IRA Statement

This statement was issued anonymously to The Sovereign Nation:

Óglaigh na hÉireann September 2008

The Leadership of Óglaigh na hÉireann, after liaising with our volunteers in the South Armagh area, can categorically deny any involvement in the planting of what has been described in the media as a 100 pound bomb in the village of Jonesborough.

We would question the events surrounding this 'discovery’ and its timing. It is our opinion that this may be nothing more than an exercise in black propaganda and that those responsible for leaving this device may have been attempting to divert attention from the debacle at the British parliament in Stormont. At a more local level, the feeling among republicans is that it may also have been an attempt to divert attention from local difficulties such as the murder of Paul Quinn.
Óglaigh na hÉireann do not leave bombs in full view of the public, for local children to play with nor for the likes of Willie Frazer to stumble upon.

We would also ask certain 'community representatives' to look at their own history with regards to such actions before lecturing others.

Óglaigh na hÉireann will not be deflected by such obvious diversionary tactics and we will remain focussed on the task at hand.