Re: IRA and decommissioninng

[Gary MacLennan <g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>I have just finished reading the Irish Times on the net and their
>>coverage emphasises the dangers of a split in the IRA.  the latter were
>>apparnetly working towards a May 22 deadline and it was the Unionist
>>Party that pushed the February deadline. the British decision to give the
>>IRA another week is something of a concession to the Irish Govt and
>>probably Adams.  The real wekaness of the IRA leadership is that they
>>have no *political* alternative to that which Adams and McGuinness are
>>peddling.


They cannot produce a coherent analysis of British imperialism nor can they
produce a political program which would unite the Irish people against it.

Having said that it would be wrong to underestimate the hold that Sinn Fein
and the IRA still have in working class Catholic communities in Northern
Ireland. Among them there is little love for the British and what is more a
deep hatred for the Police force the RUC.  I was very impressed by the
massive graffiti and the republican flags flying over Catholic suburbs in
my native Omagh.

There is still a struggle going on for the hearts and minds of the
nationalist population and it is by no means certain that the moderates in
the Social Democratic Party have won it.

regards

Gary