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Real IRA threatens large-scale anti-capitalist bombings in England
Real IRA says it will target UK bankers
Exclusive: Republican terror group vows to resume mainland attacks with banks and bankers now potential targets
- Henry McDonald, Ireland correspondent
- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 14 September 2010 21.03 BST
- Article history
The IRA bombed targets in the City during the 1990s. Now the Real IRA may use the same tactic. Photograph: Rex Features Banks and bankers are now potential targets for the Real IRA, leaders of the dissident republican terror group have warned in an exclusive interview with the Guardian. Despite having only 100 activists they also said that targets in England remained a high priority.
In an attempt to tap into the intense hostility towards the banks on both sides of the Irish border they branded bankers as "criminals" and said: "We have a track record of attacking high-profile economic targets and financial institutions such as the City of London. The role of bankers and the institutions they serve in financing Britain's colonial and capitalist system has not gone unnoticed.
"Let's not forget that the bankers are the next-door neighbours of the politicians. Most people can see the picture: the bankers grease the politicians' palms, the politicians bail out the bankers with public funds, the bankers pay themselves fat bonuses and loan the money back to the public with interest. It's essentially a crime spree that benefits a social elite at the expense of many millions of victims."
But security sources in Northern Ireland point out say the Real IRA lacks the logistical resources of the Provisional IRA to prosecute a bombing campaign similar to the ones that devastated the City of London in the early 1990s or the Canary Wharf bomb in 1996. Although the Real IRA has access to explosives it has yet to carry out large-scale bombings.
The terror group stressed in a series of written answers to the Guardian's questions that future attacks would alternate between the "military, political and economic targets". It is the first time the Real IRA has engaged in such open anti-capitalist rhetoric or focused on the role of the banking system.
The leaders also threatened to intensify the group's terror campaign on all fronts.
"Realistically, it is important to acknowledge that we have regrouped and reorganised and emerged from a turbulent period in republican history.
"We have already shown our capacity to launch attacks on the British military, judicial, and policing infrastructure. As we rebuild, we are confident that we will increase the volume and effectiveness of attacks," the organisation said.
One element in the Real IRA's recent activity has been a wave of so-called "punishment" shootings and beatings of those they deem "antisocial elements" in nationalist working class areas. In Derry alone the Real IRA and other aligned groups have shot around two dozen men over the last 18 months.
The Real IRA's leadership was unapologetic over what its critics have described as "rough justice". The group believes such attacks are popular and can garner support in areas where the communities were previously alienated from the police.
"These actions are taken as a last resort to protect the community. We are an integral part of the community and the people in them are our eyes and ears. The fact is that the British police force is rejected by republican communities and people naturally turn to us for help.
"The vast majority of issues are resolved by negotiation, a small percentage require more direct forms of intervention including punishment shootings and expulsions," they said.
On the political front they dismissed Sinn Féin's claims that its electoral strategy would ultimately yield a united Ireland despite the majority of nationalists in Northern Ireland still voting for Sinn Féin and an overwhelming majority backing the peace process.
The Real IRA insisted, however, that support for them was building and they had turned away hundreds of young disaffected nationalists because they didn't have the capacity to absorb so many members.
"From the point of view of republican communities, there is still a heavily armed British police force that casually uses plastic baton rounds, CS gas and Tasers, carry out house raids, stop and search operations and general harassment.
"There's still a 5,000-strong British army garrison, a new MI5 HQ in Belfast, and a British secretary of state. Republican communities are still subjected to sectarian parades and the right to protest is being met with intimidation and violence."
On the subject of recent reports of talks between dissident republicans and the Dublin and London governments the Real IRA said: "There are no talks with either the British government or the Free State Administration.
"The IRA is not unwilling to talk, in fact there needs to be talks … however, talks need to deal with the root cause of the conflict, namely the illegal British occupation of Ireland. We are mindful, though, that the history of such approaches from the British has been characterised by a lack of integrity, a lack of willingness to address the causes of conflict, and has been motivated by a self-serving agenda." Northern Ireland's deputy first minister and Sinn Féin MP, Martin McGuinness, also came in for strong criticism. The former chief-of-staff of the IRA and key Sinn Féin negotiator recently claimed that he had knowledge that dissidents were holding secret discussions with the two governments.
"Martin McGuinness is a British Crown minister who has a vested interest in causing mischief among republicans. His job is to administer the Queen of England's writ in Ireland ... However, if he has any evidence to back up his claims, he should make it public," the Real IRA said.
Yay.
Terrorism.
That helps the working class...right?
"As with the Christian religion, the worst advertisement for Socialism is its adherents." - George Orwell
“Being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead.” - Kurt Vonnegut
"I am confident that, in the end, common sense and justice will prevail. I'm an optimist, brought up on the belief that if you wait to the end of the story, you get to see the good people live happily ever after." - Cat Stevens
there's nothing detrimental to the working class about an anti-imperialists campaign like this... it is targeting the financial and military backbone of their occupiers, and won't moronically target civilians.
This form of "terrorism" is anti-imperialist/anti-capitalist, I don't see how it's necessarily harming the working class. It may even inspire a few of them. I don't want to have to be the guy who says it but violence, when directed at the right targets and with the right message, can raise class consciousness.
That being said, I do not under any circumstance support the murder of innocents; the IRA unfortunately has a poor record when it comes to that sort of thing so I am wary of this new move by the RIRA.
All we can do is wait and see how it plays out.
This will only make them look bad in the public image
Yes, I do have a sailors mouth. Did it offend you? Then toughen up you pussy penis!
Do to Iseuls claims I am a Sexist, I added penis!
I dont like being a wage slave =
"Using negative rep as a weapon against other people just reveals your cowardly and reactionary nature."
--Iseul
"And once again, the old dictum is confirmed that the worst product of fascism was 'anti-fascism'."
-- Zanthorus
Killing civilians in the inevitable Omagh-esque screw up, oh boy, exciting >_<
a terrorist bombing campaign usually gives the cops a good reason to put in more security cameras, hire more cops, spend more time investigating "threats" (which can really be anything, like people in the wrong place at the wrong time) and on and on. all of these resources will immediately or eventually be used against working people. furthermore, no amount of bombing, especially by a splinter of a splinter of a mildly successful splinter, is going to achieve anything for working people, in ireland or anywhere else.
somehow i don't see "please listen pleeeease to the same thing we've been saying via more successful (but still shitty) groups for the past however many decades" catching a lot of people's imagination. furthermore, substitutionism.
'heavens above, how awful it is to live outside the law - one is always expecting what one rightly deserves.'
petronius, the satyricon
And how do you do this?
By saying "Alright, I only killed him becasue i was trying to help people become more class consciousness!"
You would only feed the negative image and constantly be labeled that all communists "were evil and murderers." (You already know they would use the Stalin example of millions dieing and compare it to what the Real IRA are doing.)
Yes, I do have a sailors mouth. Did it offend you? Then toughen up you pussy penis!
Do to Iseuls claims I am a Sexist, I added penis!
I dont like being a wage slave =
"Using negative rep as a weapon against other people just reveals your cowardly and reactionary nature."
--Iseul
"And once again, the old dictum is confirmed that the worst product of fascism was 'anti-fascism'."
-- Zanthorus
Apologists for such actions are naive fools. Such acts largely isolate those perpetrating them (or those who are portrayed as perpetrating them in the bourgeois press, which can really be whomever they decide). It discredits any movement associated with such organizations, even on a very remotely theoretical basis. It gives the state an excuse to ramp up repression and further bourgeois interests in the name of national security.
Etc...
This campaign seems very similar to the campaign carried out by the military wing of the South African Communist Party and the ANC...they didn't attack civilian targets, only financial institutions and military batteries.
I can't say I don't support it.
I really really wish the left had learned their lesson back in the 60s and 70s. I can't believe we still have idiots doing this shit. It does absolutely nothing to help the working class and historically has not in any way helped any cause. All it does is make us look bad and give the government an excuse to crack down.
But what will it actually do for the emancipation of the working class? Nothing. It will just make England's economy go pear-shaped and cause the working class in England (nearly all of whom are nationalists and already hate Irish nationalist groups like the IRA) to completely ignore class unity and international solidarity and instead oppose these actions. What's more is that these "anti-capitalist" bombings will only give anti-capitalism a bad name and cause the British and Irish governments to further curb any remaining civil liberties - and you can't rule out for certain that the bombings won't harm civilians.
Also, this is, in fact, a terrorist action. It is a systematic use of terror as a means of coercion.
Anarchists tried this with the Propaganda of the Deed. It doesn't work.
---
You can't blow up a social relationship - so don't even try, you pseudo-Marxist RIRA nationalist fucks.
i think there is a difference between an increase in state repression during a time of "peace" due to a bombing campaign by an almost insignificant terrorist group and an increase that occurs during the approach of a "revolutionary situation." obviously the police will pay more attention when we're being successful but i don't think this means we should invite the increase of state powers against us because of the actions of completely unrelated and irrelevant actors. i don't think this has anything to do with "shying away" from militant action but rather recognizing that militant action is something undertaken by workers as a class against the bosses, not by isolated terrorist armies in a completely unrealistic campaign.
this is basically the foundation of the strategy of tension theory practiced by the tupamaros, raf, br, etc in the 60's and 70's and it didn't work. even initial fairly widespread support for some of the groups faded quickly. its a game the cops are better at and forming "secret" organizations and the like makes their job easier.
i don't think any idiot sending bombs is a sign of an ongoing struggle, and that is basically what this amounts to. the major factions have surrendered arms and sought compromise, most of the population will not see any impact from a rira bombing campaign except maybe more police harassment. if you want to cling to some form of "violent undercurrent" i think it would make more sense to look for a generalized resistance and violence within society. the death rattles of a terrorist gang don't suggest anything about the level of struggle.
'heavens above, how awful it is to live outside the law - one is always expecting what one rightly deserves.'
petronius, the satyricon
I would imagine that they number about fifty, maybe even less. I would be very surprised if they had over 100.
If you had read the newspaper article in the OP, you would see that it has it down as 100.
DevrimOriginally Posted by The Guardian
Why can't these idiots see that they've already won? The British government doesn't want Ulster and is trying to get out asap whlst saving face.
Currently the majority of the population in the 6 counties who vote do so for parties who support remaining part of the U.K.. It would therefore be impossible at present to jerrymander a referendum that could rid the U.K. of Ulster, so a compramise was needed. That comprimise is the Good Friday Agreement. It reduced the levels of violence greatly, whilst giving time for demographics to move in favour of the nationalist population.
The problem is that some folks have no patience.
Their goal is for a unified Irish state (encompassing all of Éire), which does not currently exist.
Yes, we know.
But it's not long before they become unified, the government here seems to continue to distance it self from the Northern Ireland Assembly (well from what I thought)
I can't say they're helping the unification of Ireland by bombing the banks, they're more punishing the bankers on behalf of the people in the UK who've suffered because of their greed.
Never say, you weren't warned
When they come to drag you away
To silence the dissident hiding in us all
They clench the fist of ordained might
From which side of the barbed wire
Do you want to see your life pass by?
They (supposedly) have around 100 activists. They should really focus on sorting that sort of membership farce out, before coming over here and killing innocents along with the bankers in a show of force.
Whilst i'd not condemn them, i'd not support them either, I think they're wrong on this one.
Not activists, soldiers. In comparison RAF had only a core of 40 people.
The thing is Dev that at the moment from what I have heard is that what can be called the "IRA" is very de-centralized. A patch work of local groups with little or in some cases any connection with the "Real" or "Continuity" Army Councils. Certainly in the 26 counties/south/Free State all the known "Militarary" militants are now interned. So the answer to the actual figure would be "who knows"?
Lets not forget that in this part of the world jounralists are not exactly the most trustful....
Last edited by Palingenisis; 15th September 2010 at 14:34.
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