IRA officially decommissions arms
- Thread starter DexterTCN
- Start date
DexterTCN
Troy and Abed in the morning
pilchardman
Dances With Penguins
Why was this not mentioned on the News headlines a few mins ago? I switched off when the Gordie Brown Love-In began.
DexterTCN said:
I have, and I think the same thing. However unless they are forced to I can see the same cycle of events unfolding again. Loyalist terror groups attacking Republican communities, the British army being sent in to police the situation, failing again, and the Republican community needing to rearm to defend themselves.
By then Blair will be on the international speaking circuit singing his own praises about bringing peace to Ireland.
Connolly would be spinning in his grave.
cathal marcs
Well-Known Member
Dilzybhoy said:
But will he? I think the DUP will stall any movement to get the institutions up and running for as long as he can. No one knows if the Brits are gonna devolve policing and justice power to the assembley. Interesting times ahead and hopefully better aswell but sadly im not very optimistic.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
There was always a good chance that this would happen around now. Sinn Fein spent the last few months building for a national rally in Dublin to "Make Partition History" on Saturday 24th. This was to be a major event with colour parties, bands and every SF supporter they could gather in one place. It seems that the turnout was a bit of a flop, with 4,000 reported on RTE and on Indymedia although of course that could be an understimate.
Anyway, the announcement happened the same weekend as the planned orgy of hollow triumphalism, which was presumably intended to sweeten the pill.
Anyway, the announcement happened the same weekend as the planned orgy of hollow triumphalism, which was presumably intended to sweeten the pill.
I hope he doesn't. In fact I'm counting on it.cathal marcs said:
The real question is. Will the Brits have the backbone to tell the old fucking bigot to put up or shut up.
"I'll not talk to terrorists, the only terrorist I'll talk to is, erm, our terrorists."
I'm telling ya there must be a fortune in hula hoops to be made in the six counties. What with all the jumping through them republicans are doing.
cathal marcs
Well-Known Member
Nigel Irritable said:
The 4000 menetioned as far as i am aware are those that stayed for the rally at the GPO but from what I hear off some lads in Ogra I know claim that about 10/14 000 were actually at the Rally never mind the fact that Sinn Féin Poblactach had a rally also on the same day.
Well I'd say that's historic. Now what I want to hear is exactly how much Semtex they've put under seal. Less than 300lbs would indicate its a total crock
Great waste of an opportunity that they did it so privately. Still there may be other attempts. There's probably 50% known SF arsenal remaining according to Slugger. It seems Slab has kept his cache. They also aren't even thinking about decomissioning the arms smuggled in the late 90s, these are to be retained for personal protection which of course has nothing to do with administering a Padre Pio to any kid that duffs up PIRA's fat offspring.
Big Ian may well die before Stormont starts up again. Could be several years away yet.
I hear that Make Partition History rally was truly pitiful, wee'uns posing with replica rifles and men in blankets. The Concerned Residents of Dublin don't seem to impressed.
Pat Rabbitte has a good point here:
McDowell called it: "a grotesque pageant of political necrophilia" and whats more they obstructed Dubs getting to all-Ireland final.
Great waste of an opportunity that they did it so privately. Still there may be other attempts. There's probably 50% known SF arsenal remaining according to Slugger. It seems Slab has kept his cache. They also aren't even thinking about decomissioning the arms smuggled in the late 90s, these are to be retained for personal protection which of course has nothing to do with administering a Padre Pio to any kid that duffs up PIRA's fat offspring.
Big Ian may well die before Stormont starts up again. Could be several years away yet.
I hear that Make Partition History rally was truly pitiful, wee'uns posing with replica rifles and men in blankets. The Concerned Residents of Dublin don't seem to impressed.
Pat Rabbitte has a good point here:
McDowell called it: "a grotesque pageant of political necrophilia" and whats more they obstructed Dubs getting to all-Ireland final.
Idris2002
canadian girlfriend
McDowell is a fucking cunt, and as you know that's not language I normally use.
Now that the SF is turning into a Sealed Knot re-enactment society (much in the manner of the SWP endlessly restaging 1968 (in their heads)), decommissioning was pretty much inevitable.
Why is 300 lb of semtex the crucial number? (genuine question).
Now that the SF is turning into a Sealed Knot re-enactment society (much in the manner of the SWP endlessly restaging 1968 (in their heads)), decommissioning was pretty much inevitable.
Why is 300 lb of semtex the crucial number? (genuine question).
cathal marcs
Well-Known Member
oi2002 said:
They still have weapons they will use,thats cudgels,knives and hurley bats to use on republicans who dont step into PSFs line. The goverment can now use them as an aux police force to keep what they see as unruly elements/disadents in place.
I think the unionist community have less to fear than nationalists. Only time will tell.
ViolentPanda
Hardly getting over it.
soulman said:
You see, there's a bit of a quandary here.
The Loyalists would probably be willing to decommission their illegal weapons, perhaps with a bit of arm-twisting and a dash of bribery.
However, IIRC (and I'd be happy for anyone who knows more to correct me), something like 90+% of firearms certificates in N.I. are held by Protestants, which means that, in all, probability some of those legal arms are held by Loyalists.
So, if the Republicans give up their illegal arms and the Loyalists do to, then the Republicans will still in all probability be at a disadvantage if everything goes "pear-shaped".
Harsh words indeed; I'm not greatly enamoured of McDowell either.Idris2002 said:
Given the relative ease of obtaining light weapons these days the guns are just a gesture but the Semtex is an asset that is hard to replace, powerful, difficult to detect and PIRA used it very prudently. I recall (it might have been Kgs) a discussion with a Belfast securicrat were that was the estimate of how much they've got left.
Mr Rabbitte questioned why Sinn Fein could not see that the real problems on this island do not derive from the partition between North and South but from the endemic partitions within the North itself.
I think the Sinn Fein leadership can see that clearly.
As can anybody who can be arsed to give the situation and history a little thought.
Why they choose not to see it open to question.
Probably because it would negate their past support of a policy of violent murder and affirm what a waste of time and human suffering it was in the firt place.
I think the Sinn Fein leadership can see that clearly.
As can anybody who can be arsed to give the situation and history a little thought.
Why they choose not to see it open to question.
Probably because it would negate their past support of a policy of violent murder and affirm what a waste of time and human suffering it was in the firt place.
cemertyone
Well-Known Member
oi2002 said:
Well it is historic to a point..as you have admitted to,but i think you will be first to admit that " Symbolism " is a very important factor in this instance..Firstly the Provo`s don`t want any recorded evidence of the distructiion of arms and secondly the Rev has to show that his parties policies have resulted in such destruction of those very arms...How can that be squared one wonders..it can`t of course..
None the less its interesting that the so-called " violantions" of the ceasefire are coming from the other end of the spectrium and its now on the loyalists to show they want peace......
i remain to be convinced...just you watch the splinteratision of unionist society.....some of whom will ACTUALLY allie them selves with S.F. for there long term benifit and others who will burn bright and themn fade waway....
I appreciate that and I know enough Republicans to realise the need to camoflage concessions to keep the base solid and the fringe on board.cemertyone said:
Trouble is most Prod's really don't perceive how far SF have shifted to accomodate them since 92 and noisy SF triumphalism sends them nuts which may be gratifying but isn't very productive. It's historic but remains incomplete, bizarely covert next to the overt scrapping of Prod symbols and has taken so long to come that Prod's will now only be provoked. Prods rioting at the prospect of the Provos sacrificing most of their arsenal is a weird turn of events.
We seem to be getting further away from a reconcilliation that ultimately is in Republicans interests; as Rabbitte says above the way the 6C is going in isn't looking compatable with a united Ireland.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
cathal marcs said:
No. The 4,000 claims from RTE and Indymedia were for the event as a whole.
I am aware that some Sinn Fein members have been claiming that there were in fact 10,000 other people at part of the event who all mysteriously got bored and went home before the end. Who's telling the truth? I don't know - all three are unreliable sources. RTE aren't exactly well disposed towards the Provos, Indymedia is anonymous, Sinn Fein activists have an obvious reason to exaggerate numbers and it isn't as if they have a reputation for honesty.
Some pictures here , and it does indeed look fairly pitiful (but flag waving exercises to provide cover for abandoning their principles are rarely too impressive). The concerned residents that you mention are merely the people who are never impressed by anything SF do. There is considerable competition for the anti-SF vote in the south.oi2002 said:
I know the person who took the photos on indymedia and I can't think of any reason why they'd distort the numbers, although I have no idea how good they are at counting crowds. But, all things considered, I'd say that an estimate of 5,000 or so sounds most likely.
I don't think so. Just typical "any old argument will do" against the provos from the stickies. I think his analysis is very superficial. In reality none of this is anything to do with partition, it's just normal political party jousting for votes as the shinners put on a lame party to cover up their incorporation.oi2002 said:
The all Ireland final was the following day. In a master stroke of political spin doctoring, the announcement was made at almost exactly the moment that Tyrone (which seems to have the biggest group of republicans disenchanted with the direction of new SF) won the all-Ireland.oi2002 said:
Idris2002
canadian girlfriend
fanta said:
Was this a good point?
I'm not convinced.
It's not just a sticky playing 'slag the provies' - a game any number can play and which does indeed provide fun for all the family.
Look at how he implies that there are no real problems inside the Republic, and the way he ignores the fact that the partitions within the North derive not only from the provies 'liberation struggle' but also from partition.
The republic itself has a shit load of problems which are already providing electoral ammunition (bad metaphor I know) for SF, but which are really going to come to a head once the boom years end - and they're going to end, there's no doubt about that.
Nigel Irritable
Five, Ten, Fifteen Years
gurrier said:
Yes on both counts.
It really doesn't matter to the likes of Rabbitte what weapon they use to have a go at the Provos. The march however was interesting in that (a) it was a bit of a flop (which did surprise me, I thought they'd mobilise many more) and (b) it was intended as a way of hiding their final "military" surrender in a sea of half-baked triumphalism.
Well the Freestate is a greasy neo-liberal shitehole with all the associated ills but are these as severe as the 6C's chronic sectarian instability? And would an united Ireland magic away any of these problems in the North?Idris2002 said:
And even if somehow the boom years roll on down South how the hell would they be able to cope with us while we are still intent on kicking each others shins blue under the negotiating table? Isn't it entirely resonable to suggest we put our house in order before the Freestaters even consider doing the North what I'm sure they see as an enourmous economic favor by integrating it? Absorbing an alien European social model economy and suddenly having 20% of your population wanting to stoat about behind a Lambeeg drum to celebrate the glorious revolution is problem enough.
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