The IRA have expressed regret and sympathy for those killed in the attack on the WTC.
This really pisses me off. Its sheer depth of hypocrisy is stunning.
An IRA spokesman on the radio (5-live) this morning was being given a very hard time by the interviewer (Julian Worricker I think) because he was refusing to recognise that the IRA have done the very same thing to innocent people in England. For example, families shopping in the middle of Manchester blown up by this self same group.
By refusing to also condemn that, they are in essence saying that there are two types of terrorism. The people they kill deserve it, but the people other terrorists kill do not.
All the spokesman would say is that “peace negotiations are now in progress”. Well no shit, Sherlock. Why do you think they are called “peace negotiations”? It wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that the IRA murdering women and children in shopping malls is violence, would it?
So now they have been left torn two ways after the WTC attack. On the one hand they are scared about the post-WTC lack of forebearance towards terrorists so want to condemn the WTC attack. On the other hand they evidently can’t say that they’ve done anything wrong. So they’ve been left showing spectacular hypocrisy. I, for one, am not fooled. Nor am I amused.
Wake up, cunts. Realise that what you have done is wrong. That goes for ALL of you. I’ve focused on the IRA, since it was the IRA that made the statement. But the “Red Hand of Ulster” and others on BOTH sides also need to confront what they have done. View your actions now, in the light of other peoples’ tragedies.
If it isn’t right for Osama, then it isn’t right for you either.
By no means do I support ANY kind of terrorism, however, isn’t the IRA kind of in factions right now? Like one part wants to settle talks and have peace, but other militant groups want to keep fighting…
Nope, not at all. Terrorism is bad. Period. I just wanted to be sure that the IRA doesn’t still do it (some splinter groups do, though, IIRC).
I can see the political/social predicament they’re in. I think they’re trying to straddle the fence as they NOW condemn terrorism and no longer do it, but they fear that their past terrorist acts would make their cause lose a lot of the public support may have.
Then again, I think they would GAIN public support if they condemned their own past terrorist acts, but I they’re playing politics, and politics is not always the smart way to go.
Monster, the IRA (as you would know it) is currently under ceasefire. Their statement released last night, is a step forward in regards to decomissioning, but as of yet these are still words on paper, as no guns or explosives have been handed over.
The onus has very much been upon them to decommission, but they feel that there is no pressure being put on Loyalist groups to do the same. There was a token gesture by the LVF last year, only for them to carry out a shooting 2 days later.
The IRA are not freedom fighters anymore. There is too much money in organised crime. Once they were a true nationalist cause (back when Ireland was actually under British control, and the IRA were actually an Army, not the balaclava-clad terrorists presented to the world today.
They can’t condemn their past acts without giving up their weapons (after all, if they condemn violence then they won’t need their semtex, right?)
But quite aside from that, they don’t want to condemn their past acts because they don’t think that they were wrong to perform them. That is what really sticks in the craw about this “sympathy” for those who lost loved ones in the WTC attack.
Sorry to play devil’s advocate here:
Kabbes,
They legitimately believe that they were fighting a war. Not a Jihad, or a guirella movement, but an actual WAR. No contry apologies for acts they carried out during a war, as they believe they were right to do them.
If it does come to a proper peace, perhaps we will see an apology, but dont hold your breath.
Twisty - “Jihad” is “holy war”. “Guerrilla warfare” is still warfare. There is no difference between the IRA’s tactics and Osama’s tactics. That’s what Worricker was trying to get the spokesman to realise, but he just kept on parroting his cop-out phrase and didn’t budge an inch.
If the IRA believe that they had a legitimate war, then so be it. So does Hamas. So does Eta. So does Osama. But it’s tactics we’re discussing here. The IRA simply can’t condemn the WTC bombing and maintain any semblance of dignity at all.
As I said, if it’s wrong for Osama then it is wrong for the IRA.
Well there are a few (nit-picky). The IRA claimed responsibility for their horrible acts and they had a stated goal.
BTW AFAIK at least one of the para-military groups did apologize for the things they did during the troubles. It was one of the Loyalist groups, I’ll look around and see if I can find a cite.
I have a feeling that we will be seeing some movement on decommissioning soon. At least one good to stem from the horrible events of last week is that it has hardened peoples and Governments hearts against Terrorism.
I wouldn’t say organised crime really has much to do with it. The IRA aren’t (IMHO) freedom fighters anymore because (a) Northern Ireland is a much less repressive, anti-Catholic state than it used to be, and (b) there is now the possibility of change through the democratic process. This was not the case when they started their campaign. When and if there is a nationalist majority in the North, if either Westminster (less likely) or the loyalist mobs (more likely) prevent that majority from achieving a UI, the IRA may then legitimately call themselves freedom fighters. I hope they don’t go back to murdering innocent people though.
yojimbo, I think you might be talking about Gusty Spence, the founder of the modern UVF, who has apologised for the deaths he and they were responsible for. No active paramilitary members have done so to my knowledge.
Freedom fighter, terrorist, whatever, if your loved ones are victims then the motives for their murder are just excercises in semantics.
I think personally that this statement by the IRA is designed to show the world that they themselves are moving to a position of stateworthy responsibility, and it is worth noting that there are quite a number of Irish ancestry citizens in NY, so this may well be quite sincere.
The IRA are very sophisticated, politically speaking, and will have evaluated how this announcement will be accepted, I have no doubt that they will have anticipated the reaction by the OP and those who think similarly, but will have weighed this against the disadvantages of not doing so.
I feel that whenever the IRA does anything at all one has to look at what they will get out of it, which is no differant to any other party political machine, except of course there is the * frisson* of violence in the background
This is not generally any sort of condemnation of the IRA(though I have some mixture of feelings as far as historic causes and more recent incidents are concerned) it is just an observation.
The IRA knows that very soon the sights will be aimed at them. So they have to take advantage of the focus on Osama to convert themselves into statespeople of a peaceful Northern Ireland. Now how come I don’t hear from Ian Paisley and his merry band? Hmm…
The main Unionist terror groups, IIRC, have been adamant in a refusal to consider decommissioning their arms until the IRA move on this issue. Wrong-headed, certainly, but we can’t look for any change of heart there; attitudes in the Unionist community, if anything, are hardening. Which is not good news.
It’s beginning to look as though whatever moves the IRA are making will be too late; the decision on the Northern Irish Assembly comes tomorrow. The options seem to be indefinite suspension (which would be a massive step back for the peace process) or dissolution and fresh elections (which, if attitudes are hardening on both sides, might well mean fresh gains for the hard-liners… which might be almost as bad).
Well, quite. I’m convinced that if the IRA announced today that they had been completely wrong all along and were all going to shoot themselves as a gesture of remorse, the Unionists would stand up and shout “DAT MEANS DEY’RE NOT GUNNA SURRENDER DERE WEAPONS!!!”
I understand that some of the individuals responsible for the Holy Cross school “protest” have now been charged. Let’s hope they get the book thrown at them.
Hesketh Park adjoins Hesketh Road, which the allegedly “safe” route the schoolgirls were asked to use runs past.
And Steve’s right on the nose about the hardline groups. Who were the biggest beneficiaries of the last elections? Sinn Féin and the DUP. The “centre” in NI politics is disappearing.
Those who are pushing hard for IRA decommissioning would do well to consider whether that act wouldn’t just drive republicans who are already disenchanted with them for concessions they’ve already made into the arms of the dissident RAs.
Mind you, I think that’s what some of the more hardline unionists are hoping for.
ruadh, Paisley is the spiritual leader of the DUP and other like-thinking peoples, just like the shiek of the mosque in NJ that had the first WTC attackers as patrons. You want to know where is the sheer hatred coming from on part of the Protestants in NI, that would lead them to such acts such as firebombing at schoolkids? A great place to start is the works of Paisley.