IRA says 'armed campaign over'

[partygirluk]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4720863.stm

The IRA has formally ordered an end to its armed campaign and is to pursue exclusively peaceful political means.

In a long-awaited statement, the republican organisation said it would follow a democratic path ending more than 30 years of violence.

The IRA made its decision after an internal debate prompted by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams' call to pursue its goals exclusively through politics.

During the NI Troubles, the IRA was blamed for about 1,800 murders.

A statement issued on Thursday said that this would take effect from 1600 BST.

"All IRA units have been ordered to dump arms. All Volunteers have been instructed to assist the development of purely political and democratic programmes through exclusively peaceful means. Volunteers must not engage in any other activities whatsoever.

"The IRA leadership has also authorised our representative to engage with the IICD to complete the process to verifiably put its arms beyond use in a way which will further enhance public confidence and to conclude this as quickly as possible."

The statement said independent witnesses from Catholic and Protestant churches had been invited to see the decommissioning process.

When he made his appeal in April, Mr Adams said it was "a genuine attempt to drive the peace process forward".

Republicans had been under intense pressure to end IRA activity after the £26.5m Northern Bank raid in December and the murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney in January.

Political talks last year failed to restore devolution, which stalled amid claims of IRA intelligence gathering at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, in 2002.

The Provisional IRA's campaign of violence was aimed at forcing an end to the British presence in Northern Ireland, leading to a united Ireland.

[diebitter]

Bunch of murderous, lying, weasel-hearted, child-killing gangsters. Thank goodness their US funding dried up finally.

Trust em - never.

[daveymck]

Does it mena they are going to give up drug dealing as well.

It is good news though see what the Prodestant groups do now.

[jakethebake]

Again?

[GreywolfNYC]

[ QUOTE ]
Bunch of murderous, lying, weasel-hearted, child-killing gangsters. Thank goodness their US funding dried up finally.

Trust em - never.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that the RUC, the UDA or the British Army you're talking about?

[daveymck]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bunch of murderous, lying, weasel-hearted, child-killing gangsters. Thank goodness their US funding dried up finally.

Trust em - never.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that the RUC, the UDA or the British Army you're talking about?

[/ QUOTE ]

Wondered when some "Irish" New Yorker would turn up.

[diebitter]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bunch of murderous, lying, weasel-hearted, child-killing gangsters. Thank goodness their US funding dried up finally.

Trust em - never.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that the RUC, the UDA or the British Army you're talking about?

[/ QUOTE ]

Look at this. http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/northwest/series2/warrington_bomb_terroism_post_traumatic_stress.sht ml
Look at the picture of the little 3 year-old boy.

Think about it.

[Voltron87]

the prods will still not believe that the ira have dumped all their weapons, and wont trust this. there will be splinter groups in the IRA who still want to fight, and dont want to acknowledge defeat.

[lucas9000]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bunch of murderous, lying, weasel-hearted, child-killing gangsters. Thank goodness their US funding dried up finally.

Trust em - never.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that the RUC, the UDA or the British Army you're talking about?

[/ QUOTE ]

[daveymck]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bunch of murderous, lying, weasel-hearted, child-killing gangsters. Thank goodness their US funding dried up finally.

Trust em - never.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that the RUC, the UDA or the British Army you're talking about?

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

Its interesting that two US posters have come down on this side of the argument as the song went [censored] [censored] the IRA I wonder if I made a post saying how good the 9/11 attackers were and how bad the US army is for what they have done in the war on terror how much flaming would have come my way.

The IRA terrorists attacked my country just the same as 9/11 if not on the same scale yet support comes out of the woodwork on the day we finally defeat them.

Oh and I am Catholic of Irish decent (for what thats worth I am English and proud of it as far as I am concerned) before you think I am a prodestant, my answer to the problem of a united Ireland was for us to invade the south either that or pull out and let them merrily kill each other.

I had friends lose fathers over there as well as my best mate doing 2 tours of the place he came back a different person.

[Voltron87]

the IRA, RUC, UDA and co, theyre all awful groups who all did awful things. theres no good side in this.

[GreywolfNYC]

[ QUOTE ]
The IRA terrorists attacked my country just the same as 9/11 if not on the same scale ...

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm glad to see an end to the armed conflict, if this in fact the end of it. It remains to be seen what the Protestant para groups will do. But your analogy about 9/11 is simply incorrect. Here's a link that explains one of the reasons why. I remember this event very well.
Link (http://larkspirit.com/bloodysunday/)

[poker-penguin]

This is good news. One more small step towards peace.

There's a cynical part of me that says.

1) You can't trust those slimy terrorists. Not one ****ing inch. Until I see lots of armalites with concrete in the barrel and bomb squad making a lot of controlled detonations, I'll treat this with the same scepticism I treated the ceasefires.
2) Any volunteers who don't like this idea will set up a splinter group. I think they're running out of X-IRA abbreviations, so they might have to actually get creative.



Oh, and WE WON!

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Bunch of murderous, lying, weasel-hearted, child-killing gangsters. Thank goodness their US funding dried up finally.

Trust em - never.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I think your evaluation of what the IRA has become is largely correct. On the other hand, I have to think that if anyone tried to occupy my country, I'd be killing as many of them as I could every day too. War is ugly, and to them it's a war.

edit: And I'm not Irish, by the way.

[GreywolfNYC]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bunch of murderous, lying, weasel-hearted, child-killing gangsters. Thank goodness their US funding dried up finally.

Trust em - never.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I think your evaluation of what the IRA has become is largely correct. On the other hand, I have to think that if anyone tried to occupy my country, I'd be killing as many of them as I could every day too. War is ugly, and to them it's a war.

[/ QUOTE ]
Good points, jake. And for those who are crowing "We won", here's a report from your own BBC with the text of the statement issued by the IRA. Please pay very close attention to the last five paragraphs.
IRA Statement (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4724599.stm)

[partygirluk]

Mainland UK are not occupying Northern Ireland. The majority of Northern Irish people want to remain part of the UK.

[partygirluk]

Also keep in mind that the IRA targeted civilians who are not a legitimate target, war or no war.

[daveymck]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bunch of murderous, lying, weasel-hearted, child-killing gangsters. Thank goodness their US funding dried up finally.

Trust em - never.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I think your evaluation of what the IRA has become is largely correct. On the other hand, I have to think that if anyone tried to occupy my country, I'd be killing as many of them as I could every day too. War is ugly, and to them it's a war.

[/ QUOTE ]
Good points, jake. And for those who are crowing "We won", here's a report from your own BBC with the text of the statement issued by the IRA. Please pay very close attention to the last five paragraphs.
IRA Statement (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4724599.stm)

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this should have been in politics.

But the last 5 paragraphs make them no different to the other National parties in Scotland and Wales and imho will be just as effective in getting independance.

The IRA always cliamed it was a war if that is the case the UK government has won the war as in effect the IRA has surrendered even if they wont use the S word.

[GreywolfNYC]

[ QUOTE ]
Also keep in mind that the IRA targeted civilians who are not a legitimate target, war or no war.

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's a little bit of history for you, again from the BBC.
Link (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1026950.stm)

[Bez]

How does this legitimize blowing up innocent civilians? Also, do you think no one's heard of Bloody Sunday before?

[daveymck]

It doesnt but its a nice fall back excuse we did it cos they did maybe first.

Was no excuse for some of the mass murders the IRA have done (Enniskillen, Omah etc etc) on top of all the punishment beatings and shooting that have been done too and have been going on all through the ceasefire.

[partygirluk]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Also keep in mind that the IRA targeted civilians who are not a legitimate target, war or no war.

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's a little bit of history for you, again from the BBC.
Link (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1026950.stm)

[/ QUOTE ]

Erm rather than sending me a link to proof that the IRA didnt try and succeed in mass-muredering innocent civilians you seem to have linked me to an article about the Saville enquiry.