Henry McDonald on the Guardian newsblog is distinctly unimpressed with the IRA statement. He believes that short of disbandment, there is little prospect of the IRA pulling out of the practical grip it has on various working class areas.Interestingly, he notes alleged developments in the Republic in which money raising and laundering are said to have been privatised:
Moreover, with the quasi-military structure still in extant, the ability to raise millions of pounds and euros for the republican movement’s political wing remains. As has happened already in Dublin, the IRA has “subcontracted” most of its illegal fundraising activities out to ordinary criminals in the Irish capital, who are “taxed” by republicans.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty