Posted on 07/28/2005 5:50:14 AM PDT by infocats
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 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.
The IRA is fully committed to the goals of Irish unity and independence and to building the Republic outlined in the 1916 Proclamation.
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."
I suppose that anger at ME terrorists is anti-Muslim bigotry, freak’n fool!
The IRA of the long ago that fought for rights under an oppresive british monarchy is NOT...NOT the same IRA of today. Anyone making that assumtion are ignorant. The IRA of today are a band of thugs that collaborate with middle eastern terrorists, drug dealers, smuggle arms and worse. Yah, both sides committed atrocities, but the IRA's actions were far far more ellaborate.
If you say i'm a closet Orangemen, fine..if that means an Orangeman is against a group that sells arms, drugs, and technology to terrorist groups around the world.
Praise the Lord!
I hope that the IRA will see fit to fully cooperate with the Brits now in pursuing all the terrorists with whom they have had contact. It is possible that they have powerful information to assist in bringing down those organizations.
Probably referring to the Black & Tans who were more of a paramilitary than regular army.
they were every bit as bad - some might say worse - but they were never as competant as the IRA.
armed republicanism has lost: british policeman walk the streets enforcing british law, the people elect politicians to sit in a british parliament and pay taxes to and recieve services from the british government. SF legally accepts northern ireland as part of the united kingdom and accepts that democracy, not force, will decide the future direction of northern ireland. the republic of ireland accepts british sovereignty over northern ireland and acts as a guarantor of the current status quo.
the citizens of northern ireland have the same legal, employment and civil rights regardless of their religion or heritage, they had that 30 years ago. the IRA has fought and killed for 30 years - 80 if you like - to achieve nothing. infact they have been counter-productive, had the IRA not existed the day of irish union could be around the corner - especially given irelands new found wealth - but now you could sooner persuade a man to climb into a burning car than you could persuade unionism to join the republic.
choccy arlare. my backside.
of course they do. They have been working with hamas, hizbollah, Farc, etc etc for YEARS. But they will never associate with MI5 or MI6 or scotland yard. I doubt taht they will even fully disarm.
As an American of Irish Catholic ancestry, whose people came from Ulster, I say this is good news. A terrorist gang (and that's all the present IRA is) finally concedes that terror doesn't work. Would that the AlQaeda nuts did the same.
Agreed!!
A nation once again I hope!
Amein!
Buichas le Dia.
I understand where you're coming from but as an acute student of Irish history I hate the slapdash attitude to facts that exist to discussions of what actually happened.
I find that when confronted with some particular horror story I always ask "when?". You'd be amazed at how often I am confronted by some vague story handed down by someone's granny.
Even you fell for that, there was no organisation called the "Black and Tans", paramilitary or otherwise, but Irish people will confidently tell you how England's jails were swept out and sent to terrorise the innocent people of Ireland. This is simply false.
The Royal Irish Constabulary, a perfectly respectable police force, was under extreme pressure during the 1919-21 IRA campaign and needed to get new recruits. These recruits came from the vast numbers of ex soldiers in the UK at the time, they had to fulfil the same criteria as police recruits anywhere in the UK, a certain standard of education and most importantly a clean criminal record. More than a third of these recruits were Irish themselves. Due to the lack of police uniforms many of these recruits wore half military half police thus the 'black and tan' label.
By the end of the campaign there is no doubt that the previous excellent standards of police discipline in the RIC in some parts of the country broke down and brutal "reprisals" were carried out, these were widely condemned by the British press and members of the British establishment including Winston Churchill. But it must be borne in mind that the IRA carried out a far greater number of atrocities than the British, just like in the Troubles of 1970-97.
I'm sorry for the history lesson but this is just another example of hysterical myth making and shroud waving so beloved by Irish Nationalists.
ping
There have been atrocities by both sides.
I can understand some of the old romantic notions about the troubles from the old days but there has been an unsavory element to the IRA and their leadership since 1919 and especially since PIRA.
I believe that unsavory element has done considerably more harm than good......
Have you two met?
These bastards are no different from the Hamas "military" wing. They are terrorists and should be treated as such.
They called themselves the Real IRA....
allegedly made up of more aggressive IRA lads.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1775091.stm
I don't put much credit in IRA denials and subterfuge.
Gerry Adams is not really IRA and the Provos are not really IRA has been proven to be complete bullshite.
But to be fair...there have been a couple of groups whose names escape me at the moment that may have been "splinter" and who were even more Marxist.
But from what my cousin tells me, anyone engaging in separatist political violence or extortion in the Catholic enclaves up North would not do so for long without IRA knowledge or approval.
The IRA operates like organized crime in my view.
I will be glad to dissect the bad side of the Prods too if I've hurt any Fenian feelings..lol
Regards!
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