Dissident factions 'have built up massive arsenal'

Dissident factions 'have built up massive arsenal'

www.timesonline.co.uk

Dissident republican groups who carried out recent murders in Northern Ireland have built up an extensive supply of weapons from eastern Europe, according to the intelligence services. It is now feared their capability to make large bombs, similar to the one that killed 29 people in Omagh in 1998, has been underestimated.

(visit the link for the full news article)

As much as they may like to fantasize, they won't get a united Ireland, Ireland its self has a European currency and is to be fully apart of the European union just like England will eventually, will they then target the whole of Europe? i understand what they are fighting for but in this day and age it is useless they is no point in this and i am from an irish republican background and i am born English.

www.timesonline.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by deathpoet69


Despite the recent killings of 2 British soldiers in Antrim, I think the long and bloody chapter of the Provo's struggle for a United Ireland has been well and truly closed.

This is not the IRA fighting anymore, it's radical, splinter groups who want to kick up the dust and are hoping to incite religious tensions once again in Ireland.
Start a chain reaction of sorts.

I think this article best explains how and why these groups will ultimately fail far short of their objectives, and that Ireland is going to be well and truly stable for decades to come:

“We can’t obviously predict what these groups may or may not do, but we do know they have no strategy, they have no popular support, no political program and there is no sense in terms of what they did,” Adams said.

The nationalist Sinn Fein party was the political wing of the IRA. It shares power in Northern Ireland with the Democratic Unionist Party.

Adams said times have changed from when he supported the IRA in its armed struggle against the British government.

“We now have in place a political and democratic way forward,” Adams said. “When we didn’t have that, I, and I make no apologies for this, defended the use of armed actions against British occupation. But those days are gone.”

www.bloomberg.com...

The last line is quite harrowing.

Even the old school, hard-core former head honchos of the IRA have realised they can't achieve what they want in Ireland through force.

These recent acts of violence is not them talking, but a younger, embittered generation who still think they're living the 1970's and cling to faded glories of violent resistance, which even the IRA realised, just doesn't work.

[edit on 22/3/09 by The Godfather of Conspira]

reply to post by The Godfather of Conspira


there only doin it so they get a name for themselves and be praised over and remembered, its only kids

reply to post by deathpoet69


That could be the motivation sure.

I personally think these youngsters are just looking at the past eras of their fathers and idolising what they perceive to be a swanky lifestyle; fighting the British, blowing stuff up and ragging on the Protestant kids in school.

Typical teenage nonsense and a desire to emulate bad influences is what this comes down to.

reply to post by deathpoet69


I don't think these guys are exactly working against the EU or Globalization trends.. More than likely public support in the Republic for the EU will continue to falter as the economy gets worse. And if they where against the EU specifically, they wouldn't be targeting British soldiers, but their own politicians in Dublin.

The fact that they have reemerged is quite significant, and thankfully they only caught British troops off guard instead of surprising the world of their return with another Omagh bombing. IMO as economic instability spreads, so will social and political instability, increasing the amount of fringe radical supporters and thus, more violence. The fact that they view the old political leaders now in charge of the coalition Gov as sell outs, I don't think them lambasting these terror cells is going to do much good.

Why don't the Brits to the honorable, reasonable thing and pull out of Ireland altogether? They've been fighting for independence forever, and the British government still thinks that they'll eventually get things "under control". There is simply no reason for the British army to insist on having troops in a country demanding independence, not in this day and age.

Technically the majority of North Ireland's citizens wish to remain a part of the Kingdom, and not join the Republic.

One of the dissident arrested has gone on a hunger strike and is in a bad condition, Republican Sinn Fein are accusing mainstream republicans of ignoring the hunger strike.

If this individual dies, expect a backlash.

[edit on 22-3-2009 by infinite]

I was in Belfast in 1969 when the Brits sent troops into Ireland. It was a very scary time for any citizen whether Catholic or Protestant. I would hate to see the 'Troubles" start again. It did nothing for any Irish citizen other than to loose more freedom. I fear the Brits will never leave. Theres still alot of bad blood on both sides and I'm not sure how to alleviate the ill will!

Zindo

Originally posted by ZindoDoone
I fear the Brits will never leave.
Zindo

Hello? The Northern Irish are British, and the majority wish to remain so. There is no occupying force in N. Ireland, troops are stationed there in exactly the same manner as the rest of Britain.

Now if only stupid Americans would stop funding Irish terrorism, the hypocrisy is thick.

Des Dalton has said that the good friday aggreement and its supporters are all traitors -

Dalton said McGuinness had become a "traitor of the historic Irish nation"

these people don`t understand that the PNSI is largely made up of catholic policemen and women , that the barracks are just that - barracks , the soliders stopped patrolling , the check points dismantled , and the troops there are more worried about pulling on a friday night and going to the sand pit than any idiot who won`t realise the war is over.

and will the sodding USA stop funding them please.

Eire don`t want to be reunited , let alone Northen Ireland , the only people who want it are the ones who refused to accept the war is over.

remember terrorism didn`t start on 9/11 and isn`t just funded by middle east

Originally posted by ZindoDoone
I fear the Brits will never leave.

Which Brits are these? The British that have been in that part of the world since before the ancestors of many 'American' families first landed on American shores? Are those Americans ever going to leave?

Or do you mean the actual British troops? Maybe they'll leave around the time that American troops stop building and inhabiting military bases in countries other than America itself? Or is that different?

reply to post by Goathief

Agreed, I will go as far as to say they should be arrested and charged with the appropriate offenses. A terrorist is a terrorist and so is anyone who assists them in their goals.

Anyone who donates money to a terrorist group whether it be Hamas or any of the IRA fractions is a terrorist the same as the one who plants the bomb.

BTW, how can the British leave when the people ARE British and wish to remain such?



[edit on 23-3-2009 by ChrisF231]

Oh how the Americans criticising British "occupation" of soverign UK territory make me laugh!

There are apparently no mirrors in the US. Maybe we should send them a few, so they can take a look at themselves, see what they are and perhaps decide who they are to criticise others?

Originally posted by infinite
One of the dissident arrested has gone on a hunger strike and is in a bad condition, Republican Sinn Fein are accusing mainstream republicans of ignoring the hunger strike.

If this individual dies, expect a backlash.

[edit on 22-3-2009 by infinite]

Do you have a news link for this, I cannot seem to find anything on this.

Goathief

Really there is no current evidence suggesting America is funding these actions. Of course, in the past America and many citizens here did, but considering over 40 million American's have roots in Catholic Ireland, I would say it's expected.

Most of the time groups like these get funding from the most obscure places, often through drug trafficking. To say America alone is funding these fringe radical group would be ignorant to the reality of the situation.

reply to post by Rockpuck


It is on the BBC

Under the Northern Ireland section.

reply to post by The Last Man on Earth


Im sorry, but that was ignorant as ignorant can get, I expected better from you.
Its ok for people around the world to criticize us and the role that we play in this world, but its not ok for us to criticize them?
I guess bashing America is the cool thing to do, all you need to be a part of the group, is not to be American.
I will say this though, I only see/hear these types of things from a-holes who can only dish it, but not take it. Thats why America is/has been the main super power over the years, cause we can take it as much as we can dish it. We dont just talk [snip], shoot [snip], then run behind our own women and children for cover. Us foolish Americans arent in a position to criticize anyone when we have sent our own people to die for yours. So [snip].
Like I said, I expected more from you.

On Topic- They probably have stockpiled weapons, lots of people have.
Everyone right now is racing towards the end, and everyone thinks this is a chance to be number one. This has been in the making for a very long time. And its just not there, its everywhere. Let the games begin.



Removed censor circumvention and profanities.

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 23/3/09 by masqua]

reply to post by Rockpuck


am i allowed to claim irish ancestry then


NORAID and several groups in and around boston are still collecting for `the struggle`

Originally posted by Common Good
reply to post by The Last Man on Earth

 

Thats why America is/has been the main super power over the years, cause we can take it as much as we can dish it.

To be fair, the reason why "America is/has been the main super power over the years" is partly a numbers game. A very large landmass with resources to go with it and a very large post-industrial population. America's ascendancy also came at a time when other industrialised nations were actually busy rebuilding flattened countries due to various wars. That's not something America's had to contend with yet.

I'm not sure your idea that "we can take it as much as we can dish it" really is the factor that you seem to think it is.