Party compiles own list of IRA activity as political talks loom

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Monday July 19, 2004 00:35 by Rooster Dungannon

THE DUP is compiling its own list of paramilitary activity over the summer, ahead of renewed political talks in the autumn.

It is understood party leaders want their own list, as they don't trust Government figures on IRA activity.

Senior party figures were not prepared to make any public comment about the exercise.

But Sunday Life has learned that DUP members, police officers, prison officers and any members of the public who have received threats or suffered intimidation, are being encouraged to contact the party over the summer.

Expectations are growing in Government circles that the DUP will conclude a political deal with Sinn Fein, following the renewed negotiations in the autumn. But ahead of those talks, one senior DUP source said the party would rely on its own information to establish the level of IRA - and other paramilitary - activity.

"We'll be examining IRA and loyalist paramilitary activity, but our primary focus will be on the actions of the IRA.

"We want to know about every police officer, every prison officer and every member of the public who is forced from their home, or warned that their details are in the hands of the IRA, in every constituency.

"We're now compiling these details, and we would urge those who have been warned that they are under threat from the IRA, to contact the offices of our MPs or our MLAs, or get a relative to contact us, so we can record these events.

"We're not going to rely on the statistics, nor the words of the Northern Ireland Office nor Downing Street, because we don't trust them.

"We will compile our own statistics, and make our judgments on those facts."

In a separate probe, DUP MLA William Hay has been told by assistant chief constable Sam Kinkaid that, in the last 12 months, 38 PSNI officers were informed of "threats of significance" against them.

Loyalists were behind 13 of the threats, 23 were made by dissident republicans, and two by the Provos.

In the same period, 160 officers were informed that their personal details had been compromised.

Mr Hay said: "Many officers feel there is a lack of resources from the Government to deal with the implications of these threats, and they are concerned at the time it takes for the PSNI to assess the gravity of the risk they face."

Another DUP Policing Board member, Sammy Wilson, has asked Chief Constable Hugh Orde to detail the number of police, prison officers and civilians who have been warned, since the beginning of the year, that they are at risk from paramilitary attack.

Mr Orde said he would provide these details in September.

Last week, Ian Paisley jnr said police must act against Provo figures who threaten other people on the streets.

He was speaking after the brother of murdered UFF terrorist, Raymond Elder, claimed he was pursued in the Boucher Road area of Belfast by a known Provo, who was wielding a hammer.

Mr Paisley said it wasn't an adequate response for police to say there was "nothing they could do", when IRA threats were reported to them.