IRA says armed campaign is over

[Јas]

IRA says armed campaign is over

[Јas]

Full IRA statement:
"The leadership of Óglaigh na hÉireann has formally ordered an end to the armed campaign. This will take effect from 4pm this afternoon. 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 [International Independent Commission on Decommisioning] 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.

We have invited two independent witnesses, from the Protestant and Catholic churches, to testify to this.

The Army Council took these decisions following an unprecedented internal discussion and consultation process with IRA units and Volunteers.

We appreciate the honest and forthright way in which the consultation process was carried out and the depth and content of the submissions.

We are proud of the comradely way in which this truly historic discussion was conducted.

The outcome of our consultations show very strong support among IRA Volunteers for the Sinn Féin peace strategy.

There is also widespread concern about the failure of the two governments and the unionists to fully engage in the peace process. This has created real difficulties.

The overwhelming majority of people in Ireland fully support this process. They and friends of Irish unity throughout the world want to see the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

Notwithstanding these difficulties our decisions have been taken to advance our republican and democratic objectives, including our goal of a united Ireland. We believe there is now an alternative way to achieve this and to end British rule in our country.

It is the responsibility of all Volunteers to show leadership, determination and courage. We are very mindful of the sacrifices of our patriot dead, those who went to jail, Volunteers, their families and the wider republican base.

We reiterate our view that the armed struggle was entirely legitimate. We are conscious that many people suffered in the conflict. There is a compelling imperative on all sides to build a just and lasting peace. The issue of the defence of nationalist and republican communities has been raised with us.

There is a responsibility on society to ensure that there is no re-occurrence of the pogroms of 1969 and the early 1970s. There is also a universal responsibility to tackle sectarianism in all its forms.

The IRA is fully committed to the goals of Irish unity and independence and to building the Republic outlined in the 1916 Proclamation.

We call for maximum unity and effort by Irish republicans everywhere. We are confident that by working together Irish republicans can achieve our objectives.

Every Volunteer is aware of the import of the decisions we have taken and all Óglaigh are compelled to fully comply with these orders.

There is now an unprecedented opportunity to utilise the considerable energy and goodwill which there is for the peace process. This comprehensive series of unparalleled initiatives is our contribution to this and to the continued endeavours to bring about independence and unity for the people of Ireland."

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Blair's just indicated that devolved government will be back soon

[John Dibble]

Blair's just indicated that devolved government will be back soon

Good - devolution is usually a very good thing.

[afleitch]

Fantastic! Let's hope the Loyalists/Unionists also put their weapons out of reach and end their armed struggle to. The media appears to have forgotten about them.

[they don't love you like i love you]

a good sign but probably won't mean much. The main IRA group has observed a cease-fire for quite some time, it's splinter factions that have carried out all recent acts of terrorism, and I doubt they'll observe this.

[??????????]

Someday maybe N.Ireland will be freed.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

a good sign but probably won't mean much. The main IRA group has observed a cease-fire for quite some time, it's splinter factions that have carried out all recent acts of terrorism, and I doubt they'll observe this.

Ah but the point of this isn't whether they'll stop blowing people up or not... the point of this is political; the IRA having weapons and carrying out paramilitary/criminal activities was the big thing holding back the political process and the reason why NI is currently under direct rule.
With this out of the way, things are finally back on track and we could be seeing SF ministers in a Paisley led government pretty soon.

[Maastricht]

Good news, but it would be even greater if it was Al Qadea who was announcing it ... You can't have everything

[patrick1]

Blair's just indicated that devolved government will be back soon

Good - devolution is usually a very good thing.

It really depends on the nature of the devolved government.  The previous Northern Ireland Stormont government 1921-1972 was not very beneficial for the Catholic and nationalist community.  Similarly, the lack of centralized authority was not very good for the minority community in the Jim Crow South.

 The IRA statement is a welcome step to getting the assembly back on track.  However, I think Paisley is going to try his hardest to find a way to not enter into a government with Sinn Fein-  "Ulster says No" you know;)   It should be interesting to see what happens and I hope for the best.   I'm probably going to head there in October.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Good

[they don't love you like i love you]

a good sign but probably won't mean much. The main IRA group has observed a cease-fire for quite some time, it's splinter factions that have carried out all recent acts of terrorism, and I doubt they'll observe this.

Ah but the point of this isn't whether they'll stop blowing people up or not... the point of this is political; the IRA having weapons and carrying out paramilitary/criminal activities was the big thing holding back the political process and the reason why NI is currently under direct rule.
With this out of the way, things are finally back on track and we could be seeing SF ministers in a Paisley led government pretty soon.

A Paisley led government certainly isn't something I'd relish though. I don't get how anyone takes that lunatic seriously. If I lived in N. Ireland, I'd be as hardline unionist as they come, but would probably also being secretely hoping that an IRA splinter faction shuts him up for good.

[Јas]

a good sign but probably won't mean much. The main IRA group has observed a cease-fire for quite some time, it's splinter factions that have carried out all recent acts of terrorism, and I doubt they'll observe this.

While the provisionals have been on an official ceasefire for some time now, actions of criminality (moreso than terrorism, though it's a grey area) continued in the form of punishment beatings, violent threats etc. Indeed relatively recent activities such as the Northern Bank robbery held back developments in this process as much as anything else. Thus the importance of the line: "Volunteers must not engage in any other activities whatsoever."

As for the other republican paramilitary groups, none of them have anything like the capacity of the provisionals, the reaction to the Omagh bombing and the current world attitudes towards terrorist organisations generally have left them in very weak positions.

A Paisley led government certainly isn't something I'd relish though. I don't get how anyone takes that lunatic seriously. If I lived in N. Ireland, I'd be as hardline unionist as they come, but would probably also being secretely hoping that an IRA splinter faction shuts him up for good.

Certainly a unique perspective.

[Democratic Hawk]

Someday maybe N.Ireland will be freed.

On that we can agree to differ. Northern Ireland is an integral part of the UK at the behest of the majority, that is Protestant, of her people. There may come a time when demographics shift the province to a Catholic majority, of course and then the issue of Irish unification will need to be seriously considered. Even then, I can't see the Protestants agreeing and the province may be repartitioned

Well, it's good news from the IRA, it's just come 36 years too late

Dave

[Јas]

Someday maybe N.Ireland will be freed.

On that we can agree to differ. Northern Ireland is an integral part of the UK at the behest of the majority, that is Protestant, of her people. There may come a time when demographics shift the province to a Catholic majority, of course and then the issue of Irish unification will need to be seriously considered. Even then, I can't see the Protestants agreeing and the province may be repartitioned

Well, it's good news from the IRA, it's just come 36 years too late

Dave

I don't foresee or support a repartitioning nor do I believe that that is a solution favoured by any of the major players in NI.

Nevertheless if I understand your post correctly you are suggesting that while a Unionist majority remains all of NI should remain within the UK as would be uphelp by a democratic poll of the people.

However should a Nationalist majority come to be, whereby a democratic poll would call for Irish unification, then NI should be repartitioned.

If this is your sentiment, and I apologise if I have misinterpreted, does it not bear a double-standard in that a Unionist majority is entitled to majority rule but a Nationalist majority would not be?

[??????????]

Someday maybe N.Ireland will be freed.

On that we can agree to differ. Northern Ireland is an integral part of the UK at the behest of the majority, that is Protestant, of her people. There may come a time when demographics shift the province to a Catholic majority, of course and then the issue of Irish unification will need to be seriously considered. Even then, I can't see the Protestants agreeing and the province may be repartitioned

Well, it's good news from the IRA, it's just come 36 years too late

Dave

True enough. But we don't need to get into the history of HOW it became a protestant majority.

[Democratic Hawk]

Someday maybe N.Ireland will be freed.

On that we can agree to differ. Northern Ireland is an integral part of the UK at the behest of the majority, that is Protestant, of her people. There may come a time when demographics shift the province to a Catholic majority, of course and then the issue of Irish unification will need to be seriously considered. Even then, I can't see the Protestants agreeing and the province may be repartitioned

Well, it's good news from the IRA, it's just come 36 years too late

Dave

True enough. But we don't need to get into the history of HOW it became a protestant majority.

Just the Scots going back to where they came from

Dave

[patrick1]

A Paisley led government certainly isn't something I'd relish though. I don't get how anyone takes that lunatic seriously. If I lived in N. Ireland, I'd be as hardline unionist as they come, but would probably also being secretely hoping that an IRA splinter faction shuts him up for good.

Just as long as you are aware that "hardline" unionists are pretty much diametrically opposed to your political sensibilities.  Traditional unionism was allied to conservative and often reactionary forces. As a Unionist you would probably fit best with the PUP, but they are a pretty irrelevant party with a very violent past.  I've been to the Shankill road and Orange parades and I don't see you getting on with those folks. 

[they don't love you like i love you]

Shankill, well as I'm not into abducting and torturing random civilians I most certainly would not.

Orange Order, probably not, they're a little too far out for me though I do agree with them in that I despise the Roman Catholic hegemony.

So yes, I would be an anamoly, luckily I don't live there, although my view is fairly consistent and my Unionism would be just as much because of my fear of the Republic of Ireland's extreme social conservatism as my Protestantism. And I would definately prefer any non-orthodox Catholic (about 90% of the ones in the US) to Paisley (or his US equivalents, Falwell, Robertson, etc.)