Sinn Féin reaction: Mr Gerry Adams has challenged the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice to have the Sinn Féin leadership arrested if they really believe they had advance knowledge of the Northern Bank robbery.
In angry remarks to reporters yesterday, the Sinn Féin president said he felt "a particular sense of betrayal by the Taoiseach" who had "crossed a line" in his recent allegations.
His solicitor had told him that Mr Ahern's and Mr McDowell's claims that the Sinn Féin leadership had foreknowledge of the robbery amounted to an accusation of "conspiracy to rob and of withholding information".
He dismissed the report of the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), which echoes the Taoiseach's assertions, as "rubbish" which had been produced by "three spooks and a Lord".
This was a reference to the IMC's members: the former Alliance Party leader Lord Alderdice; retired secretary general of the Department of Justice Mr Joe Brosnan; the former deputy director of the CIA, Mr Richard Kerr, and former head of the London Metropolitan Police Mr John Grieve.
He said the Taoiseach and Minister for Justice must "face up to the import of their remarks. Have us arrested. Bring us forward into the due process." He said it was "sinister" that this claim was being echoed by "three spooks and a Lord" who had attempted to do "a snow job" in relation to the Northern Bank robbery.
"I don't go for this wink-and- nod politics where they say what they say and then they say to you and to others, you know, well it's hard to bring these people to court and we need them for the process and so on and so forth.
"If he believes that I am involved in a criminal conspiracy to rob, and that I withheld information, then he has a civic responsibility to make sure that I am subjected and Martin McGuinness is subjected to the due process."
He urged people to read the report. "The report is rubbish. The report makes unsubstantiated allegations, echoes the line which has been put out by the two governments, draws entirely from the same sources. If it wasn't so serious I think it would be even laughable."
There were "sinister aspects" to it. "What the IMC is doing is exactly what it was set up to do. It is a tool of the governments and therefore the governments have to share and accept responsibility for what is happening at this time." He ridiculed what he said was "the pretence that this is an independent body".
He said there was a deliberate strategy by the British and Irish governments of attempting to link Sinn Féin to the robbery. The intention was to try to prevent the electoral growth of Sinn Féin.
He and Mr McGuinness had already asked the Taoiseach to stand up his assertions but "he didn't do it and he couldn't do it. The reason why I am so strong on this is because that assertion is totally and absolutely untrue and what they are doing folks is playing politics with this peace process."
Referring to the Taoiseach and Mr McDowell, he said: "I have to say to them: they are playing dirty politics with this process".