A MAN IS to appear before Newry magistrates later today to face charges in connection with dissident republican activity.
The 54-year-old faces a series of charges following the discovery of a cache of weapons described by the PSNI as “significant”.
He was arrested on Friday and now faces charges of possession of articles likely to be of use to terrorists, preparation of terrorist acts and possession of firearms with intent to endanger life.
The arrest follows last week’s announcement by British home secretary Theresa May that dissidents posed a growing threat there. Mrs May said an attack in Britain by dissidents is now a “strong possibility”.
But, last night, leading Sinn Féin figure Gerry Kelly said MI5’s warnings about the threat posed to Britain by dissident republican bombers has much to do with the security agency’s attempt to defend its budget from cutbacks.
Speaking in Manchester at a Sinn Féin meeting held on the margins of the Labour Party conference, Mr Kelly said there “is a need not to over-react” to the threat existing from dissident organisations, though he did not doubt that one exists.
“This is not the first time that I have heard MI5 come out speaking like this. I suspect that it is because they are all facing cuts and they want to defend themselves against that,” said Mr Kelly, a minister in the Office of First and Deputy First Minister.
Former Labour Northern Ireland secretary of state Peter Hain said the cutbacks planned by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government could endanger the Northern Ireland peace process by driving young people into the arms of the dissidents.
“If they have no job and no future they will look elsewhere for solutions,” said Mr Hain, saying it was “no accident” that the St Andrews Agreement was agreed in 2007 at a time “when record jobs were being produced”.
Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson said he will raise the issue with chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne.