(Forwarded) Continuity IRA Belfast interview ====================== IN AN interview with the Belfast Irish News on October 16, the Belfast Brigade of the Continuity Irish Republican Army accused the Provisional militia of the murder of Joseph O'Connor. The spokesperson told the newspaper that all Volunteers had been put on full-scale alert. O'Connor's killing meant the Provos were doing the "dirty work of the British", the spokesperson said. The Provisionals had been compiling dossiers on CIRA Volunteers and Provo dissidents for some time, and it had been expected that someone from either organisation would be shot. Dispelling rumours of a feud between CIRA and the Provo dissidents over drugs he accused the Provos of a "dirty tricks campaign". "All our members have stepped up their personal security," he said because the Provos "will want to kill a member of the Continuity IRA as a counter-measure - if that happens people will incorrectly think it's tit-for-tat from the RIRA (sic) for the murder of Mr O'Connor". Despite media and British Crown Forces allegations of a tit-for-tat campaign between the CIRA and Provo dissidents, the spokesperson said: "We wish to categorically state that our organisation has no involvement whatsoever with drugs and to our knowledge neither did Mr O'Connor. "We are armed and all Volunteers will be exercising extreme vigilance. "This killing has sent shock-waves through all Republican people and we want to express our disgust at it. We offer our condolences and wish to express our sincere sympathy to the O'Connor family." The spokesperson also moved to dispel rumours of a link-up between the CIRA and Provo dissidents. "We are not and have never been amalgamated," he said, "but we are not involved in any feud with them. The CIRA spokesperson warned that the organization would be stepping up its campaign in the near future and that attacks would involve "military targets". Increasing numbers of the Provisionals were becoming disaffected with the Stormont process, the spokesperson added. ====================================================== from Saoirse, paper of Republican Sinn Fein. http://www.iol.ie/~saoirse/nov00/saoirse1.htm#7
