The Real IRA

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The Real IRA also known as Óglaigh na hÉireann; or the "dissident" Irish Republican Army (DIRA) is a hard-line splinter group that broke away from the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in November 1997 on the background of the Northern Ireland Peace Process. The founding members of the Real IRA objected to the cease-fire called by the main IRA in 1997, choosing instead to continue the armed struggle against the British Government and Loyalists. While the Provisional IRA, allied with the Sinn Fein political Party, supported and indeed helped to achieve the peace settlement, the dissident republican groups (of which several exist) declared that they would accept nothing less than the union of Northern Ireland with the Irish Republic. The group’s stated objective is the disruption of the peace process, leading to a complete British withdrawal from North Ireland. The group includes a number of the IRA's 12-strong “army executive,” who resigned, along with quartermaster-general McKevitt an experienced and hard line terrorist, in protest of the official IRA support for the peace process. The dissidents formed a new “army executive,” which was to elect an army council to run the new organization. Most of the support for the RIRA is thought to be in the Dundalk and Newry area with some support in Dublin. The group is small in number and has suffered heavy setbacks at the hands of the Irish police and British intelligence services. The RIRA recruited up to 30 experienced operators from ranks of the Provisional IRA, mainly in the Republic of Ireland but also in some areas in North Ireland. . In addition, it has embarked on a clandestine campaign to enrol younger recruits previously uninvolved in paramilitary activity. This new blood is essential to the growth and success of the group, and like many terrorist organisations disaffected young people provide a rich recruiting ground, coupled with the core of experienced terrorist the group is potentially very dangerous. Estimates of total membership have varied from about 70 to 175. Some analysts think the most likely figure is about 100.

The leader of the Real IRA group is alleged to be Michael (Mickey) McKevitt, the former quartermaster-general of the IRA. McKevitt was responsible for arms shipments into Northern Ireland. In addition one of the IRA's former leading bomb-makers has joined the real IRA group. He is suspected of constructing bombs for this group and the CIRA, another hard line splinter group which previously had only limited bomb-making skills. Another ex-IRA engineer, who was involved in constructing mortars, also joined the RIRA and is believed to have made the mortars used in attacks on security bases in the spring of 1998. The RIRA has been linked to a number of bombings; in each instance a car bomb was detonated subsequent to a warning call. British authorities are convinced that Real IRA is responsible for a 500lb car-bomb attack in the town of Bangridge in August 1997. No deaths resulted from any of the earlier bombings. The group has access to quantities of Semtex plastic explosive, detonators and a variety of other bomb-making components, taken from the IRA weapons stock. The RIRA was responsible for a number of bombs and mortar attacks during 1997 and 1998. On Saturday August 15 1998 a car bomb packed with 500 lbs. of explosives detonated in the town of Omagh in the popular shopping district. The bombing has been called the single the bloodiest incident in Northern Ireland’s 30-year history of partisan conflict. Twenty-eight people were killed and hundreds injured. The RIRA claimed responsibility for the bombing. Outrage over the attack in both pro-British Protestant and pro-Irish Catholic communities forced the Real IRA to suspend it activities 18 August 1998. Like many hard line terrorist groups in Northern Ireland the RIRA lacks the popular support enjoyed by the IRA in its heyday. Murders and involvement in crime have started to isolate such groups from the local population most of which are tired of the conflict. With a supply of young and idealistic recruits and a hard line core of experienced and embittered terrorists such groups will take some time to whither on the vine and are likely to be part of the political environment in Ireland for some time to come.

Your point being ... ?

I dont have a point I was wondering if anyone had anything to say about it I support the original Irish Republican Army but not the Real IRA

Oh.

I suppose it would be important to the British or to the Irish - or to me if I lived in Ireland - but it seems that the IRA is just another organization of violent thugs (aka: Terrorists) bent on using force and intimidation to get what they want.

The Real IRA are (terrorists) how ever the original IRA formed because of British rule in Ireland they stood up and fough against british rule I see them as freedom fighter not terrorists

That's a dangerous line you draw. There is not one terrorist organization on the planet that could not easily present an argument that they fall on the "freedom fighter" side of the line you draw, and almost always that line shifts with respect to any group, depending upon which side of the dispute you are on.

Violent thugs using force and intimidation to get what they want are still violent thugs using force and intimidation even if what they want is to get a foreign presence out of their territory or to tear down an oppressive regime. If you are going to approve the actions of the Sons of Liberty and the "original" IRA, you are then going to have to consider the motivations of the LTTE, Hamas and al-Qaeda.

First off im not Muslim so if your saying because I see the original IRA as freedom fighters I.


Should consider the motivations of the LITE Hamas and al Qaeda no I do not see them as.

That their terrorists if your where Irish you would understand why I support the IRA they are.

Fighting Against British rule in Ireland my family had to move to america because of it.

I guess we could call america the same thing when we fought against the french using force and intimidation to draw them out of our country.

Good try though lad.

I thought the IRA had renounced violence and largely disbanded, so they aren't exactly an active threat...

The Original IRA has but the new Real IRA is another story they are fighting for Ireland to be under complete Irish rule and Unite Belfast Northern Ireland with Dublin Ireland the way it should be.

I was once the only full-time employee of a business that turned out to be almost entirely devoted to the funding of those guys. can't say I support them but they can be quite convincing.

Being Muslim has nothing to do with it. And it certainly has nothing to do with the LTTE, who Tamils.

It seems to me that you are prepared to justify the use of force and intimidation when the goal is a goal that you approve of (getting the British out of Eire) but not when goal is one that you don't approve of (getting the Americans out of Saudi). That is all well and good, but you must be prepared to admit that your approach is at best, subjective if not hypocritical.

These things are never black and white.

I am prepared to justify the use of force and intimidation when the goal (getting the British out of Eire)

Also true I know being Muslim has nothing to do with Hamas or Al Queda just because I.

Support the idea of a United Ireland doesnt mean I support anything Hamas or Al Queda does.

What their doing is trying to destroy the western world all the IRA where doing is trying to.

Create a United Ireland my mother is Irish I am 3/4 th Irish of course I want the british.

Out of power but I do not support religious terrorism of any kind the IRA are not religious.

Terrorists in my opinon they are freedom fighters fighting against British rule.

Yes its a bit subjective an a hypocritical view but I at least im willing to admit it.

(Óglaigh na hÉireann)

Fair enough. And if you are willing to admit that you are willing to ride roughshod over the rights of the Irish living in Ulster, then so be it.

Fortunately the vast majority of Irish, on both sides of the border, have given up on this foolish, dangerous notion.

I disagree. They may not be running around planning attacks, but in their hearts they still want the rest of their island back.

I think it would be best for N. Ireland to become its own country - not part of the U.K. and not part of the Republic. Then after a couple of years the Republic could declare that it would no longer recognize a state religion (most Irish are pretty pizzed at the Catholic Church anyway due to them raping and beating Irish orphans for decades). Eventually, reunification might be possible. You know the story about how to boil a frog? You'd have to do it that way.

'Tis the foightin' and the drinkin' that is the cause of all this.

Jayzis, Mary and Joseph, when will it end?

ruveyn

I will certainly agree that the definition of terrorism is very tumultuous. There is no consensus between difference between freedom fighters, guerillas and terrorists. For myself, the distinction is in the target. If Islamic Fundamentalists want to only target those of us in uniform, then I have much less of a problem with it. For the IRA for the most part the original IRA specifically did not target civilians.