The latest Independent Monitoring Commission report is now available on-line and, with more prominent Sinn Féin representatives otherwise occupied, it falls on SF MP Michelle Gildernew to repeat the mantra, “They have no credibility and the contents of the report are of little interest to nationalists or republicans.” – by which she means Sinn Féin. As the SDLP’s deputy leader Alasdair McDonnell points out – “SF in denial”While the BBC highlights the report’s finding that “The IRA shows no signs of winding down its capability”, there is another aspect of the report that I wanted to mention.
At the start of their conclusions the IMC state that “We want to do all we can to contribute to our objective[emphasis added] to ‘promote the transition to a peaceful society and stable and inclusive devolved Government in Northern Ireland’.”
Shouldn’t they simply be fulfilling their remit, and monitor and report on paramilitary activity and, where necessary, recommend action to curtail that activity; regardless of any such political objectives?
Update – the BBC summarises the findings on paramilitary activity “Violence levels ‘still high'”