Sir, - It would seem that Vincent Browne (Opinion, February 4th) feels it necessary to resort to personal abuse to disguise the fact that he has failed to present any evidence of "officially premeditated murder" in Londonderry on January 30th, 1972. It is my understanding that no such evidence exists.
Conversely, there are strong indications, as shown in Peter Taylor's book States of Terror, that the Irish State did indeed conspire with elements within the republican movement and agreed a pact whereby the new Provisional IRA would receive assistance from the Dublin authorities in exchange for a renunciation of revolutionary Marxism, which threatened the existence of the Irish State.
Neil Blaney admitted to Peter Taylor that "We [the Irish Government] certainly would have accelerated, by what assistance we could have given, their [PIRA's] emergence as a force."
Similarly, the former Provisional Chief of Staff, Sean MacStiofain, has confirmed that funds were diverted from the Official IRA to the Provisional IRA. Capt James Kelly made implicit promises of such help in the event of a separate IRA Command being set up in Northern Ireland. To this day, the Provisional IRA, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of times more people than died on Bloody Sunday, abstains from actions against the Irish State.
Whether or not it constitutes premeditation, supplying funds and weapons to unaccountable IRA fronts was, at best, a reckless action by any government. Without this vital assistance it is doubtful if the IRA would have been capable of pursuing its 28 years of sectarian terror against the people of Northern Ireland.
Regardless of what Vincent Browne thinks he knows, an independent tribunal is required in order that this diverse issue is laid to rest once and for all. It is time the Irish State faced up to this issue rather than trying to absolve itself of any responsibility for the conflict. For too long it has been a running sore between North and South. Unlike the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign, our concern is not for retribution but for the truth. - Yours, etc., From Cllr Reg Empey, Chairman, UUP Irish Government Arms
Inquiry Committee,
Glengall Street,
Belfast 12.