IMC Says Dissident Threat 'Substantial'

The last-but-one Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) report into paramilitary violence in Northern Ireland has revealed that the threat from dissident republican groups is "substantial".

Given the range and frequency of their violence in the past six months and the fact that the PSNI found £100,000 in a Co Armagh house being used by dissident republicans the IMC believes the republicans are seeking to buy more weapons.

The official monitor also said they are training new members in a variety of skills, including bomb-making as well as recruiting new members.

"Of the groups the two factions of RIRA (Real IRA) especially Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH), were by far the most active and dangerous," said their statement.

The details are in the IMC report that was heralded by news that the British and Irish governments have agreed that the Commission will stop its work after its next report is made.

The IMC was set up six years ago to monitor paramilitary groups in NI and its latest report covers the six-month period from March to August this year and is the 25th report by the IMC.

"It remains our view, as we said in our report six months ago, that in terms of weapons, money, personnel and support, the present dissident campaign in no way matches the range and tempo of the Provisional IRA campaign of the Troubles.

"The high level of dissident activity would undoubtedly have led to many more deaths, injuries and destruction had it not been for the operations of the law enforcement and security agencies north and south and their ever close cross-border co-operation.

"In the north and south combined, some three times the number of dissidents have been charged with terrorist offences including membership, from January to October 2010 as in the whole of 2009, and the number of arrests nearly doubled," said the report.

See: Terror Monitors To Be 'Decommissioned'

(BMcC/GK)