Empty threats?

[OldRedCap]

The new breed of IRA has announced an agenda.
Dissident republicans the Real IRA have issued an Easter statement threatening to kill Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness and resume terrorist attacks on the British mainland.
There may be just enough to fill a phone box but it doesn't take many to have a go at a high profile target like yerman. We saw how quickly attacks in the heart of London attract attention. Do not need to involve deaths - property damage will do when it is Canary Wharf-style buildings in areas deserted outside business hours.
They may be even be a little more of a threat than they have been credited with so far - PSNI bosses are asking where are the armoured patrol vehicles so they reckon the new blokes can punch above their weight. Maybe some will describe them as ineffective but remember the old balance of luck equation. They only need to get lucky once whilst we have to be lucky every time.

 

[rickshaw-major]

Is it just me or does anybody else find it ironic the McGuinness will be protected by Special Branch - again - erm - allegedly

 

[right-grumpy]

Is it just me or does anybody else find it ironic the McGuinness will be protected by Special Branch - again - erm - allegedly

Hope they do a 'crap' job of it!

 

[Drlligaf]

Is it just me or does anybody else find it ironic the McGuinness will be protected by Special Branch - again - erm - allegedly

Hope they do a 'crap' job of it!

Even better, let him live and worry.

 

[carlbcfc]

If they want a proper fight why dont they fuk off to Afghanistan to help the Taliban out. Im sure they aint got the bollox to go face to face in the designated war on terror arena the fukin w@nkers.

Why dont we just stop fukin about and go in hard on these cnuts to show we mean business. Does it take a mass loss of life before action is taken to wipe them out?

 

[OldRedCap]

The war in Afghanistan is a bonus for them. They know just how many troops get sucked in in the Province and can feel secure that we will not go in in any serious numbers. The reduction of 1098 in PSNI is another plus and I reckon that even a small number could cause a disproportionate amount of aggro. All depends if they can get the Nationalists on side so they can swim about unseen.

 

[alib]

RIRA recently claimed the Donaldson murder. It would be entirely logical to kill wee Marty, he is in his way a far greater traitor to the Chuckie cause than a former SF grandee turned tout. I doubt they would actually do it though, they are pretty unpopular already and the politics is all wrong. He'd be immediatly elevated to the stature of Ghandi by SF. Better to let the credibility drain out of SF as 2016 approaches and partition being history isn't even distantly likely.

London was always a prized PIRA target espeacially during peace talks. HMG is largely oblivious to carnage accross the water but tends to panic if there's any threat to the capital. It can't help that the British polity has recently demonstrated a worrying capacity for fits of panty wetting hysteria followed by economic self harm when startled by a bearded numpty setting himself on fire.

I doubt if the dissidents have the logistical capacity for a serious Slab style mainland campaign. Recently they've botched a few car bombings in Ireland. Still terrorism is entry level warfare. You could do a lot of economic damage with a few warning calls and a bit of arson.

What they really need is to widen their support base. Best way I can think to do that is sectarian killings of soft targets in the 6C. There's lots of unprotected retired RUC/UDR men. There are also Loyalist paramillitaries with their tempting stashes of drugs and protection money. Not hard to do. The Prods can be relied upon to retaliate. If SF/PIRA sat on their hands they'd lose a lot of volunteers to the dissidents.

 

[alib]

Slugger has some background here: Interview with the RIRA.

I notice they are calling Wee Marty a Redmondite i.e. an advocate of Home Rule, not far wrong. Reading between the lines they are fessing up to having fairly minimal capabilities and limited ambitions.

I also notice they can't even burn out a getaway car properly. A lot of Belfast fourteen year olds can do that better.