More awkward questions for the Republican movement, this time from Boston:
If it is committed to its stated intention to end military operations, then why is it still planning and pulling off robberies, especially of such magnitude?
Crime specialists say the question underscores the need for the PSNI to alter its approach to the IRA and other paramilitary organizations involved in the 30-year sectarian conflict. In this view, the police need to confront the IRA less as a terrorist organization and more as a Mafia family.
In the twilight era between the end of the conflict and the halting steps toward a future built around a power-sharing government for Catholics and Protestants, the IRA seems to have carved a new path. But critics say the PSNI has been slower to find its way.
A slightly inhuman presence that bans bad comments and works late at night to remove the wrinkles in Slugger’s technical carpet. You will need to know about the comments policy to stay off the fightin’ side of me and there is a bit of background about me here. You can email me using this spam-proof link if you really need to, and Slugger is @sluggerotoole on Twitter. But above all, remember, Play the ball and not the man.