THE IRA, in a hard line reassertion of its basic principles, has stated that there is no "dynamic" at present to permit a new cease fire. There will be no disarmament short of a negotiated settlement, it added.
There was a continuing necessity for "armed struggle" at present, the IRA insisted in an interview in yesterday's edition of the republican weekly newspaper, An Phoblacht.
The only way to resolve the conflict was through inclusive negotiations without preconditions, the publication was told during an interview with one of the IRA leadership representatives who last week met Mr John Hume and Mr Gerry Adams.
"We see the necessity for armed struggle because, given the current political conditions, there is not the necessary dynamic to move us all away from conflict and towards a lasting peace on the basis of a viable process, which by its nature ensures that the core issues at the heart of the conflict are addressed and resolved," the IRA representative said.
The IRA in its statements before and after the Canary Wharf bomb had "pointed out that where justice is denied and where democracy is denied then conflict is inevitable", he added.
"We also pointed out that for so long as the British persisted in its denial of Irish national and democratic rights then we would continue to assert those rights," he said.
"No one should doubt our determination nor our steadfastness. We will of course face up to our responsibilities, but we are absolutely determined that all others should do likewise."
The IRA leader was equally inflexible on the question of decommissioning. "Whenever and however the British demand for an IRA surrender is raised we can and will have only one answer there will be no decommissioning either through the front door or the back doors.
"This is an unrealistic and unrealisable demand which simply won't he met. The IRA will under no circumstances leave nationalist areas defenceless this side of a final settlement."
He said that neither the British government nor any other party had the right to impose preconditions to talks. "Attempts to impose as preconditions the Mitchell report recommendations, attempts to impose decommissioning, attempts to impose acceptance of the so called principle of majority consent or unionist veto, attempts to impose this, that or the other principle as preconditions are a nonsense.
He added that the "mandate for armed struggle derived from the British government's denial of the Irish people's inalienable right to the free exercise of sovereignty and national self determination.
"That right cannot be diluted or legislated away. Armed struggle is not a dogma, it is a form of struggle dictated by the absence of any viable democratic alternative for the realisation of Irish national rights and justice."
The IRA leadership was a "united and collective leadership" of "revolutionary soldiers", whose "actions are dictated by our analysis and our application of the means of struggle to policy ends".
He reiterated the IRA's opposition to elections, as proposed in the London communique, and described Mr Hume's proposal for dual referendums as an "unwelcome distraction".
He again accused the British government of "bad faith" in its approach to the peace process. The Taoiseach's "management and mismanagement of the process at times has been equally problematic".
He revealed that seven IRA members were present at the meeting with Mr Hume and Mr Adams. He said Mr Hume and Mr Adams left the meeting assured that they "enjoy our best wishes as they endeavour to reconstruct a package which is capable of reestablishing a viable peace process".
What was required was "a single minded focus on the need for a genuine and inclusive negotiations process without preconditions", leading to a "just and lasting" settlement.
