4 March 1999 Edition
FAIT's bogus claims
by Padraig MacDabhaid
The intended target of an alleged armed raid in Bessbrook, County Armagh in which it was claimed a mother of four had a death threat etched on her leg with knives has attacked FAIT spokesman Vincent McKenna for claiming that six IRA members were involved in the attack.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted a daily newspaper to state that republicans were not involved in the attack.
The man says that he still does not know who carried out the attack but attacked FAIT's Vincent McKenna saying; ``I don't think that he has done any research, and he certainly didn't contact me or any of my family to find out - whatever he did was without our knowledge or consent''.
This new revelation comes after Conor Murphy, Sinn Fein Assembly member for Newry and Armagh, challenged FAIT and the UUP's Danny Kennedy to provide evidence to back up their claim that the IRA were involved in the attack.
Danny Kennedy who, like the rest of his fellow party members, who jumped on the FAIT bandwagon and claimed, ``the fact that the assailants were armed raised serious questions about the IRA ceasefire''. Like Vincent McKenna who called on the British government to stop ``pandering to the terrorist mutilators and murderers'', he appears to be quite happy to fabricate evidence to undermine the peace process.
Added Murphy, ``Danny Kennedy and other Unionists have used any opportunity to demand Sinn Fein's expulsion from the political process. Their evidence has all along been dubious or nonexistent. This case puts their credibility on the line. I challenge Danny Kennedy to produce evidence to back up his claim of republican involvement''.
Mr Murphy concluded, ``We have long suspected that FAIT simply makes up its evidence and a compliant media reproduces it without question''.
The intended target of an alleged armed raid in Bessbrook, County Armagh in which it was claimed a mother of four had a death threat etched on her leg with knives has attacked FAIT spokesman Vincent McKenna for claiming that six IRA members were involved in the attack.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted a daily newspaper to state that republicans were not involved in the attack.
The man says that he still does not know who carried out the attack but attacked FAIT's Vincent McKenna saying; ``I don't think that he has done any research, and he certainly didn't contact me or any of my family to find out - whatever he did was without our knowledge or consent''.
This new revelation comes after Conor Murphy, Sinn Fein Assembly member for Newry and Armagh, challenged FAIT and the UUP's Danny Kennedy to provide evidence to back up their claim that the IRA were involved in the attack.
Danny Kennedy who, like the rest of his fellow party members, who jumped on the FAIT bandwagon and claimed, ``the fact that the assailants were armed raised serious questions about the IRA ceasefire''. Like Vincent McKenna who called on the British government to stop ``pandering to the terrorist mutilators and murderers'', he appears to be quite happy to fabricate evidence to undermine the peace process.
Added Murphy, ``Danny Kennedy and other Unionists have used any opportunity to demand Sinn Fein's expulsion from the political process. Their evidence has all along been dubious or nonexistent. This case puts their credibility on the line. I challenge Danny Kennedy to produce evidence to back up his claim of republican involvement''.
Mr Murphy concluded, ``We have long suspected that FAIT simply makes up its evidence and a compliant media reproduces it without question''.