Britain raises domestic threat level for Northern Ireland

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ASPartOfMe
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28 Mar 2023, 11:31 am

NBC News

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The U.K.’s MI5 intelligence service on Tuesday raised the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland to “severe” amid an increase in activity by dissident Irish republican militants.

Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale and means an attack is considered highly likely. The threat had stood one notch lower at “substantial” for the past year.

Paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland laid down their arms after the 1998 Good Friday peace accord largely ended three decades of violent conflict between Irish republican and British loyalist groups and U.K. security forces that killed more than 3,600 people. But small Irish Republican Army splinter groups have continued to launch sporadic attacks on security forces.

U.K. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said that “in recent months, we have seen an increase in levels of activity relating to Northern Ireland-related terrorism, which has targeted police officers serving their communities and also put at risk the lives of children and other members of the public.”

He urged people to “remain vigilant but not be alarmed.”

Last month, senior police officer John Caldwell was shot by two masked men as he coached a children’s soccer team in the town of Omagh, about 60 miles west of Belfast. Police say he suffered life-changing injuries.

An IRA splinter group known as the New IRA claimed responsibility.

The change to the threat level comes ahead of events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement.

The threat level for the rest of the U.K. remains at substantial, meaning an attack is considered likely.


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Kraichgauer
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30 Mar 2023, 5:13 pm

Terrorists aren't going to stop hurting and killing people unless they're made to stop.


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Rossall
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30 Mar 2023, 5:45 pm

We need a united Ireland. Us Brits shouldn't have been there in the first place imo.


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The_Walrus
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31 Mar 2023, 1:29 am

Rossall wrote:
We need a united Ireland. Us Brits shouldn't have been there in the first place imo.

What we need is to follow the Good Friday Agreement - i.e. if most Northern Irish residents want to be part of Ireland then that should happen.

What happened a century or more ago isn’t especially relevant to what should be done tomorrow. Self-governance, self-determination, and maintaining the peace are crucial. Unionist paramilitary groups won’t accept being forced to join Ireland if it isn’t a democratic decision.



cyberdad
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31 Mar 2023, 4:00 am

The_Walrus wrote:
Rossall wrote:
We need a united Ireland. Us Brits shouldn't have been there in the first place imo.

What we need is to follow the Good Friday Agreement - i.e. if most Northern Irish residents want to be part of Ireland then that should happen.


Isn't northern Ireland split right down the middle? 50% protestant, so I can't see they would give a majority mandate to secede from the UK.

Just like Brexit offered not economic or social advantage to the British people, I don't see how gaining independence for Northern Ireland will likewise increase employment for catholics. It's not like the EU will do any favours for the Irish. This is all about the new IRA getting revenge for something that happened a hundred years ago.