Repeating History 2
Last week I asked whether anyone really believes shooting off duty police officers could play a part in creating a better future. In Dungannon last night there was more evidence that a few unreconstructed republicans think it does.
Martin McGuinness describes the Real IRA as a "totally unrepresentative micro group". Gerry Adams says they have spurned his offer of talks to explain the political alternative to violence. The Sinn Fein President didn't give much detail about his overtures to the dissidents other than to say that he wouldn't make such a public offer without accompanying it with other work behind the scenes. At his speech to the Edentubber commemoration in County Louth this weekend, Mr Adams claimed the dissident groups "have no strategy, no programmes, no popular support and no real capacity – militarily or otherwise."
A visit to the 32 County Sovereignty Movement's website shows that their supporters don't think much of what the Sinn Fein politicians have to say. One commenter on the 32CSM forum responds to the Deputy First Minister telling dissidents to "grow up" by insisting that "he and his brand of British politics are totally disconnected from the section of the people of Derry who have not bought into the provisional lies." Another commenter cheers on those who tried to murder the police officer dropping off his children at a school in the city.
Whilst Sinn Fein call on anyone with information to assist the police the Real IRA says people should not be "taken in by self-serving politicians who are calling for collaboration with the Crown forces and acting as recruiting sergeants for these organisations". It goes on to say those who supply information will be treated as informers - a clear death threat.
It seems hard to imagine that we are going to be plunged into widespread violence again, but as both republican and loyalist splinter groups have demonstrated in the past you don't need any great level of popular support to be able to mount a few potentially lethal attacks. Gerry Adams says that unionist talk about "crushing" the dissidents isn't constructive, but it looks like his politicial initiative isn't, at this stage, showing much sign of promise either.
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