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Experts to assess IRA as man charged with Belfast explosives

Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party leader Peter party in Northern Ireland’s The past decade of occa- and more than 200 rounds
government, making their sional bomb and gun at- of ammunition for use by
Robinson, right and deputy leader Nigel Dodds speak to the violence much less politi- tacks committed by break- an unspecified IRA faction.
cally explosive. away factions already has Kevin Nolan, 45, had been
Even when international demonstrated that IRA arrested Sunday in Eng-
weapons inspectors an- leaders lost control of por- land following the weap-
nounced the Provisional tions of their arsenal, most ons discovery in a house
IRA’s total disarmament importantly caches of the in Catholic west Belfast,
in 2005, analysts broadly Czech-made plastic explo- a primary power base for
agreed that the IRA re- sive Semtex, before it could the Provisional IRA and its
tained firearms for defen- surrender the weaponry. rival offshoots. Nolan of-
sive or community-intimida- A man was arraigned in fered no plea at Belfast
tion purposes. McGuigan’s a Belfast court Tuesday Magistrates Court. He did
Aug. 12 killing, if confirmed on charges of possessing offer a clenched fist salute
to be an IRA attack, would about a pound (half a ki- to friends and family in the
offer the first concrete evi- logram) of Semtex, two visitors gallery as police led
dence of this. detonators, two handguns him from the dock.q

media at Stormont Castle, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Britain

on Tuesday unveiled a new expert panel to investigate IRA

activities as a man was charged with possession of a trove of

IRA weapons. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

S. POGATCHNIK accused of using lethal
Associated Press force in retaliation.
DUBLIN (AP) — Britain on Police commanders say
Tuesday unveiled a new IRA members last month
expert panel to investi- ambushed and shot to
gate Irish Republican Army death an expelled com-
activities as a man was rade, Kevin McGuigan,
charged with possession in revenge for his own al-
of a trove of IRA weapons, leged killing in May of a
underscoring the tensions senior IRA figure, Jock Da-
that threaten to tear apart vison. McGuigan, who was
Northern Ireland’s unity shot in the arms and legs
government after eight by the IRA more than a
years of Catholic-Protes- decade ago in a so-called
tant cooperation. “punishment” attack, had
Power-sharing, a central expressed bitterness to-
achievement of two de- ward Davison but denied
cades of peacemaking, is involvement.
at risk because of a killing The three-member expert
that police and other au- group is supposed to report
thorities have blamed on to government leaders by
the IRA. The underground mid-October on the state
organization, which killed of the IRA today, includ-
nearly 1,800 people during ing the open question of
a failed 1970-1997 cam- whether commanders or-
paign to force Northern dered or permitted the Mc-
Ireland out of the United Guigan hit. If so, it would
Kingdom, was supposed be the first confirmed killing
to fade into history as part by the dominant branch of
of the 2007 creation of a the IRA, called the Provi-
coalition combining former sionals, since the 2007 res-
enemies from the British urrection of power-sharing.
Protestant majority and the The experts also are tasked
IRA-linked Sinn Fein party. with assessing the current
But while the IRA officially structure and activities of
disarmed and renounced a half-dozen other para-
violence in 2005, splinter military forces, including
groups have continued to IRA splinter groups and
kill — and now, for the first anti-Catholic gangs. None
time, the IRA itself stands of these is affiliated to any