The Sinn Fein has always held itself apart from the IRA, in theory at least. One is the politicians, the other is the gunmen.
I think much the same is true of the Ulster Unionists.
Nope; youre wrong on both counts.
Firstly: Adams - Sinn Fein president was IRA commandant in Long Kesh and an IRA leader in Belfast while his number too Marting McGuiness headed up the IRA in Londonderry.
Secondly: Adams, McGuiness and Docherty all are senior Sinn Fein politicos and all sit on the IRA Army Council. According to the heads of the PSNA and the Irish Garda as well as the Irish and British PMs Sinn Fein politicos planned the latest IRA bank robbery.
Thirdly, the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party are not the political wings of the protestant terrorists. The *Ulster Democratic Party* was the political wing of the UDA and the *Progressive Unionist Party* was that of the UVF. These are both (unlike Sinn Fein/IRA fringe parties). There are no links between the Ulster Unionsts and the Democratic Unionsts and protestant terrorists - in fact the terrorists hold these parties in contempt.