the-scenes restructuring. Important groundwork has now been completed. In November, the IRA carried out operations within days in three separate locations, attempting to kill RUC/PSNI officers in Derry and Dungannon, and planting a bomb on Remembrance Sunday in Newry.

That shows increased confidence. The IRA believed it could kill a cop and take whatever the state threw at it. The Derry RUC/PSNI target survived because the metal headrest of his car seat took most of the shotgun blasts. The British are worried. There was talk of a 'new style' unarmed RUC/ PSNI in non-combative clothing. Well they're back wearing flak jackets and still carrying guns. Strand Road barracks in Derry is being refortified to make it rocketproof.

With more attacks on the RUC/PSNI we believe the stage will be reached where British soldiers are brought back onto the streets to bolster the cops. This will shatter the facade that the British presence has gone and normality reigns. People will once again be made visibly aware that we remain occupied.

In terms of other internal changes, people have been dismissed from the movement in Belfast and elsewhere. Units that weren't up to scratch have been disbanded. Mistakes were made previously but more rigorous vetting of volunteers is now in place.

The Real IRA hasn't carried out attacks in Britain for six years. Has it any plans to do so?

We will attack Britain where and when we see fit. The law of averages suggests the longer a target hasn't been hit, then the more likely it is to be attacked.

Have the attacks on the US in 2001 and subsequent acts not transformed terrorism and made Real IRA activities like leaving bombs on railway lines and incendiaries in shops look low-level and amateurish?

In the context of 800 years of struggle against the British, 9/11 is irrelevant. Don't ridicule planting incendiaries in shops.

They cause millions of pounds worth of damage, present little risk to civilians and volunteers, and cost the movement minimal expense. A few incendiaries can have the same impact as a 500lb bomb without the risks. Incendiaries will not be the main thrust of our campaign, but they will play a part.

After the appalling loss of life in the Omagh bomb, the Real IRA called a ceasefire but later resumed attacks. Doesn't that show utter disrespect for human life and contempt for public sentiment?

The IRA had minimal involvement in Omagh. Our code word was used, nothing more.

To have stated this at the time would have been lost in an understandable wave of emotion. That is the only detail on Omagh we're prepared to give at the moment. Omagh was an absolute tragedy. Any loss of civilian life is regrettable. No one in any army, except perhaps those in the American or Israeli forces, wants to kill civilians. But wars don't end because civilians die in them.

How can the Real IRA possibly succeed in securing a British withdrawal when the larger and more powerful Provisional IRA failed?

The Provisional IRA didn't fail as an organisation, it was failed by its leadership. It had ample weaponry and members. It could have been much stronger militarily. The decline in operations was due to its leadership. Winning elections became more important than winning the war. We are not unthinking militarists. Politics is important and there are those who share our political analysis [apparent reference to 32 County Sovereignty Movement], but we aren't answerable to any political party and that's a strength, not a weakness.

How can the Real IRA justify a campaign with no electoral mandate?

Oglaigh na hEireann derives its mandate from the illegal occupation of Ireland and the right of Irish people to take up arms in defence of national sovereignty. Only during their latter years did the Provos receive an electoral mandate.

And 1916 and 1969 had no electoral mandate.

What weapons does the Real IRA have?

Hand-guns, rifles, submachine guns, assault rifles, plastic explosives and our own improvised weapons. We have added to our arsenal since 1997 and are always seeking new ways of re-arming. Of course, the acquisition of weapons is a problem but it's one which the IRA has overcome and will continue to overcome.

Did loyalist drug dealers transport an arms haul for the Real IRA, as stated in a recent newspaper report?

Absolutely not. This allegation is part of an ongoing criminalisation campaign against us. We believe MI5 is the original source of the story. We've no links with the Shoukri brothers, whom we find morally repugnant. It's ludicrous to suggest that, unable to transport weapons safely ourselves, we turn to known British agents.

Given the huge technological advances in British surveillance, how can any republican campaign be 'successful'?

We've no illusions about these advances which we have learned, and are still learning, to overcome. Historically, the British have enjoyed more sophisticated equipment than republicans and we're still here. We don't underestimate the British . . . indeed we tend to overestimate their capabilities.

How many members does the Real IRA have? What is their gender, geographical and age profile?

We have enough volunteers to carry out the army's functions. We're currently recruiting across Ireland. I can't be more specific for security reasons. Women volunteers play a full and active role. Oglaigh na hEireann is open to over17s. We have a balance between youth and experience. Many volunteers were active [in the Provisional IRA] and new volunteers are being trained up.

Why would a young person join the Real IRA when it offers only jail or the grave?

For the same reasons as they've always joined the IRA . . . to challenge British sovereignty in Ireland. On joining, they're made aware of the possibilities of jail or the grave. If they're still interested, they're put through a rigorous training period. If after this they're at all unsure, they can walk away. The IRA is a volunteer army.

Life in the North has improved hugely for Catholics. No grave socio-economic injustices exist that could possibly justify an armed campaign.

Why continue?

The IRA campaign was never about reformism or civil rights, it was about resisting foreign occupation. The IRA is committed to fighting for the freedom of our country, not just improving the social and economic lot of an occupied people. It's not a case of 'Brits out' if people are poor, then 'Brits in' if there are loads of jobs.

FBI/MI5 agent Dave Rupert infiltrated the Real IRA, leading to the conviction of its then leader, Mickey McKevitt.

Hasn't the Real IRA huge infiltration problems?

Dave Rupert was a paid perjurer and proven liar. He faces execution from the IRA as does anyone else who places her or himself in that position.

We've been no more infiltrated than any other republican organisation. If internal rules and regulations are implemented, these problems are less likely to recur. The Provos have had Freddie Scapatticci and Denis Donaldson and we're only at the tip of the iceberg in establishing how far they were infiltrated.

Paddy Murray, a republican widely associated with the Real IRA, has recently faced substantial allegations that he is a British agent? What is your position on him?

No comment.

How is the Real IRA funded and how does it compare financially to the Provisional IRA?

As an organisation we continue to seek funds. It would be inappropriate to give further details. Towards the end, the Provisional movement became more interested in monetary gain than challenging British rule. This led to a situation where corporate America had more influence over the republican movement than IRA volunteers.

We don't wish to go down that route. You can't appeal to millionaires and multinationals and remain engaged in revolutionary activity. He who pays the piper calls the tune.

Former Real IRA leaders in Portlaoise prison accused the external leadership of criminality and lining its own pockets. Were they right?

These allegations were fully investigated and found to be without foundation. They were a red herring to facilitate someone else's agenda. Our volunteers on the outside paid no heed to them which is why there was a split in the jail but the movement outside remained 100% intact.

Does the Real IRA plan to unite with the Continuity IRA and INLA?

The IRA will work with the Continuity IRA and INLA on issues where there is common ground. But there are no organisational links and there will be no joint operations. We are not seeking to amalgamate three armies into a 'super republican group'.

What is the Real IRA's relationship with the Provisional IRA?

We're not under threat from them as we were in the past, with activists being abducted, beaten and threatened with death. We have never attacked the Provisional IRA despite attacks on us and volunteer Joe O'Connor's murder.

Has the current Real IRA leadership held direct or indirect talks with the British or Irish governments and does it have channels of communication with either?

We haven't engaged in any talks and there are no such channels. We're certainly not talking to them through Bradley, Duddy or any Redemptorist priests. [Denis Bradley and Brendan Duddy from Derry were go-betweens for the Provisionals and MI6;

west Belfast priests have acted as mediators with Dublin. ] Under what conditions would the Real IRA call a ceasefire?

A declaration of intent by the British to withdraw their military presence from Ireland and to cease all parliamentary activity here.

Real IRA's second interview marked by extreme security I WAS taken to a secret location near the border where I met two representatives of the Real IRA army council.

Only one spoke during the interview.

I have interviewed all the major paramilitary groups during the conflict and never before have such extreme security measures been taken. I was ordered to leave my coat, handbag and mobile phone at another location.

The Real IRA representative wore dark civilian clothing and a balaclava with holes for his eyes throughout the three-hour interview. He was well-spoken and courteous, even when complaining about the nature of some of the questions.

He wasn't nervous but he was ultra-cautious in some of his replies. This was the Real IRA's first media interview in five years.

The paramilitary group gave the Sunday Tribune photographs and a DVD of six members involved in a training exercise along the border. A British army watchtower can be seen in the background. The men are armed with AK47s, AKMs, a machine pistol with a silencer, a Dragunov and a hand-gun.