McKevitt convicted of directing terrorism
The alleged leader of the Real IRA, Michael McKevitt, has been convicted of directing terrorism and membership of an illegal organisation by the Specialist Criminal Court in Dublin.
Directing terrorism is a new offence bought by the Irish government in response to the Omagh bombing in 1998.
Mr McKevitt is the first terrorist boss to be hit with the new law, which aimed at getting to those behind terrorist acts but who rarely undertook atrocities themselves.
The Real IRA is the dissident republican group that separated from the Provisional IRA to oppose the peace process.
Last month Mr McKevitt sacked his legal team and declared that the case was a show trial and has taken no further part in the proceedings.
The news serves as an additional reminder of ongoing difficulties with the Northern Ireland peace process, which has been highlighted this week by the discovery of a terrorist training camp in the Republic of Ireland.
Conservative Northern Ireland Spokesman, Lord Glentoran welcomed the verdict as a blow to terrorism and the Real IRA.
Lord Glentoran commented, ‘We should not forget, however, that despite this success both the Real and Continuity IRA retain the capacity to pose a significant terrorist threat. As the discovery earlier this week of the terrorist training camp demonstrated, the need for vigour and to maintain our security capability remains vital.’
