N. IRELAND: PORTADOWN: CAR BOMB EXPLODES OUTSIDE POLICE STATION

(23 Feb 1998) Natural Sound

A car bomb exploded outside a police station in Northern Ireland on Monday - dealing a new blow to the peace negotiations.

The blast in the staunchly pro-British town of Portadown came a few hours after cross- party talks resumed without the leading republican party Sinn Fein.

Flames were seen shooting into the sky as the blast rocked the town of Portadown - 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of Belfast.

The attack leveled parts of two buildings, started a fire and wrecked roofs and windows across town.

Several telephoned warnings to Belfast media allowed police to evacuate nearby streets before the explosion and no one was injured.

The blast dealt a new blow to the province's peace negotiations.

They resumed on Monday with Sinn Fein temporarily excluded because of two killings this month blamed on the Irish Republican Army, to which it is allied.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the latest bomb blast but police said they suspected a group of I-R-A dissidents - the Continuity IRA.

David Trimble, leader of the largest Protestant party - the Ulster Unionists - said the bombing meant Sinn Fein should not be allowed to return to the talks.

Trimble represents Portadown in the British parliament.

He believes the I-R-A is behind the blast - and suspects it is also to blame for a car- bombing on Friday which injured 11 people in Moira, another mainly Protestant town.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well, I'm appalled at what has happened here in Portadown, just five years after the last IRA bomb - destroying properties which had to be rebuilt after that. But then, if you see what has happened here you see the reality of Sinn Fein/IRA."
Q: How bad is the damage?
"It's quite serious, I haven't been around entirely - I've only been able to look down Edwards Street. There are several buildings down Edwards Street, junction off High Street, which are destroyed, which will consequently have to be demolished. How extensive the damage is round the corner I can't say."
Q: Who's responsible for this, and what impact will it have on the talks?
"I'm told that the warning, one of the warnings telephoned in said 'This is the IRA'. That's what I'm told. But even without that information, you simply have to look at what happened in Moira what has happened here, this is Sinn Fein venting its spleen on the democrats. "
SUPER CAPTION: David Trimble, Leader, Ulster Unionists and Portadown M-P

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"This is the handiwork of the Provisional I-R-A - there can be little doubt about that. What the I-R-A in effect saying is that we are giving a warning to the government, that unless they pander more to us, this is the kind of activity that we will carry out. It is the usual approach of the provisional IRA. They will be seeking concessions in order that the government will once again grovel to them to bring them back into a talks process that has no credibility whatsoever.
SUPER CAPTION: Peter Robinson, Deputy Leader of Democratic Unionist Party

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"It is very sad that once again we have had a bomb - less than five years after the last one. Some of these buildings are just up. I'm chairman of Portadown 2000 and we're presently organising a meeting at two o'clock for all the traders to come to hear what we can do to rebuild our town as quickly as possible. That's what we have got to do. We the ordinary people of Portadown must rebuild and must carry on as always."
SUPER CAPTION: VOXPOP

SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: VOXPOP



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