Democratic Unionist Party European election candidate, Jim Allister QC, has today urged Sinn Fein/IRA to “start telling the truth” after the conviction of three IRA men in Colombia on charges of training FARC rebel guerrillas and narco terrorists.

Jim Allister QC said, “It’s about time that Sinn Fein/IRA started telling the truth.  As is customary on occasions when the Provisional IRA are caught red handed up to no good, Sinn Fein spokesmen are trotted out to blame everybody and everything, from the legal system to the so-called securocrats.  Blame is apportioned to everyone and everybody but themselves.

Sinn Fein/IRA would be better served owning up to its activities wherever in the world they are occurring.  Today’s verdict proves how the Provisional IRA are part and parcel of the international nexus of terror.  They should now tell us the true extent of their role in the worldwide web of terror. 

Likewise, Sinn Fein/IRA need to not only admit their place in the international axis of terrorism but also their part in the sort of violence outlined in stark detail in the first report of the Independent Monitoring Commission.  The IMC’s report makes it clear that the IRA are up to their necks in paramilitary attacks, intelligence gathering, terrorist training and cigarette smuggling, yet Sinn Fein/IRA talks as if all of this is figments of our imagination.

The day has passed when Sinn Fein/IRA should stand up and admit their misdemeanours.  We all know that Sinn Fein/IRA are armed and active.  What we want to get to is a situation where terrorist activity of all kinds is a thing of the past.  IF Sinn Fein are unprepared to make paramilitarism a thing of the past then the political process should move on without them instead of waiting for them to meet the democratic mark”.