Madam, - As predicted, the International Monitoring Commission has produced a report full of bogus accusations against republicans which fails completely to take issue with the two governments' failures to honour their commitments under the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent deals.
Madam, - As predicted, the International Monitoring Commission has produced a report full of bogus accusations against republicans which fails completely to take issue with the two governments' failures to honour their commitments under the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent deals.
Of course, if you believe in the tooth fairy, that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, that the Colombia Three were training guerrillas in Colombia, that there was a spy ring at Stormont, and that the Birmingham Six were really guilty, then you will probably accept the findings of this report.
The real question that needs to be answered, though, is: "Where is the evidence to back up these allegations?" These reports are based on so-called "intelligence" provided by none other than the PSNI and British intelligence services.
These same people told us that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction that could be launched within 45 minutes. Untrue. These same people told us that there was a spy ring operating in Stormont. Untrue.
Put simply, there is absolutely no evidence to back up these claims by the IMC except the word of a discredited police force and intelligence services whose record in Ireland has been one of deception, collusion and black propaganda. More astonishing is the fact that so many supposedly intelligent politicians are so willing to accept these bogus accusations from such discredited sources.
Are they really so naïve that they actually believe this black propaganda? Or are they just being devious in using this report, even though they know it to be untrue, as a means to try to stop the onward march of Sinn Féin in June's local and European elections regardless of the damage they may cause to the peace process?
Either way, they do themselves no credit. Sadly, I suspect it is the latter. - Yours, etc.,
GERRY CASEY,
Rosewood Court,
Maugheraboy,
Sligo.