Page 122 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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96———Continuity Irish Republican Army

Iran’s actions “commercial terrorism.” Their case the governments of either Northern Ireland or the
was dismissed in July 1994, on the grounds that Republic of Ireland as legitimate, a position stemming
United States lacked jurisdiction. from ideological conflicts over the 1920 partition of
In 1998, in a separate case, a U.S. judge ordered Ireland. Although Sinn Féin sometimes fielded candi-
Iran to pay $65 million in damages to Cicippio and his dates in elections, if elected, they refused to serve.
wife, as well as fellow hostages David Jacobsen and Initially, the revitalized IRA took the same position,
Frank Reed. and Sinn Féin’s role in the conflict was very limited.
In the mid-1980s, following the hunger strikes of
See also TERRY ANDERSON; HEZBOLLAH; THOMAS
1981, IRA leaders began to think that greater political
SUTHERLAND; ALANN STEEN; TERRY WAITE
involvement might aid, not hinder, their struggle. At a
Further Reading 1986 meeting of IRA leaders, a proposal that the IRA
recognize the government of the Republic of Ireland
Cicippio, Joseph, and Richard W. Hope. From Chains was put forth; such recognition would allow elected
to Roses: The Joseph Cicippio Story. Waco, TX: WRS, Sinn Féin candidates to take office in the Dáil, the
1993. Republic’s legislature.
Martin, David C., and John Walcott. Best Laid Plans: The A hard-line faction of Sinn Féin membership split
Inside Story of America’s War Against Terrorism
New York: Harper & Row, 1988. with the IRA over this deviation from traditional
republicanism; the splinter group formed a political
party, Republican Sinn Féin, which would adhere to
the old abstentionism. During the next few years,
CIRA. See CONTINUITY IRISH REPUBLICAN Republican Sinn Féin gathered arms and recruits,
ARMY. calling its armed wing the Continuity IRA, or CIRA;
however, CIRA remained inactive. The leaders of
Republican Sinn Féin were allegedly threatened with
death should they attempt to mount an armed cam-
CONTINUITY IRISH paign separate from the Provisional IRA. In late 1994,
REPUBLICAN ARMY the movement toward political involvement by the
Provisionals had borne fruit; the IRA called a cease-
fire and Sinn Féin leaders entered secret peace negoti-
A Northern Irish terrorist organization founded ations with the mainstream nationalist parties and the
in the mid-1980s, Continuity Irish Republican Army British government.
(Continuity IRA, or CIRA) emerged as the armed wing By 1996, negotiations had stalled and dissatisfac-
of Republican Sinn Féin in 1996. tion was growing within the Republican community,
For more than 30 years, Northern Ireland has providing a climate in which CIRA could emerge. On
endured an armed conflict between the province’s July 13, 1996, CIRA made its first attack, detonating
Roman Catholics (also called republicans or national- a 250-pound car bomb outside a hotel in County
ists), who want Northern Ireland to become part of the Fermanagh. It followed with two more bombings in
Republic of Ireland, and the province’s Protestants the fall of 1996. By then, the IRA had broken its cease-
(also called loyalists or unionists), who want it to fire with the Canary Wharf Bombing in London, and
remain a part of the United Kingdom. Armed para- CIRA activity declined. As the IRA prepared to renew
military groups from both communities use violence its cease-fire in the summer of 1997, CIRA escalated
to achieve their ends; the most prominent of these its attacks, planting bombs at government offices,
groups on the republican side is the Irish Republican police stations, and hotels. Most recently, CIRA is
Army (IRA). Originally formed in 1919, the IRA believed to be responsible for a bomb planted outside
receded somewhat after Ireland’s withdrawal from the of BBC offices in London on March 4, 2001. (Some
British Commonwealth in 1949, but it was revived in sources attribute this attack to a different splinter
1969 when it began a terrorist campaign intended to group, the Real IRA.) No one has been killed by the
force Britain to withdraw from Northern Ireland. 17 bombings attributed to CIRA, although dozens
The IRA maintained a political party called Sinn have been injured and millions of dollars of damage
Féin. Sinn Féin and the IRA refused to recognize has been done to property.