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Dissidents border bomb plot foiled
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Police were today testing suspected component bomb parts found abandoned in a van in south Armagh as speculation grew they have foiled a dissident plot to bring a massive amount of explosives into Northern Ireland.
An unidentified “granular” substance found packed into barrels and drums is being examined by forensic experts today following a long-running security alert south of Newry.
It is believed the components could potentially have been used to make a 1,000lb bomb or a number of smaller devices.
It is known that the material found is not Semtex and a number of bomb components were missing. However it is believed police may have disrupted what could have potentially been a supply chain of explosives crossing the border. It is not known what was the final destination of the van.
It was discovered parked under a flyover bridge on the A1 Newry Road at Cloghogue which has only been open since the start of the month as part of a multi-million euro upgrade of the carriageway between Dublin and Belfast.
It is not known why the van was abandoned but it is thought the driver may have been |panicked after seeing a police patrol.
A police source said that various items, including barrels and drums and an unidentified substance were discovered in the van and have been taken away for forensic examination.
He added that should it turn out that the substance could be part of a bomb, there were other parts needed which were not in the van.
The discovery of the vehicle sparked a major security alert yesterday and disrupted cross-border traffic.
Army bomb experts were sent to examine the vehicle. Gardai in the Republic were also notified of the operation and assisted with traffic management.
SDLP councilor for the area John McArdle said the alert had disrupted business in the area.
“The business that has been given to Newry and surrounding towns from the Republic has been a godsend. People are sick of this and want to move on. There isn’t any support for this type of thing,” he said.
Fellow SDLP councillor Michael Carr described the incident as “senseless”.
“If the whole idea was to damage the infrastructure, that is terrible.
“We have waited long enough to get a good infrastructure |between the North and the South and to think there are people out there who would attack it is terrible.”
The threat from dissident republicans remains at an all time high.
Intelligence chiefs confirmed earleir this month that dissidents, now thought to number around 700, have access to a store of weapons and explosives and are being helped by disaffected members of the Provisional IRA in their bid to murder members of the security forces.
The latest incident comes after a 400lb bomb partially exploded in a car outside the Policing Board headquarters in Belfast in November.
Groups such as the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA are continuing to recruit activists.
The Independent Monitoring Commission has confirmed that a number of former Pro-|visional IRA members have been lending their expertise to the dissidents. The British |intelligence service MI5 placed the dissident threat level as |“severe”, just one level down from “critical”, after two British soldiers and a policeman were shot dead in attacks earlier this year.
Meanwhile, police confirmed today they have launched an investigation after shots were fired at a PSNI station last night.
A number of shots were fired at Crossmaglen police station in south Armagh at 11pm.
Officers said there were no reports of injuries.
Police said no further details are available.
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Comments
27 Comments
It's time to round up all the inmates that were released after the Good Friday agreement and put them back behind bars where they belong
Posted by Stuart | 01.01.10, 01:46 GMT
You may call them thugs, criminals, scum, or traitors; and some of those may be accurate. But when it takes 10 years and the police powers have not yet been devolved, it is easy to see why some of the dissidents choose to dissent. Dissidents will continue to struggle, even if those actions are not wise. They do so out of frustration.
Posted by JerryF | 31.12.09, 20:56 GMT
It's amazing - these "Republicans" seem to want the British Army back on our streets! It is so much harder to build than to destroy - it's about time they got a life!
Posted by Getalife | 31.12.09, 18:02 GMT
Of course SF/IRA knows who they are and what they are up to but won't inform the security forces. Intern known dissidents and dare Adams to complain.
Posted by Al | 31.12.09, 17:50 GMT
Patton could see that the old RUC would not and should not be accepted by Nationalists. They had too many rogue elements in their midst, the kind of people who ring up thugs and tell them to burn evidence, for example. The new PSNI are a better balanced and more impartial force and therefore will get a lot more co-operation than the RUC could ever hope to get from Nationalists.
The dissidents are exceptionally deluded people who cannot see beyond the end of their noses. If they could then they would surely see a massive Cul-de sac heading nowhere. They are despised by both sides in N.Ireland and also by people in the south of the island.
Posted by HC | 31.12.09, 15:39 GMT
A time when Catholics in the south like my cousins and nephew will be visiting me and these so called men potentially endanger them.
it makes me sick to think that, historically, they were considered heroic.
one day they will learn that we dont care for them, or their murderous intentions.
Posted by mary | 31.12.09, 15:32 GMT
Hang them!!! Hang them!!!
Posted by Peter McCabe | 31.12.09, 13:57 GMT
Well done to the PSNI!
Whilst on topic, there is no such thing as a former member of the PIRA. The only way out of that crew is death.
Posted by Tangled Web | 31.12.09, 13:46 GMT
Greg - Better than having them on the streets isn't it? Its all a vicious circle, people need to wise up because don't want them here!!
Posted by Roy | 31.12.09, 13:44 GMT
Can I make a small point - I don't believe that the dissadent republican groups are as political as they would like us all to believe. They get a majority of their guns from Dublin drug gangs (who also have relationship with Loyalist paramilitaries) and their sudden upsurge in activity comes at a time when the PSNI were beginning to re-organize away from anti-terror to organized crime (like smuggling petrol, cigarettes, and drugs); by attacking they forced the police to re-focus on the political angle and not organized crime. As a nationalist is cuts deeply to say, but due to the economic collapse of the 26 counties, unification isn't viable at this time, Sinn Fein knows that, and the dissadents know it.
Posted by Sean | 31.12.09, 13:44 GMT
Not to go KKK or anything but to see people living in enlightened civilized freedom taking on the tactics of backward ignorant third world murderers, what a disgrace!
I mean it, these "dissidents" remind me of Renamo in Mozambique after the Portuguese left. Sore losers (in their own minds) with no popular support bent on killing and poisoning a hard won peace.
PSNI, keep up the good work!
Posted by Chris M | 31.12.09, 13:30 GMT
Well done to the PSNI!!
Posted by P.Downey | 31.12.09, 12:54 GMT
Traitors, that is all they are. Hated by the Irish people as they continue their quest to try and kill as many Irishmen women and children as possible.
Posted by Paul | 31.12.09, 12:39 GMT
I am amazed at the lack of positive comments. The police have stopped the destruction of an important piece of infrastructure and have probably saved several lives as well. Police men and women and the force as a whole deserve the full support of every member of the community. In case you hadn't noticed: it is these people that stop your 'thugs' and 'criminals' from ruling NI. This is moving beyond a few gangs ruling a few housing estates.
Posted by Amazed | 31.12.09, 12:33 GMT
Why do you give them any credence?? They are murdering scum who have no regard for life nor limb in our country. When they are caught, lock them up and throw away the key. This country does not want them.
Posted by Nee-naw | 31.12.09, 12:21 GMT
It'll only be a matter of time before these low life republicans kill a lot of innocent catholics when one of their bombs goes of prematurely.
It would be interesting to hear their justification, no doubt it would still be the fault of the British government..
Posted by A Realist! | 31.12.09, 12:19 GMT
These "boneheads" are little more than the scum of the earth. Sadly appeasement means they are well aware the authorities cannot touch them. Their names and addresses are known to Sinn Fein, but will not be divulged to the police. Gerry has too much on his plate already
Posted by Ulsterman | 31.12.09, 12:07 GMT
It just seems to me that the dissidents are desperate to manufacture grievances against the security forces. Punishment shootings, beatings, murders, bomb plots, hijackings, riots,.... all in a bit to get the security forces to take action against them. Then when these dissidents get stopped and searched, their members get remanded in custody or their property gets searched, they cite it as an example of oppression. The dissidents are the problem, they are the only ones oppressing and holding the public to ransom.
I really wish they would just sod off and leave the rest of alone to get on with our lives.
Posted by OldSod | 31.12.09, 11:28 GMT
Massive congrats and thanks to the PSNI for foiling this attempt and ultimately saving many lives in the process. However one has to wonder - when? When is an attack going to be followed through to completion, killing and wounding hundreds of innocents? Surely if the PSNI have the intelligence to locate and foil a bomb attempt, then have sufficient intelligence to link individuals to the attempt? Get these scum off our streets!
Posted by Just a Girl | 31.12.09, 11:06 GMT
well this is what every one voted for and the british government under patton got rid of experinced police officers and they havent gone away u know they never did have any honest intetion of decommisioning the public were duped again sadly.
Posted by mike | 31.12.09, 10:50 GMT
27 Comments