‘No plans’ for INLA to decommission
The INLA has said it has no plans to hand over its weapons, despite announcing that its campaign of violence is over.
The group was responsible for some of the most notorious killings of the Troubles, murdering more than 100 people during its 35 year history.
Some of its high profile victims included Conservative politician Airey Neave and loyalist paramilitary leader Billy Wright.
The INLA’s political ally, the IRSP, has said there is no longer community support for a continuation of what it calls the “armed struggle”.
The organisation used a graveside oration outside Dublin on Sunday to confirm that its “armed struggle is over”.
IRSP spokesman Martin McMonagle said on Monday that there has been an assessment of the effectiveness of the campaign: “It is a mission that the armed struggle is not a viable alternative now.”
“Suffice to say that armed violence worked in some circumstances and in some circumstances it does not, but I think that the analysis now is that it not working.”
There are calls for the INLA to decommission its weapons after Sunday’s announcement that it was giving up its armed struggle.
But Mr McMonagle said he has does not believe decommissioning is on the agenda: “I dont think so, in our discussions with the INLA over the last number of years decommissioning has not been mentioned.”
nordirlanda, northern ireland, irlanda del nord, ireland, irlanda, struggle, lotta, inla, irish national liberation army, irsp, irish republican socialist party, martin mcmonagle, spokesman, portavoce, airey neave, billy wright, dublin, seamus costello, decommissioning, weapons, armi
