Belfast heist being used to wreck peace process

[jman0]

"Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness has accused "elements within the British system and unionism" of using last month's £22m (€31.3m) bank heist in Belfast to wreck the peace process.

Speaking about the robbery today, he said he had contacted IRA leaders after the heist and they told him the organisation was not involved in the daring December 20th raid."

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2005/01/07/story183639.html

[eric144]

1. Bleeding to death

They're not trying to wreck the peace process. The longer time goes on without any IRA activity, the weaker Sein Fein become. Northern Ireland is stuck in a state of complete political deadlock and impotence, exactly what the UK government wants.

In my view McGuinnes took the king's shilling and he has to pay the price by being a good boy and keeping the IRA quiet, otherwise something very unpleasant might happen to him personally. There are no more safe houses, the provisional IRA was totally infiltrated by British military intelligence, they know where all the bodies are and who put them there.

The difference between today and thirty years ago ids that Northern Ireland is a source of very profitable, compliant cheap labour for the British economy.

[eric144]

2. Sein Fein

Actually, the British are quite happy to see Sein Fein prosper, but the idea of a united Ireland which was held out to them in return for joining the peace process is utterly dead.

[jman0]

3. but electorally Sinn Fein become bigger and bigger

They are now the largest Nationalist party in NI. In fact one could agrue that it was the IRA that made Sinn Fein weak in the first place. And now that they are on permanent retirement, SF continues to grow and grow.

[eric144]

4. IRA

You're completely correct in saying they are still growing, but so has the other extremist party, the protestant DUP headed by Ian Paisley. It shows that even in the absence of active paramilitaries the two communities are more polarised than ever.

I don't happen to agree with your assessment that Sinn Fein are doing better without the IRA, as I said above, it seems like catholics are becoming more extreme. I could be wrong of course !!


Here is a story from the BBC today.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4154657.stm

Police say IRA behind bank raid


The IRA has been blamed for the multi-million pound Northern Bank raid in Belfast.
Chief Constable Hugh Orde said that organisation was responsible after meeting key members of the Policing Board on Friday.

The Northern Bank has now reassessed the amount stolen from its head office on 20 December as £26.5m.

The IRA said it was not involved in the bank robbery and Sinn Fein leaders have said they believe the denial.