-Caveat Lector- From http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ti=41&ca=9&si=394609&issue_id=4219 Get important news like this at http://leviathan.weblogs.com McKevitt charged as 'godfather of terror' THE reputed chief of staff of the Real IRA, Michael McKevitt, was last night charged with directing activities of an illegal organisation. He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted. McKevitt (51) appeared under heavy security before three judges at the Special Criminal Court shortly after 9.30. He had been held at Balbriggan Garda station since his arrest early on Thursday morning at his home at Blackrock, Dundalk. McKevitt, in a grey jacket, black jumper and jeans, remained impassive as the charges were read to him. He was charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the IRA and, on dates between August 1999 and October 2000, directing the activities of an organisation styling itself the IRA. He is the first person to be charged with this offence which was one of a series of measures introduced in the wake of the Omagh bomb atrocities in August 1998, aimed at cracking down on the "godfathers" of dissident terrorist organisations. McKevitt, who was flanked by four prison officers, stared straight ahead but showed no emotion in court. When formally charged he stood up and at one stage folded his arms in front of him. His defence solicitor, Michael Hennessy, made no reply when asked if he had anything to say. McKevitt was then remanded in custody to appear again at the court at 12pm next Tuesday when it is expected an application for bail will be made. Last night he was being held in Portlaoise Prison. The charge was one of a series of new measures introduced by the Government in an amendment to the Offences Against the State Act in the wake of the Omagh bomb atrocity which killed 29 people in August 1998. The Government's aim with the new legislation was to pave the way for a concerted effort to crack down on the "godfathers" and leadership of dissident organisations. Section six of the amended act deals with directing an illegal organisation. During the Provisional IRA's campaigns of terror, anti-terrorist police officers were frustrated by the lack of legislation which allowed them to bring charges against the "armchair generals" who directed and controlled paramilitary organisations but did not become directly involved in the crimes. McKevitt was long suspected by the Garda and the RUC of being quartermaster general of the Provisionals and responsible for arms procurements including the four shipments brought in from Libya in the mid 1980s. After a major row at a Provisional army convention in Falcarragh, Co Donegal in October 1997, McKevitt was said by gardai to have walked out and resigned from its 12-person army executive. He was subsequently alleged to have established the breakaway Real IRA and become its chief of staff. Since the introduction of the post-Omagh legislative amendments, gardai have been carefully building up dossiers on a number of people suspected of being leaders of the Real IRA and the other main renegade republican group, the Continuity IRA. McKevitt was one of the prime targets of that Garda operation that was masterminded by the security and intelligence section at Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park and involved members of Special Branch, Emergency Response Unit, National Surveillance Unit, National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and local gardai in the Louth-Meath division. Legislative changes introduced since Omagh by Justice Minister John O'Donoghue also remove the right to silence and allows a court to draw an inference from a person's refusal to answer questions. Amendments to the bail laws have also made it more difficult for persons facing serious criminal charges to be set free by the court pending trial. McKevitt was arrested by armed detectives. Tom Brady and Frank Khan <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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