There is no such thing as the OIRA, its a figment of the imagination of some right-wing sectors in the media, namely Kevin Myers and Ruth Dudley Edwards, two bastions of Irish Unionism in the Sindo. The OIRA declared a unilateral and unconditional ceasefire in 1972 in response to the killing of Ranger Best and the Aldershot atrocity. The main body of the OIRA left with Seamus Costello in 1975 to form the INLA. After that the INLA along with their PIRA buddies turned their guns on us and massacred dozens of our members in Belfast and Derry. OIRA acted purely in self defense. If you check a British intelligence reports, the OIRA hasnt existed in any shape or form in nearly 20 years and largely remained inactive since. Does the term 'rusty guns' have any reasonance with you.
I am a WP member and we have been fully committed to the democratic processes since we contested our first national elections in 1974. You will note that the original split in 1970 with the Provos centred around the absention issue. The Provos opposed Goulding's move of entering mainstream politics and the moving of the republican movement into more proactive politics, i.e recognizing both the Dail and Westminster and contesting elections to partake in both Houses. The Provies have since gone down the very same route as ourselves albeit 25 years too late and 2,000 fatalities in the meantime. In short the Provos have backtracked on everything they have upheld to fight for, for over 30 years. With the current situation they now find themselves snookered in which they will have to renounce all actions of violence and in due course give up their arms. No hardline nationalist/republican worth his salt even going back to the IRB would ever contemplate this. It is truly astounding to see the Provos doing an amazing u-turn on the very principles they fought for.
Referring to rackets and drug pushing. That is rubbish. You will know of an article and the BBC Panorama TV programme that alleged that senior members of the Party were involved in money laundering activities with the involvement of N Korea. Well let me tell you that our lawyers are currently in the process of taking legal action against the BBC and Sunday independent to contest these obscene allegations made against us. The issue will be coming to court next year.
as for concerning why some of our members left in 1992, i.e De Rossa and his ilk. Get your facts straight. The so called existence of the OIRA (which was also mentioned in a Spotlight programme prior to the June '91 local elections) was used by these elements as a political red herring to destroy the Party in their self centred, vain and selfish quest for the Ministerial Merc and levers of power. Neutral observers have admitted this, read INLA Deadly Divisions book by Jack Holland & Henry McDonald. Unlike the Provies/DL crowd and now Labour we have our principles and not once since day one have we flinched from our obligation in the quest for a 32 county secular socialist republic based on the ideals of James Connolly, Frank Ryan and Liam Mellows.
I am a member of an Irish republican party and I do admit that we were born out of a barrel of a gun but then again in Irish politics who hasnt (the Greens). Its part and parcel of our revolutionary history and our national struggle of liberation against a foreign imperialist power and we should never forget our revolutionary heritage. But time is now, for all guns to be removed from politics on all sides. If I had ever doubted my Party's commitment to the ideals of democracy and freedom of speech I would not be speaking from this platform sir.
Sincerely yours.
