THE IRA said yesterday in a tough Easter message that it was determined to rid Ireland of a British government "which has no mandate to rule here and which refuses to recognise the democratically established mandate of others".
The message makes no reference to yesterday's bomb attacks in Wilmslow and appears to take a more hardline stance than the New Year message.
The IRA restated its objective as the reunification of Ireland but insisted it remained ready "to face our responsibilities in facilitating a process aimed at securing a lasting resolution to the conflict between the British government and the Irish people".
"No such process can develop or be constructed without a similar commitment by the British government. Their refusal to make such a commitment and their futile pursuit of an IRA defeat serves no other end than the postponement of both lasting peace and the date of British withdrawal. We remain determined to bring that date forward."
The IRA said: "We pay tribute to all those who continue to work to achieve lasting peace. We assure them that we share their goal of a durable and just peace settlement. We understand well their frustration with a British government "which refuses to acknowledge its central responsibility for the continuation of the war in Ireland".
The IRA also commended prisoners in the Maze Prison, near Belfast, "for their recent attempt to effect their escape from captivity".
The IRA issued its Easter message in this week's An Phoblach/Republican News, to be published today.
In its message, the IRA said: "We remain committed to bringing the British government's undemocratic rule of the occupied part of our country to an end, once and for all. We are determined to rid our country of a British government which has no mandate to rule here and which refuses to recognise the democratically" established mandate of others."
The IRA said it had resumed "military operations" against British forces in the North on October 7th. In the period since then we have demonstrated again and again that we retain the capacity and resources to continue to strike against those maintaining British occupation."
The IRA said responsibility for the conflict tested with the British government. "The unprecedented opportunity for the establishment of a meaningful peace process presented by our initiative in August 1994, stands as both testimony to our belief that a resolution to the conflict here demands a process built upon inclusive negotiations and proof of our willingness to facilitate such.
"Equally, the British government's rejection of that opportunity and their attempts to use it in a vain attempt to divide and defeat republicans testify to the continuing predominance of a colonial military mindset amongst the most influential British government politicians and officials in Whitehall." The IRA said the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, "has unapologetically described himself as a defender of the Union. He has presided over a government that has demonstrated repeatedly an active pursuance of a unionist and loyalist gender".