Mostly favorable IMC report stalls peace process; unionists bluster.

Published: 1 February, 2006

Political ACTION ALERT

IMC Report Causes Peace Process Stall

[See action details below]

I  Background

Yesterday, the Independent Monitoring Commission -- a political entity created by the British and Irish governments well after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement but with the effective power to block the peace process --  produced a report of foggy briefings and rumor that had already, in essence, been given to selected journalists [!] and delivered to the Policing Board last month by the PSNI, which is the real source of the report.

On 31 January 2006, the IMC passed it on as official gospel:  without independent research, without documentation, without verification. 

This essentially favorable report is now being used my unionist politicians to stall the peace process until the next IMC report in April, when it is likely to again nit pick away the people’s right to self determination. 

The media is full of exaggeration, including the US media.  The NY Times used it as an opportunity to harp on about the McCartney murder once again and produce a headline that emphasized “Crime” and “Terrorism.”  This despite stating that the report confirmed “that the IRA was sincere in July, when it said its members would cease all paramilitary activity and engage in ‘purely political and democratic programs through exclusively peaceful means.’”  British Direct Ruler of the north, Peter Hain, stated, “There is enough progress in this report to make the process of talking meaningful.” 

In the IMC report, there is no evidence to support its assessment of IRA activity, although it is described as minimal and inconsequential.  It contends that some hand guns may remain with individuals for protection [note:  over 100,000 firearms are legally in the hands of unionists.]  Allegations of minor criminal activity was reported as well.  While the report states that over the past three months the UDA was responsible for most of the drug trafficking in the Six Counties, 22 shootings and 8 serious assaults, little notice was given to real paramilitarism and criminality, because the governments conveniently choose not to connect it to any unionist political party.  The UUP and DUP float serenely above the violence.

In contrast, the Good Friday Argeement endorsed assessment by Canadian General de Chastelain’s International Independent Commission on Decommissioning rejected the IMC’s determination.  It stated, in an authoritative two page statement, that the IRA had decommissioned its arms and its ceasefire was unbroken.

But it was enough to give Unionists politicians room to delay having to share power, probably for another three months until the next report.  

II.  Bill in Irish Dail to repeal IMC

On 2 February 2006, Sinn  Féin  TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh moved a Bill in the Dáil to repeal the Irish legislation for the Independent Monitoring Commission.  Deputy Ó Snodaigh described yesterday’s report from the  IMC  as  “farcical”  and  said  it was “nothing more than a permit for prevarication” that the two Governments “foolishly” handed to  the rejectionist unionists. He pointed out that more than €1.5 million per year had been spent by the Irish Government on the IMC since its establishment in 2003.

III. History

In November 2003, in a vain attempt to keep Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble in power, the British government’s direct ruler at the time, Secretary of State N. Ireland Paul Murphy, announced the establishment of the International Monitoring Commission, a body established unilaterally by the British and Irish governments totally outside of the Good Friday Agreement.  IMC members are paid £600 per day, have no investigative powers and presents the political opinion of the PSNI and British MI5 as fact.