Hated towers to fall as IRA hands in its arms

By DAVID McKITTRICK

BELFAST - The authorities will respond to IRA decommissioning by demolishing two of the Army watchtowers that dominate much of the south Armagh border.

The towers dot the rugged south Armagh landscape, resembling a string of oversized pylons. They have been regarded as a main line of defence against the IRA since they were erected in the mid-1980s.

Today their purpose is surveillance of the mainstream IRA and the breakaway Real IRA.

The structures house sophisticated cameras and listening devices.

But the view in senior security circles is that there is no sign of IRA intention to restart its campaign of violence, and that, even before yesterday, mainstream republicans were becoming ever more deeply embedded in political activity.

At the same time, however, the view is that the IRA is still in existence and still involved in activities such as paramilitary training. Because of that, the Army must maintain vigilance: "There is still a bear out there in the woods," one senior source said.

This attitude has produced resistance in the military to the idea of wholesale dismantling of the scores of Northern Ireland security installations.

That includes large and small Army bases, lookout points, living accommodation and other outposts.

After consulting the RUC and Army, the Government has said that, if the level of threat is reduced, four installations could be demolished almost immediately.

They are believed be two of the south Armagh towers, as well as another County Armagh installation and an Army base in County Londonderry. More can be expected to follow, although exactly when has not been specified.

The extensive use of helicopters in south Armagh continues to generate local complaints, although the Army has tried to reduce flights.

The problem is that the military cannot routinely use road vehicles in the south Armagh area because of their susceptibility to landmines.

The IRA is not engaged in such activity, but the Real IRA has attempted mine attacks, assembling a large bomb there some weeks ago. The Real IRA is a genuine complicating factor in that the organisation is not observing a ceasefire and continues to carry out occasional attacks.

Military numbers have been reduced by only a few thousand since the 1994 IRA and loyalist ceasefires, and extra troops have often been drafted in to cope with the possibility of disorder during the loyalist marching season each summer.

There has, however, been a drop in RUC numbers because hundreds of officers have taken advantage of lucrative early retirement provisions on offer as part of police reforms.

The reduced force has chalked up many thousands of hours in costly overtime while coping with the north Belfast disturbances during a fraught summer of protests.

But, to those living in the shadow of Armagh's military monoliths, demilitarisation cannot come quickly enough. Declan Fearon of the south Armagh farmers and residents committee lives directly underneath the fort at Faughill Mountain, near the village of Jonesborough.

"Now that decommissioning has occurred there is absolutely no reason for having them here. I would expect them to begin destroying them immediately," he said.

"There is always going to be a threat from dissidents on both sides of the divide, but people in south Armagh haven't enjoyed the benefits of the peace process so far.

"The fact is the British Government has tinkered with the issue of demilitarisation and now this must end."

- INDEPENDENT