Word: iras
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...peace process in Northern Ireland rests precariously in the balance. On Oct. 29 the Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced that it had put a number of its weapons verifiably “beyond use.” This unprecedented move was a great step forward in what had been a faltering peace process, allowing David Trimble and his moderate Ulster Unionist Party to return to the region’s power-sharing assembly. Recently, however, the momentum has been stalled, as hard-line unionists prevented Trimble’s reelection and are attempting to block progress towards a lasting peace...
There is no perfect solution to this problem. The best way to continue the peace process now is to reelect Trimble and make sure the IRA continues with its disarmament. But the IRA has broken promises in the past and could do so in future. If Trimble is restored to power, he needs to make sure that General de Chastelain reports regularly on what progress is being made. At the same time, paramilitaries on the unionist side must be forced to disarm. The Ulster Freedom Fighters (who are connected with Paisely’s UDA) and Ulster Volunteer Force...
...Northern Ireland. Many people have their minds strongly set on being either Irish citizens or British citizens. The problem with the compromise is that as the government moves closer and closer to the middle, some people will inevitably feel alienated and gravitate more towards the extremes. With the IRA disarming, some hard-line republicans will switch their support to the Real IRA, but we can only hope that support for terrorism will be low following Sept...
...Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNR) should replace the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), an almost completely Protestant group that fought often with the IRA in the 1980s. Sinn Fein and other Catholic groups should take an active role in the supervision and implementation of the new police force, with the intention of making it nonsectarian and fair to all citizens of Northern Ireland...
...British government, the IRA and the protestant extremists can keep compromising and destroying their guns, peace and prosperity will replace anger and pessimism in the north. This can only be done if David Trimble is reelected first minister of the Northern Ireland assembly...