After the conflicts, the next one year will be deciding force for Ireland
In what has compelled a section of British politicians and analysts to claim that Northern Ireland is once again staring in to “abyss”, the Continuity IRA, a splinter cluster of banned Irish Republican Army (IRA) has shot a police officer and two British soldiers dead. The assassination is a first for a police officeholder in Northern Ireland since 1998. Also, it was for the first time that officers of the elite PSNI (a special force to counter terror activities) were targeted since this paramilitary force was incepted in 2001. Things had changed considerably following the peace deal. The deal saw the disarmament of IRA in 2005 followed by a unity Catholic-Protestant government in 2007.
Response to the incidents has brought quick denunciation from Sinn Fein, the Irish nationalist party that was once close to IRA. However, their statements have been cautiously attuned – calling the “actions” as “counter-productive” and evading until pushed, the word “murder”. The murderers are nonconformist republicans belonging to disparate offshoots from the old Provisional IRA. Ironically the actual target of the rebels appears to be their previous friends in arms, Martin McGuinness – currently joint first minister of Northern Ireland's devolved government – and Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein’s head.
Reacting on the incident, Richard English, an expert on Northern Ireland politics, said, “Next one year is crucial. If the threat from dissidents subdues, it will appear as if Sinn Fein took an acid test and came out unscathed. The fear of falling into abyss will melt forever.” What is now to be seen is whether the rebels can jointly carry on the impetus of the last few days. Triumph would see British soldiers back on the streets and sophisticated anti-terrorist manoeuvres by overt and covert sections of the armed forces – a prospect disliked by Catholics and Protestants alike.
In what has compelled a section of British politicians and analysts to claim that Northern Ireland is once again staring in to “abyss”, the Continuity IRA, a splinter cluster of banned Irish Republican Army (IRA) has shot a police officer and two British soldiers dead. The assassination is a first for a police officeholder in Northern Ireland since 1998. Also, it was for the first time that officers of the elite PSNI (a special force to counter terror activities) were targeted since this paramilitary force was incepted in 2001. Things had changed considerably following the peace deal. The deal saw the disarmament of IRA in 2005 followed by a unity Catholic-Protestant government in 2007.
Response to the incidents has brought quick denunciation from Sinn Fein, the Irish nationalist party that was once close to IRA. However, their statements have been cautiously attuned – calling the “actions” as “counter-productive” and evading until pushed, the word “murder”. The murderers are nonconformist republicans belonging to disparate offshoots from the old Provisional IRA. Ironically the actual target of the rebels appears to be their previous friends in arms, Martin McGuinness – currently joint first minister of Northern Ireland's devolved government – and Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein’s head.
Reacting on the incident, Richard English, an expert on Northern Ireland politics, said, “Next one year is crucial. If the threat from dissidents subdues, it will appear as if Sinn Fein took an acid test and came out unscathed. The fear of falling into abyss will melt forever.” What is now to be seen is whether the rebels can jointly carry on the impetus of the last few days. Triumph would see British soldiers back on the streets and sophisticated anti-terrorist manoeuvres by overt and covert sections of the armed forces – a prospect disliked by Catholics and Protestants alike.
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