Rebels Without A Cause

I’m certainly no expert on terrorism, but the recent descent of the IRA into thuggery reminds me of the collapse of Shining Path in Peru. Once Peruvians got tired of the indiscriminate killings practiced by SP (and with more than a little help from President Fujimori’s dictatorial rule and merciless crackdown on terrorists), the group seemed to lose sight of its original leftist goals and took up narcotrafficking and kidnapping for ransom. Now we see the IRA engaging in common criminal enterprises such as bank robberies and barroom killings. And then they try to make amends for the slaying by offering to shoot those responsible. Was that really intended to impress anyone? The IRA needs to come to terms with its own irrelevance and Sinn Fein needs to start behaving like a sincere, responsible partner for peace. Perhaps by St. Patrick’s Day 2006, we will see a return to the original vision of the Good Friday accords. The people of Northern Ireland have waited long enough.