I can’t help wondering if the IRA watched the senseless deaths in London and made the decision to put themselves above such stupid action….cd
IRA says ceasing all armed activity in N.Ireland – Yahoo! News
UBLIN (Reuters) – The
Irish Republican Army announced an end to its armed campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland on Thursday, in a move British leader
Tony Blair said could mark the day “politics replaces terror” there.
But the province’s main pro-British Protestant party poured cold water on the keenly awaited statement by the guerrilla group, saying it failed to forswear acts of crime or to inspire confidence that guns had been set aside for ever.
The IRA said in a statement it would cease all armed activity and pursue its aims through politics — a crucial move to kick-start talks on a lasting political settlement in the violence-torn province. It said its units must “dump arms.”
The IRA arsenal, used to fight for a united Ireland until a 1997 cease-fire, has long been the main obstacle to a political deal. Some 3,600 people died during Northern Ireland’s 30 years of “Troubles,” half of them killed by the IRA.
The group made no explicit reference to ending criminal activity — also a major stumbling block to the peace process — nor did it promise to disband, a move the group sees as akin to surrender.
The statement read in part:
“The leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann (IRA) has formally ordered an end to the armed campaign.
“This will take effect from 4 p.m. 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 programs through exclusively peaceful means.”
The IRA said it would engage with an independent arms decommissioning body to verify it had put its massive arsenal of guns and explosives beyond use, but gave no date for completion.
