IRA says 'armed campaign over'


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The IRA has formally ordered an end to its armed campaign and is to pursue exclusively peaceful political means.

In a long-awaited statement, the republican organisation said it would follow a democratic path ending more than 30 years of violence.

The IRA made its decision after an internal debate prompted by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams' call to pursue its goals exclusively through politics.

During the NI Troubles, the IRA was blamed for about 1,800 murders.

A statement issued on Thursday said that this would take effect from 1600 BST.

"All IRA units have been ordered to dump arms. All Volunteers have been instructed to assist the development of purely political and democratic programmes through exclusively peaceful means. Volunteers must not engage in any other activities whatsoever.

"The IRA leadership has also authorised our representative to engage with the IICD to complete the process to verifiably put its arms beyond use in a way which will further enhance public confidence and to conclude this as quickly as possible."

The statement said independent witnesses from Catholic and Protestant churches had been invited to see the decommissioning process.

When he made his appeal in April, Mr Adams said it was "a genuine attempt to drive the peace process forward".

Republicans had been under intense pressure to end IRA activity after the ?26.5m Northern Bank raid in December and the murder of Belfast man Robert McCartney in January.

Political talks last year failed to restore devolution, which stalled amid claims of IRA intelligence gathering at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, in 2002.

The Provisional IRA's campaign of violence was aimed at forcing an end to the British presence in Northern Ireland, leading to a united Ireland.

The end of violence in the North is finally in sight.

SOURCE

/k

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Well, not quite. There is still the "Real IRA" as they're not included in this settlement. I'm sure there will be splinter groups too... The violence isn't over just yet, and it may return in the future if Sinn Fein doesn't get what it wants: ie. a United Ireland. :(

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Yeah this is great news :)

Lets hope all sides can now sit down and discuss the future agreeably, and forget all this s**t about bombing each other, and ###### for tat killings etc..

Whilst I have never gotten involved in the violence, and the petty mindedness, and the terrorism, it is impossible to live in northern ireland and not be affected by it.

If this is the start of the way forward, united ireland or not, lets hope it is peaceful for all citizens :D

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now we'll just have a few years to sit and wait to see how truthful and honest they are.

i doubt its more than bull plop though.

getting rid of all weapons is well and good when you know what "all" consitutes. in this case, no one actually knows the figures. be a bit tricky to know when "all" the weapons have been destroyed wont it...

then theres the rackets and scams the IRA is involved in. expect these to cease? i think not.

then there'll be those who split and join the other "IRA's" not interested in this statement. the "real" and "continuity" IRA's for example.

and then of course theres the fact that the IRA wont be disbanded according to this statement. interesting that the organisation remains in tact yet they say the fight is done. one must wonder what they are sticking around for...

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Great news. As a side note, the Mexican guerrilla known as the "Zapatistas" has recently abandoned the arms also to incursion in the politic.

Great for this and hoping to hear more news like this.

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