Irish activist detained in West Bank no 'master bomber'

The editor of the Irish-language newspaper which employs an Irishman arrested by the Israeli authorities in the West Bank at the weekend has denied the journalist had any links with terrorism.

Mr Sean O Muireagain (40), a well known Irish language activist from west Belfast, was arrested on Saturday while entering Palestinian territories to join a peace campaign.

Mr O Muireagain, who is a member of the Ireland Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, was also working as correspondent for the Irish language newspaper La.

The Israeli authorities are alleged to have arrested Mr O Muireagain on the back of a tip-off from British intelligence.

It was initially reported that Mr O Muireagain was a suspected member of the Real IRA and may have been training Palestinian militants in bomb-making techniques.

However in what seems like a serious intelligence blunder authorities in Belfast and the editor of La newspaper both say Mr O Muireagain has no connection with dissident republicans or paramilitarism of any kind.

Mr Ciaran O Pronntaigh, editor of La, said Mr O Muireagain had been out in Israel for three weeks and had submitted his first article about conditions in the Palestinian town of Jenin.

He denied that the well known Irish language activist was involved in terrorism. "He is not what they are talking about, being a master bomber," he said.

Mr O Pronntaigh added: "I had asked him to find out how people felt about the peace process.

"We were going to ask him today did he know anything about the Irishman that had been arrested and we found out later that it was him.

"We will be making representations to the Israeli authorities on his behalf," he said.

Security sources in Northern Ireland have said they were not aware of the 40-year-old being involved in paramilitary activity.

This evening Mr O Muireagain was still being questioned by the Shin Bet security agency.

The man's family are said to be "very concerned" about his whereabouts.The authorites in Israel have so far refused to admit that the arrest is a case of mistaken identity.

A source close to the man's family told ireland.com that they were concerned about his whereabouts and have been trying to contact the British embassy in Israel but without success.

The British authorities in Israel are understood to be seeking consular access to him but so far this has not happened.