BY MICHAEL BRESLIN
The Newtownbutler-Clones/Cavan Road, at Wattlebridge re-opened yesterday, four days after the discovery of what Police are describing as, 'a roadside bomb'. Two Republican groups have separately claimed responsibility.
It is believed this is a beer-keg bomb with wires protruding to a firing-point and that it was hidden in a hedge at a bus-stop. If this is so, it is similar to a creamery can bomb planted near a house in Roslea to which Police were lured in June this year. Only the detonator went off as their vehicle passed within feet of the bomb.
Their actions have been denounced, by Sinn Féin,among others who urged anyone with information to pass it on to the Police.
The UUP Assembly member, Tom Elliott has called for the Army to be brought in, but his call has found little favour with the Police.
A senior officer, who said the bomb, had it gone off, could have maimed civilians as well as Police officers, said he preferred to work with the local community in hunting down the bombers. Meanwhile, DUP MLA, Arlene Foster met with the North's security Minister and urged him to put more resources the way of the Police.
The discovery was made following two calls, each by a separate so-called Republican group, at around lunchtime last Saturday. The area around the site of the bomb was immediately sealed off and the road remained closed until yesterday (Tuesday) to allow Army Technical Officers make it safe before removal for forensic investigation.
The planting of the device has been claimed by the Continuity IRA and the Real IRA and, once again, it has sparked calls from one UUP Assembly member for the Army to be brought back to patrol the Border areas.
However, the DUP Assembly member, Arlene Foster, who yesterday met with the North's Security Minister, Paul Goggins, said her immediate request was that he would ensure adequate resources for the Police.
Responding to calls for the Army to be restored here, Chief Inspector Alywin Barton said the PSNI preferred to work in partnership with the local community to whom he made a direct appeal for help in identifying those responsible.
"The community have information which can help advance our enquiries and our investigation," he said, "and I would appeal to anyone who saw anything suspicious in this area, certainly in recent days, to make that information available to Police."
He suggested a number of ways that this could be done, by ringing a community policeman who might have provided a service to them, or phoning their local Police Station, or simply stopping a Police officer in the street and telling them what they knew. Alternatively, if they wished to pass on the information in confidence, they could ring the Crimestoppers telephone number (0800 555).
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Asked if he believed Police officers were the target, Chief Inspector Barton said the people who planted the bomb were not concerned about who else they harmed or injured.
"They are concerned about disruption to the community and, in this case, there has been considerable disruption to the community which causes us huge concern. It has been forced upon us to clean up the mess left by people who are dedicated to chaos and mayhem."
Asked if he could say how long the device had been there, he explained that the Police investigations were in the early stages of investigation. He added that event he details of what was found still needed to be established.
The UUP Assemblyman, Tom Elliott suggested that dissident Republicans in Fermanagh might be getting help from mainstream republicanism.
"You just don't carry these attacks out with a small group. If mainstream republicans are genuine about moving Northern Ireland forward in a progressive manner, they need to come off the fence and support the Police and all areas of law and order."
He called for 'limited Army personnel' to support the police in the area. From talks he had held with senior PSNI officers, he said, there was 'an obvious concern that police resources are stretched to the limit'.
Arlene Foster said her meeting yesterday with the Security Minister was on that very topic.
"I and my colleague, Maurice Morrow," she said beforehand, "will be asking him to make sure that the appropriate resources are given to the Chief Constable so that he doesn't skimp on what is needed in County Fermanagh."
But, in response to the Army being brought back here, she said she didn't want to head back to the abnormal society she had lived through for 35-40 years.
"That is not the society I want my children to grow up in. I want to see, first of all, can this be dealt with by policing resources, and I think it can be I know the Police officers are very dedicated to their job, but what they need is more resources. Certainly, if these resources are not available, we may have to look at other options. I don't rule that out, but not for the moment."
Her attention was then drawn to the responsibility on politicians, particularly Sinn Fein.
Mrs Foster said that whole the people behind the bomb did not want to hear the message, there was no doubt they thrived on instability.
She went on: "I have to say the fact the Executive is not meeting helps to add to that instability, and I would ask Sinn Fein if they are really serious about taking these people on, they need to met us and they need to have the Executive up and running to bring back the stability which will freeze these people out."
Thomas O'Reilly, the Sinn Fein chairman of Fermanagh District Council, said the security alert at Wattlebridge had caused considerable inconvenience over the last three days.
"As Chair of Fermanagh District Council, I want to say this is nonsensical activity to be involved and I call in anyone involved in this to stop. We have a system in place if all parties involved have a will to make it work. Leaving devices along the road is not the way forward. And, if anyone has any information, they should bring it to the attention of the authorities.
