Will The IRA Return To Violent Tactics?

On last Thursday, the 19th of January, two bombs were set off in Northern Ireland, in a city name Londonderry. Luckily, before the bombs were detonated, a phone call was sent in to Police Services warning of the imminent attack. Thanks to the skill of the local police officers, the civilians located in the building were evacuated before the bomber was able to set off the bomb. The terrorist like traits of this attack point to the Irish Republican Army, otherwise known as the IRA. Before 1997, when the IRA officially accepted a ceasefire which was brought forward by the British government. Furthermore, in 2005, the IRA announced they had completely unarmed themselves.

However, in recent years, splinter groups of the IRA have been carrying out attacks against the British government. They're looking to create a separate, Irish, government which would rule over Ireland, rather than the current British rule. Through using terrorist tactics, as well as other types of strategies, such as attacks on English soldiers. Back in the March of 2009, two unarmed British soldiers were murdered while picking up a pizza from a delivery man. Luckily, the one of the two men guilty of carrying out this attack was convicted and given imprisonment for life. Nevertheless, there is still the constant fear that these splinter groups will continue their violent tactics, rather than accepting the non-violent, negotiating ways of the official IRA.

-Nate

Sources:

• CNN
• The Independent 
• About.com Terrorism
• New York Times
• New York Times