Sinn Féin must move so far on policing that its enemies have greater scope, writes Gerry Moriarty , Northern Editor
Ian Paisley jnr expressed predictable scepticism about the dissident threat to Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Gerry Kelly yesterday. Talk of possible assassination attempts forcing Sinn Féin leaders to step up personal security was nothing more than a "pathetic distraction" to prevent Sinn Féin from supporting policing, he said.
Gerry Adams shrugged his shoulders about any such suspicions at a press conference in west Belfast yesterday. "We believe that there is an active threat to senior members of the Sinn Féin leadership and we are taking this matter seriously," he said.
And if he wanted to pull a tactical stunt on policing he wasn't going to try this one, he added.
"We could find all sorts of devices if we wanted to heighten or draw attention to whatever happens to be the issue of the day. We would not do it on this issue because we all have families. We all live in the community. It is okay for us. We go about our business, but we are very conscious that this is a matter of grave concern and very disturbing for our loved ones. And we certainly would not be exploiting that." Which all seems reasonable.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday he believes the threats are genuine. Graffiti in west Belfast complaining of "IRA - Sinn Féin traitors" also points to efforts to undermine the Sinn Féin leadership.
This threat appears to be based on republican intelligence. Normally, when the PSNI learns of such a threat it makes a formal call to targets warning them they are in danger; the same goes for the Garda.
PSNI sources said the warnings did not come from it and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said they did not emanate from the Garda. Therefore this is a threat republicans themselves have discerned.
Word of the threat is and isn't a surprise. It comes from dissident republicans and perhaps more ominously from "former IRA people", perhaps old comrades of Adams and McGuinness. It is surprising in that what Mr Adams describes as disaffected ex-IRA members and members of "micro-groups" would even dare contemplate such action against these republican icons.
What isn't surprising is that dissidents and others hate the slow, meandering course to a political deal being charted by the Sinn Féin leadership. There are also old, bitter, sometimes personal antagonisms against Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness.
Both the DUP and Sinn Féin have crossed Rubicons; the DUP on power-sharing, Sinn Féin on policing.
So far republicans generally have maintained a united front, but such is the magnitude of what Sinn Féin must do on policing that it creates opportunities for its enemies to make great mischief and, in this case, potentially worse.
Dissidents, as PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde has warned, and as is evident on the ground, have been attempting to wreck the chances of the St Andrews Agreement succeeding.
Since the summer they caused £25 million (€37 million) of damage through firebomb attacks in Newry and Belfast.
Last week a dissident bomb was discovered in Rosslea, Co Fermanagh and there was a gun attack on the PSNI station in Keady, south Armagh.
More attacks are planned, up to and including bomb attacks, according to senior security sources. PSNI personnel are also being targeted.
So, there can be little doubt of the capability of disaffected republicans to target the likes of Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness. Whether they would remains unclear.