Protest at IRA's offer to shoot pub killers

The IRA faced a storm of protest today after offering to shoot its members blamed for the murder of Robert McCartney.

Mr McCartney, an East Belfast Cathol ic, was stabbed to death in bar on January 30. A campaign by his family to bring his killers to justice has received an unprecendented show of public support, putting the IRA and Sinn Fein under pressure.

But its offer to shoot the men responsible has prompted fresh questions about the republicans' commitment to peace.

Mr McCartney's family immediately rejected the IRA's offer. Gerard Quinn, his cousin, said: "I think the feeling is that to shoot and possibly kill these people is revenge, not justice. And revenge is not what the family is looking for."

Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy said: "Any sort of punishment ought to come from the courts, through the due process of the law. " Democratic Unionist Party leader, the Reverend Ian Paisley, said: "The Sinn Fein/IRA machine has murdered and maimed the citizens of Northern Ireland for 35 years."