On April 10, 2006, three men?Simon Maxwell (40), Thomas Maxwell (43), and Philip Hickey?were arrested for their involvement in a 11am local time truck hijacking in Dunshaughlin, County Meath, northwest of Dublin, the day prior (Terrorist Incident forthcoming). The men arranged an ambush on the Delvin to Athboy road. No one was injured in the hijacking, although at least one man was armed, and the reason for the incident remains unclear. A gardai (police) recognized the driver, stopped the vehicle, and thwarted the hijacking. The truck owner was later found in Carberry, County Kildare, where he had alerted the gardai of the incident. The brothers are former Provisional IRA members. Hickey was an IRA prisoner in 1997 on explosives charges, but he was freed through the Good Friday Accords, which was designed to bring peace between the Roman Catholic nationalist/separatists and the Protestant unionists. In the aftermath of the Accord, prisoners were released “on license,” which could have been revoked within the period of time they should have served. After that period, prisoners could only return to jail after committing new crimes.
The men, held under Section Four of the Criminal Justice Act, appeared before the Longford District Court on April 11. Each can apply for bail, which was set at 9,000 euros; they must surrender their passports; they must appear at a local police station four days per week; and they must adhere to a curfew set by Judge John Neilan. Until then, they will remain in remand. They will again appear before the court on April 18.
Ironically, such a relatively small job for the IRA may well cause significant ripples and slow?or worse, stop?efforts to revitalize the Northern Ireland parliament that was to reconvene on May 15. Most locals have grown terribly weary of the IRA’s willingness to be legitimate stakeholders in the political outcome of Northern Ireland, so these sorts of petty criminality by IRA associates bodes poorly and will surely have repercussions. According to Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell, “The real problem is that it?s very unhelpful to the creation of trust on both sides of the border and in both communities in Northern Ireland.” Further, many contend that especially those who were released under the Accord should have no reason to return to violence, having been given a second chance.
Of particular note, this hijacking is not the only incident of late to affect the reintegration plans. It comes on the heals of the murder of Denis Donaldson by a hitman. Donaldson was a top Sinn Fein official-turned MI5 informer over two decades ago. His murder is likely reprisal for ratting out his own party’s leadership and for the shooting of Jim Lynagh in May 1987 (Terrorist Incident forthcoming). The Donaldson murder is also being blamed on republicanism, although the IRA denies involvement in this case too. There are no leads in the case.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) refuses to work with Sinn Fein, widely held as the IRA’s political branch, until politicians are convinced that the IRA criminal/terrorist activity has ceased. This hijacking will not put the DUP at ease. Conversely, Sinn Fein negotiator Martin McGuinness contends that those involved are not “involved in republicanism?.The IRA were not involved in the raid.” A Sinn Fein spokesman went further: the hijacking is “a criminal matter that should be investigated by the garda? [police] and prosecuted in the courts. It should not be turned into a wider issue. Hijacking is theft and it should be pursued by the garda?.”
Should Stormont (ie parliament) reopen, the parties would have until November 24 to agree to a Cabinet and get the Assembly “fully up and running or the?governments will pull the plug, implementing a Plan B” (source). According to Peter Hain, there is no chance for an extension; “it is rock solid. There is no shifting it. If everything collapses by then, then it [the legislature] will collapse. There will be no coming back.” This would entail the DUP recognizing Sinn Fein as a legitimate political party. This would require Sinn Fein to facilitate the IRA’s decommissioning and renouncement of violence. Neither are appealing tasks, but ones that must be done to move forward.
The court must decide whether these men committed the crime on behalf of the paramilitary IRA or as independent criminals. Should it find the latter, the men will return to prison and the regional politics should return to a low simmer. However, should it find the former, the region can be expected to erupt again.
