IRA Denies Responsibility for Bank Heist

[Perun]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...d_bank_robbery

IRA Denies Responsibility for Bank Heist

1 hour, 1 minute ago World - AP



DUBLIN, Ireland - The Irish Republican Army (news - web sites) on Tuesday formally denied responsibility for the $50 million robbery of a Belfast bank, a crime that has thrown Northern Ireland's peace process into disarray.


The outlawed IRA, which last month issued a denial through a spokesman, issued its formal statement amid criticism that the first denial didn't come from a sufficiently authoritative source.


"We were not involved," the IRA's seven-man command said in a statement given to British and Irish media.


The British and Irish governments and virtually every political party has accepted a finding by Northern Ireland's police chief that the IRA did rob the central vault of the Northern Bank. The raid netted $50 million, the biggest all-cash robbery in history.


So far Northern Ireland police have recovered none of the cash and made no arrests.

[Milesian]

I don't think the IRA are so desperate for money that they need to do something this dramatic.

I think the IRA's main concern is to keep the Power-Sharing agreement on track. If they were found responsible for this it would cause immense damage to that and would jepordise their position within the Stormont government. This would benefit the Loyalists though who would love to do anything to prevent Republicans from having a say in running Northern Ireland. However, I doubt the Loyalists alone have the sophistication to pull this off, unless they had help.

Knowing the close relationship between British Security Forces and Loyalists Terrorist groups, I would hazard a guess that the Brits themselves have had a hand in the whole affair, possibly to exclude Sinn Fein from the Power-Sharing agreement

[Biggles]

I wouldnt cut out the IRA completly....got alot of ex bombers etc to pay of who are now retiring, running a terrorist group isnt cheap .

[Milesian]

I heard about the whole "they need to pension off members" stuff before.
It strikes me as odd, as Volunteers have never expected a pension in the past as far as I'm aware.

I did read today, however, Tony Blair said that chances of a Power-Sharing deal are basically dead because of this and the IRA are "holding everyone else back", which tends to back up my theory that it's a calaculated ploy to deny Republicans a chance in government.

Seriously, the IRA can find other means to finance a pension scheme should they ever be so inclined (I mean, people don't exactly join on condition they get an army pension ). So it seems really bizarre that they should shoot themselves in the foot by doing something which would obviously be traced back to them or at least get the finger of suspicion pointed at them, either of which would probably ruin what they have been working towards for the past decade

[Vitor]

This is obvious....
I can smell something fishie from distance!

I never read anywhere that the loyalist were terrorists, it was allways IRA...IRA...IRA...IRA...etc..

Blair is only a puppet!

[Biggles]

Well ask yourself this:

Would you go into a room with the political arm of a terrorist group which blew people up in its own country and blew up parts of Britain in a reign of terror and even tried to get the PM with one ?.

Personally, I'd go in the peace conference room with Kevlar.

I keep on hearing about "I hate the British I hope the Irish win they are better!", you just look at Britain the big meany and Ireland the innocent one and join the band wagon, with that view its no surprise you get some on the Loyalist side sticking 2 fingers up at the whole charade.

Notice I didn't say whose side I'm on .

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by Mr Curzon Biggles

Well ask yourself this:

Would you go into a room with the political arm of a terrorist group which blew people up in its own country and blew up parts of Britain in a reign of terror and even tried to get the PM with one ?.

It was only because you had said "Blew up parts of Britain" that I knew you were talking about Sinn Fein. You could change that to Ireland and apply it to most of the Unionist groups. It's not like Sinn Fein are the villans and everyone else are saints.

Personally, I'd go in the peace conference room with Kevlar.

Yes, that's true. I believe Stormont meetings frequently end in shoot-outs behind chairs and tables

I keep on hearing about "I hate the British I hope the Irish win they are better!", you just look at Britain the big meany and Ireland the innocent one and join the band wagon,

Well, when you occupy someone's land, oppress them, discriminate against them, murder them and treat them like second class citizens in their own land then you tend to end up with some resentment against you.

I'm afraid you can't do all that and then when your targets start fighting back against you, throw up your arms and say "Oh look at these awful terrorists! We are the real victims!"

It doesn't work, I'm afraid. You reap what you sow.

with that view its no surprise you get some on the Loyalist side sticking 2 fingers up at the whole charade.

That's because most are only born with two fingers on each hand anyway

Notice I didn't say whose side I'm on .

Tactful

[Biggles]

It isnt all of Britain thats oppressing, I mean have I ever oppressed you ?.

That Scatach really hates Britain , I better go build myself a bunker...

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by Mr Curzon Biggles

It isnt all of Britain thats oppressing, I mean have I ever oppressed you ?.

Well, The British Government represents Britain.
But I'm not accusing individuals. I know that the majority of the British public would rather pull out of Northern Ireland (according to a poll some years ago)
Perhaps if the British public made it clear that they don't want to spend billions every year keepng Northen Ireland afloat and don't want their sons killed to maintain an occupation of Irish territory, things would get better quicker. The Loyalists have only been able to maintain their stranglehold over the rest of the population because of British support.

As the words to a certain song go - "Just stay well away from the IRA, and they won't bother you"

That Scatach really hates Britain , I better go build myself a bunker...

That's a good idea for everyone when Scáthach is about

[Biggles]

What about the people who want to remain British ?, I think a poll I saw put that at 38%...

Will they be forcibly removed or given incentives to leave ? Or you could just kick em out .

[Milesian]

Originally Posted by Mr Curzon Biggles

What about the people who want to remain British ?, I think a poll I saw put that at 38%...

So they aren't even a majority now?
In most democratic countries, the majority decides and everyone else has to accept it. You might not want a Labour Government but if that's what the people vote for then you can't do much about it.

The semantics being played over this issue is that the Unionists like to make it sound like they would (or even could) be prevented from remaining British.
No-one is forcing them to be anything. If they want to be British so desperately then I'm sure the UK would welcome their loyal subjects, wouldn't they?

What they actually want is to prolong British occupation in the Six Counties for as long as possible. It's nothing about forcing them to move or whatever.
They are welcome to stay and be Irish in the event of British Withdrawl and keep their jobs and homes and life will go on much as it always did except their passports will say EU-Ireland instead of EU-Great Britiain, or they can move to Britian and remain British if that is more important to them. The decision is entirely up to them. No-one is forced to do anything.

Will they be forcibly removed or given incentives to leave ? Or you could just kick em out .

No-one will be kicked out.
The Republic welcomes all the "Children of the Nation" regardlessof their politics or religion. That is a central creed of Republicanism and has it's origins amongst the forefathers of today's Unionists, who have been seduced form their old United Irish allegiences.

So they can leave or they can stay.
The decision is entirely theirs to make, one way or another.