Uniting To Face an External Threat?
Posted by Eric Seymour on 28 July 2005 | 5 responses
The IRA today announced the end of its armed (terroristic) campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland. I wonder if this is in any way connected to the al Qaeda attacks on London this month? If this were happening in a Hollywood movie, we’d see former enemies becoming brothers-at-arms to face a foe who threatens them both (like the FBI and the Mafia joined forces to foil a Nazi plot in The Rocketeer). Real life, of course, is rarely like the movies. Perhaps Paul will take a break from his blogging hiatus to comment on this development?
5 Responses to “Uniting To Face an External Threat?”
I don’t have any way to give evidence to back this up, but I think the suggestion that this is related to the London bombings is just totally off the wall. It never even crossed my mind as a possibility. This just strikes me as an attempt to get the peace process back on track, when it was last derailed by the IRA refusing to give enough proof that it was disarming…that happened just last december I believe.
I disagree with the comment posted by Balta. I think, in all likelihood, there was behind the scenes pressure on the I.R.A., and it was likely of the, “Look, we’re hunting terrorists. Do you want to blow the cease fire, and throw away all we’ve achieved so far. How long ’til the I.R.A. is investigated in any of these attacks” kind.
I agree with Cindy, seems fairly obvious the IRA was influenced by the recent events in London to show they’ve moved forward, that they are not like the muslims who are blowing themselves up. It is a preemptive move for the peace process is ongoing, so how long could it be until the comparisons were made between what the muslim bastards did and what the catholic bastards used to do (so that they could be at the table now)?
The IRA action is 90% about the internal dynamics of Northern Ireland. But at the margin, the timing is driven somewhat by events in London.
After 9/11, the IRA faced some keen pressure from the US to get serious about disarmament. And they did respond meaningfully to that, at least for a while. The message from the US was that the old ambivalence about Irish terrorism was gone. I suspect they got the same message from some of their more usually sympathetic quarters in British politics this month.
I think it’s highly likely that the London bombings motivated the timing of the IRA’s announcement. However I find it highly unlikely that the decision was motivated by a need to stand side-by-side with the UK in its aftermath
Not really the point of Irish Republicanism now is it?