ChatterBank0 min ago
The IRA
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.The IRA is the Provisional IRA (PIRA).
I think the main reason for a change in tactics is because of the negative publicity terrorism faces in this modern world. Remember that American's in north east America happily donated money to the IRA 'freedom fighters', well, until they realised what terrorism is all about (9/11).
All military establishments still continue to use a security alert status based on terrorism. It's very rarely ever at the bottom alert, even through the IRA ceasefire.
The leftover 'organised crime' element should not be underestimated. They part-control a pan-european empire worth BILLIONS of pounds, involving money-laundering, counterfeiting, smuggling and drug dealing. Terrorism was bad enough, but in terms of numbers of deaths, the toll will remain high unless this problem is sorted. The IRA and others had to fund themselves over decades, and became very adept at illegal money creation.
They won't all suddenly pack this in to open chip shops in Belfast.