This from CTV...http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1122548724718_117957924/?hub=TopStories

IRA to abandon armed campaign, but won't disband
CTV.ca News Staff

The Irish Republican Army announced Thursday it will abandon its "armed campaign" and resume disarmament, although it will not disband.

"The leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann (IRA) has formally ordered an end to the armed campaign," the IRA told its members, estimated to number between 500 and 1,000, in a written statement.

The outlawed guerilla group, which has waged a 30-year campaign against British rule, said it would now pursue its aims through politics.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday he welcomed the IRA's statement.

"I welcome its clarity. I welcome the recognition that the only route to political change lies in exclusively peaceful and democratic means," Blair told reporters in his Downing Street office.

"There is at least some hope today that the future will indeed be such as to banish the ghastly and futile violence from Northern Ireland forever."

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said the declaration heralded "the end of the IRA as a paramilitary organization."

"If the IRA's words are borne out by verified actions, it will be a momentous and historic development," Ahern said.

Northern Ireland had been on edge awaiting the IRA's long-anticipated declaration that many hope will revive the Northern Ireland peace process.

The IRA's political ally Sinn Fein had made a call back in April for the guerrillas to end the armed struggle but the IRA had failed to respond until now.

The IRA, which has observed a cease-fire since 1998's Good Friday Agreement, said in its lengthy statement that it would leave behind all armed activity effective at 4 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET).

"All volunteers have been instructed to assist the development of purely political and democratic programs through exclusively peaceful means. Volunteers must not engage in any other activities whatsoever."

The statement also says Canada's Ret. Gen. John de Chastelain would be invited to decommission more hidden weapons bunkers soon. De Chastelain oversaw three secretive and partial acts of IRA disarmament from October 2001 to October 2003.

A Catholic priest and Protestant minister would also be invited to witness the scrapping of weapons.

The IRA arsenal has long been the main obstacle to a political deal and was a key reason that a four-party coalition led by Protestant and Catholic moderates fell apart in 2002, three years after forming.

The IRA is now appealing to Britain and Northern Ireland's Protestant majority to accept its new position as sufficient to renew negotiations on power-sharing.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the British and Irish governments should now have the reassurances they need to re-establish a Northern Irish government.

"There is now no possible excuse for the British and Irish governments to not fully and faithfully implement the Good Friday agreement," said Adams.

But Northern Ireland's main Protestant party, the Democratic Unionist Party, which favours continued union with Britain, said a deal on reviving a suspended local assembly was still a long way off.

"I am saying now the proof of the pudding is in the eating and digesting of it," DUP leader Ian Paisley told BBC Television, speaking before the IRA statement became public.

"We've heard it all before. You can wrap it up anyway you like... put a new bit of ribbon on the package but we want the action, the proof this is happening," he said.

The DUP said it would respond formally later on Thursday.

So I wonder if they mean it this time. It seems quite vital to their survival now after the bombings in London. People just won't tolerate paramiltarism any more. Hopefully it's for real this time, and hopefully the loyalist paramilitaries will follow suit. I guess we'll see.

This hopefully is a move towards the good.  Now if we can get the groups like the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Provisional IRA to do the same.

I myself agree with the cause of the IRA, but have found the bloodshed to be greatly counterproductive.  I agree that Ireland should be free, but terrorism is not the way to do it.  And more and more in the 21st centruy, other people are starting to agree.

I often wonder who Ireland would be today if they had listened to people like Ghandi and Dr. King, and resisted pasively instead of with guns and bombs.  I know that a lot of people rejected the IRA after it assasinated Lord Louis Mountbatten and his 14 year old grandson with a bomb in 1979.

Now if we can get the groups like the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Provisional IRA to do the same.


This statement was made by the Provisional IRA.

This statement was made by the Provisional IRA.


From what I read, it was made by the IRA, not the "Provos".  The PIRA is a much more militant splinter of the IRA, much like the Fatah and Palistine Liberation Fronts are splinters of the PLO.  The IRA may request that they disband, but that does not mean that they will be listened to.  Look at what happened to Yasser Arafat when he demanded that the militant splinters of the PLO to disband.  They tried many times to have him assasinated.  In his later life, he was under more danger from them then hw was from Israel.

This hopefully is a move towards the good. Now if we can get the groups like the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Provisional IRA to do the same.

I myself agree with the cause of the IRA, but have found the bloodshed to be greatly counterproductive. I agree that Ireland should be free, but terrorism is not the way to do it. And more and more in the 21st centruy, other people are starting to agree.

I often wonder who Ireland would be today if they had listened to people like Ghandi and Dr. King, and resisted pasively instead of with guns and bombs. I know that a lot of people rejected the IRA after it assasinated Lord Louis Mountbatten and his 14 year old grandson with a bomb in 1979.


Not to argue with you, but I just think this is important: NON-VIOLENCE is NOT the same as PASSIVE!

Not to argue with you, but I just think this is important: NON-VIOLENCE is NOT the same as PASSIVE!


That is why I said both men.  Ghandi was "Passive Resistance".  Dr. King was much more into non-violent civil resistance and civil disobediance.

If Dr. King was in Nazi Germany, he would have tried to gather resistance against the Nazi Regime.  Ghandi would have simply had the Jews march into the gas chamber, sure that eventually tire of killing.

Both have their time and place.

If enough people get p.o.'d, there might be a violent splinter group.  There was one in the '80s calling themselves the "Real IRA."  Guess they'll have to cross that bridge when they come to it (and hope it's not wired with dynamite!)

I will wait and see if this really means an end to all violence from the IRA and all its forms.

Will those who donated to Noraid get a refund...?

Will we now know the truth on the disappearance of the racehorse Shergar.

Will we now know the truth on the disappearance of the racehorse Shergar.


I reckon they kidnapped it and in the panic Shergar broke a leg and had to be destroyed

I reckon they kidnapped it and in the panic Shergar broke a leg and had to be destroyed
That is what I am lead to believe, but I now wish to learn more on this event

Ghandi would have simply had the Jews march into the gas chamber, sure that eventually tire of killing.



Hm, well I don't think you are giving him enough credit there.  Besides I don't think most of them knew they were really going to die in the chambers anyway.

I flew back from NI yesterday... this made kind of big news over there


From what I read, it was made by the IRA, not the "Provos". The PIRA is a much more militant splinter of the IRA, much like the Fatah and Palistine Liberation Fronts are splinters of the PLO.


There was one in the '80s calling themselves the "Real IRA."

It does get kind of confusing, in that there are still the "Real IRA", also the "Continuity IRA" (responsible for the most recent bombs), both of which are radical splinters from the Provisional IRA after the ceasefire that followed the Good Friday agreement (the provos being in turn a radical splinter from the original IRA thirty or so years ago).  However, *all* IRA splinter groups are still more than a little bit attached to IRA command: I can't believe that they don't have at least the implicit approval of the IRA top dogs, otherwise they'd have been killed by now.

Well, fingers crossed and all that.  Let's just hope that the Unionists are being overly pessimistic in pointing out that the IRA statement said nothing about stopping criminal activity, punishment beatings etc.


Will those who donated to Noraid get a refund...?

Nah, all that money's been going to Sinn Fein for the last few years, making them the best funded political party in the UK and Ireland put together...

Nah, all that money's been going to Sinn Fein for the last few years, making them the best funded political party in the UK and Ireland put together...


Now...Tone could really milk that idea...!!

Now...Tone could really milk that idea...!!

He knows, for sure: in the political party funding bill of a few years ago, it became illegal for all political parties to accept money from overseas donors... all parties except Sinn Fein, that is.  Tone didn't want the peace process derailed  >:(

I think that with Oglaigh na hÉireann's complete disaramament, that Sinn Féin will be able to better represent their base. Most all of their supporters wanted the violence to end ages ago, but didn't see any other option. Maybe now reunification will actually be an attainable goal for Sinn Féin voters, or at the very least, peaceful co-existence with continued dual-citizenship for all Northern Irish citizens.

I agree that Ireland should be free, but terrorism is not the way to do it.


In what sense is it not "free" now?


I think that with Oglaigh na hÉireann's complete disaramament, that Sinn Féin will be able to better represent their base. Most all of their supporters wanted the violence to end ages ago, but didn't see any other option. Maybe now reunification will actually be an attainable goal for Sinn Féin voters, or at the very least, peaceful co-existence with continued dual-citizenship for all Northern Irish citizens.

Well said McDonald.

Put a "Q" on that "IRA," and we'll go and bomb the living sh*t out of them anyway!

What does QIRA mean anyway?

What does QIRA mean anyway?

The Queer IRA, do you think?

Mincing along in pink balaclavas... hmm.. better not go there, methinks ;)

Like the gay Nazis in Producers?

Like the gay Nazis in Producers?

:D  Yes, but with balaclavas on.

I like spanakopita better.

What's "spanakopita"?  Sounds like a disease you might pick up in Greece

I will take a wait and see on this one.

What's "spanakopita"? Sounds like a disease you might pick up in Greece


It's very good with Turkey on the side.