IRA suspects 'were studying peace process'

Three suspected members of the IRA went on Colombian television last night to deny charges that they travelled to the South American country to offer explosives training to leftist rebels.

Speaking from a cell in the high-security La Modelo prison in Bogota, they insisted they had come instead to study the Colombian peace process. "We are not terrorists," said Niall Connolly, who was identified by authorities as the group's leader when he and his companions ­ James Monaghan and Martin McCauley ­ were arrestedfour weeks ago.

The Colombian military says tests on the men's clothing showed they had been in contact with several classes of explosives during a five-week stay in a rebel safe haven. If the men are found guilty of training rebels to make explosives they could face heavy fines and prison terms of 15 to 20 years.

Mr Connolly said in the broadcast: "Foreign intelligence services have tried to misinterpret our visit to Colombia to damage the peace process in Ireland." While acknowledging they had travelled to a southern haven controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Farc, he insisted the trip to was meant as a study of peace talks between the Farc rebels and government envoys. "We work in the peace process in Ireland," he said. "We came to see the dialogue process and to learn from experiences here."