Dissidents’ bomb plot over visit by Queen
Concern around trip to Republic
By Jonathan McCambridge
24 April 2006
Hardline republican dissidents could be planning a bombing campaign in a bid to force the Queen to scrap a possible visit to Ireland, it was today claimed.
There has been widespread speculation that a date may soon be announced for the Queen to make her first visit to the Republic later this year.
However, a statement released by the Continuity IRA to a local newspaper said that the visit would be resisted with “all the force at our disposal”.
The warning came as a second man was due to appear in court today charged over the discovery of parts for a 250lb bomb in Co Armagh, linked by police to the CIRA.
The 27-year-old will appear at Craigavon Magistrate’s Court charged with possessing explosives with intent to endanger life. He also faces a charge of conspiracy to cause explosions.
He will be the second person to appear in court following the huge security operation at a breaker’s yard in Lurgan last Wednesday.
Security sources have now suggested that the CIRA could be planning a terror campaign this summer with a campaign of attacks expected in the summer months.
The dissident terror group has also released a statement to the Daily Ireland newspaper warning the Queen to scrap plans to visit Ireland.
The statement said “any visit by the Queen of England to any part of Ireland will be fully opposed”.
It added: “The Queen of England is not welcome in Ireland. Any such visit will be resisted with all the force at our disposal.”
There has been no date announced for any visit to Ireland by the Queen, although there is a growing speculation that a visit could be announced for later this year.
No reigning monarch has visited the Republic since its creation. The last monarch to visit the southern part of Ireland was Queen Victoria.
Late last year the Independent Monitoring Commission warned that the CIRA was trying to coax weapons from Provisional IRA members and seeking to recruit new members.
The report also said that existing CIRA members had received training and the organisation continued its efforts to improve its capacity to use weapons and explosives and to procure new weapons.
The IMC said the Continuity IRA remained a “dangerous organisation capable of mounting attacks”.
