UNIONISTS have condemned the IRA's new year statement and cited it as evidence that the organisation was never serious about reaching an agreement that could have led to a political settlement.
The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, said yesterday the IRA ceasefire had always been "tactical and phoney". Its peace process had been "a process that would lead to all Ireland unity".
The SDLP should publicly dissociate itself from Sinn Fein and apologise to the unionist people, Mr Robinson said. "Equally, those from the unionist camp who gave the benefit of the doubt to the IRA and who sought to bring them into negotiations should acknowledge their lack of judgment."
The UUP security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, described the IRA statement as "unmitigated hypocrisy". He said "Sinn Fein/IRA" was seeking to turn reason on its head by implying "it is somehow both logical and acceptable to speak of peace and threaten violence in the same breath." He said it knew it was defeated. It could not achieve a united Ireland either electorally or through violence.