Britain’s Northern Ireland Secretary said on Tuesday he and Ireland’s Justice Minister would discuss stepping up cooperation between police forces to choke off paramilitary groups whose power he said was fading fast. As Britain and Ireland push for an agreement with Northern Ireland’s political parties on reviving home rule by a March deadline, the two governments are looking at measures to stop militants from wrecking any deal. “I will be talking to (Irish Justice) Minister (Michael) McDowell about ways in which we can deal with paramilitary activity…particularly dissident republicans,” Murphy told reporters in Belfast before setting off for Dublin for talks on Tuesday. “Certainly we will be looking at ways in which legislation can deal with it…but there is more than that, in particular the issue of co-operation between the Garda Siochana (Irish police force) and Police Service of Northern Ireland.” Dissident Catholic groups opposed to the cease-fire by the mainstream Irish Republican Army in its war to end British rule continue to carry out sporadic attacks on police and British army bases in the province. The largest Protestant armed group, the Ulster Defense Association, reinstated its cease-fire at the weekend. Full Story
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