Sir, - The obvious intention of those responsible for the Omagh bombing was the destruction of the Good Friday Agreement. The self-styled "Real IRA" are a group so small and unrepresentative as to be politically impotent. The only power they have lies in their ability to provoke a reaction from others. It is for this reason that society's response to the Omagh atrocity should not be a knee-jerk one.
The agreement is founded on peace, democracy and pluralism. The introduction of extra-judicial measures such as internment is contrary to both its spirit and its letter. Normal policing methods are sufficient to deal with mass murder. This is especially true in this case, where widespread revulsion guarantees the police the support of the general public. The "Real IRA" are now in the same position as were the Loyalist dissidents after the murder of the Quinn children. Do not let them off the hook by the introduction of emergency legislation. Let the response to Omagh be the strengthening of the agreement and of democracy.
This applies also to the mainstream Loyalist paramilitaries. Sabre-rattling on their part is not only anti-agreement but encourages dissident "Republicans" in their deluded belief that the agreement can be broken. As for the Provisionals, now is the time to decommission - not only because it is in the spirit of the agreement, but because there is a real danger of Provo arms dumps falling into the hands of dissidents, if this has not already happened.
To label those responsible for Omagh as "fascists" is little more than a tautology; to call for the introduction of internment is unnecessary, undemocratic and contrary to the Good Friday Agreement. Extra-judicial legislation belongs to the same out-dated mind-set as that exhibited by the "Real IRA" and should be consigned to the same historical rubbish-heap from whence they crawled. - Yours, etc., Sean Swan, PRO, Wexford Branch, The Workers' Party,
Walnut Grove,
Wexford.