Will it really happen? The Irish Republican Army has in the last 24 hours said that it will cease all armed activity and pursue its aims through politics, calling all units to dump arms. The Sinn Fein Web Site, Peace Process Special, has made the official statement available in text and on Quicktime Video.
“The leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann (IRA) has formally ordered an end to the armed campaign. … This will take effect from 4pm this afternoon (1am Friday Aust). 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.
The Army Council took these decisions following an unprecedented internal discussion and consultation process with IRA units and Volunteers. We appreciate the honest and forthright way in which the consultation process was carried out and the depth and content of the submissions. We are proud of the comradely way in which this truly historic discussion was conducted.”
If this leads to the end of hostilities we’re seeing history being made today. However people are wise to be cautious, IMHO. It’s one thing to change at a national leadership level of Sinn Fein and the IRA. It’s another to change ingrained attitudes among the troops. Surely there’s a growing will for this to happen at the grass roots of the IRA. Let’s continue to hope, pray, and cheer on the peace process.
i don’t think its about the ‘primciple’ any more – now its just organised crime stuff