The Irish Republican Army Ideology

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The Irish Republican Army Ideology

The Irish Republican Army ideology is still living in Northern

Ireland, nearly a century after the organization’s establishment.

Although the IRA has since disbanded, the spirit is kept alive by a

number of splinter factions, including the Provisional, Continuity,

and Real IRAs. Not many terrorist organizations can maintain a

campaign this extensive in time. The long history of the IRA campaign

of terror leads to many political, social, religious, educational and

economic effects. It also contributes to international problems about

which we may only be able to speculate.

The most violent splinter group from the Provisional IRA is named the

Real Irish Republican Army (rIRA). The primary nation of origin and

activity is Northern Ireland where they have been operating from late

1997 to the present. Attacks have also occurred in the United Kingdom

and Irish Republic. The rIRA is composed of dissident IRA members who

opposed the Irish peace process and political leadership of Sinn

Fein. They are Nationalist/Separatist terrorists with links to the 32

County Sovereignty Committee, a Republican political group, and the

Continuity Irish Republican Army, another splinter group from the IRA

(Melaugh). According to the U.S. Department of State, they want to

end British rule in Northern Ireland and politically merge Northern

Ireland into the Republic of Ireland.

The Real IRA was founded by Michael “Mickey” McKevitt, who is now in

prison serving 30 years. Since his incarceration, McKevitt has called

for the rIRA’s disbandment, although this has not yet occurred

(MIPT). It is hard to confirm how ...

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...2005

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“Terrorist Group Profile Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA).” MIPT

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“Types of Terrorism.” Council of Foreign Relations. 2004. 20 Feb.

2005

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White, Jonathan R. Terrorism: An Introduction. Fourth Ed. Thompson

Learning, Inc.,

Canada. 2003.

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