History News Network

Departments

Could this be the first ideological victory in the war on terror?

On Thursday, The Irish Republican Army (IRA) has formally ordered an end to its armed campaign and says it will pursue exclusively peaceful means. The IRA is, of course, the terrorist organization responsible for the murder of over 1,700 people in its quest for full independence from Great Britain.

I am well aware that IRA violence has been trailing off over the past few decades, exemplified by its 1997 ceasefire and continuing in its 2001 decision to quietly start the disarmament process. Nevertheless, although it is far too early to be “crediting” any one thing or event, I would like to believe that part of their decision has been the increasing de-legitimization of terrorism throughout Europe in general, and within Britain in particular over the past 4 years. Of course, terrorism has always been met with denunciation and rejection, but the disdain for the tactic, the outrage, the sheer intolerance of it independent from any cause or issue, is a relatively new development in that area of the world from what I can observe.

I would like to believe that the IRA realized that its preferred method of resistance, while once tolerated if not accepted, has become THE faux pas of modern resistance politics.

Of course, it is possible (indeed, probable) that the IRA’s decision was entirely independent of the new international consciousness that took root after 9/11 and the US-led war on terror. However, if the IRA based its decision in some small way on the changing perception of terrorism, then it may quite possibly be the first major ideological victory in the war on terror, insomuch as the ultimate objective of the war is not just to punish individual perpetrators, but also to create an environment in which alternative forms of resistance and expression are encouraged.

This is a big step for the IRA in a decades old political battle, and the announcement should be seen as another chapter in that long saga, not as the conclusion or the pivotal climax in their history. Nevertheless, the timing is instructive and will hopefully send a message to other violent nationalist organizations throughout the region (ETA, CCC, Action Directe, Brigate Rosse). Of course, that is only what I would like to believe.

Posted on Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 11:31 PM | Comments (3) | Return

Home Newsletter Submissions Advertising Donations Archives Internships About Us FAQs Contact Us All Articles