**LEAD STORY**

MORE IRA ATTACKS ON THE BRITISH MAINLAND?

This past Thursday, Chief Constable Sir Hugh Annesley, the head of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, told a news conference that Britain should expect more IRA attacks in the near future. Annesley warned, "I believe that it is possible that there will be further attacks on the British mainland. I also believe it is possible that there will be attacks in Northern Ireland."

Annesley also warned that Irish Republican Army (IRA) violence in Northern Ireland could ignite an immediate retalitory response from Protestents loyal to British rule. The Chief Constable said, "If the Provisionals (IRA) were to attack Northern Ireland there is no doubt whatsoever that there would be an immediate and without warning retalitory action by loyalist terrorists both within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland."

The Irish Republican Army was formed in 1969 as the armed wing of Sinn Fein. The group is dedicated to the removal of British forces from Northern Ireland and then reunifying the province with the Republic of Ireland. The IRA terrorists have selected targets in mainland Britain from prime ministers to just ordinary citizens.

Some of the major attacks by the IRA carried out in mainland Britain have been:

• -- 21 November 1974: Two pubs in Birmingham were bombed. 21 people were killed and 162 others were wounded.
• -- 12 October 1984: Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher narrowly escaped injury in a bomb attack at a hotel in Brighton. Five people were killed and 30 others were injured.
• -- 7 February 1991: A mortar attack was launched on Number 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the prime minister in London.
• -- 9 February 1996: The most recent IRA cease-fire was ended by an explosion near the S. Quay station in East London. More than 50 people are injured and buildings damaged for several blocks
• -- 14 February, 1996: A bomb exploded on a bus in central London, killing one and injuring eight others. A suspected IRA operative was reportedly carrying the device to another location when it went off.
• -- 15 June, 1996: A large device exploded in Manchester, injuring more than 200 people and causing more than $1,000,000 in damage. The IRA claimed responsibility, even as it was attempting to negotiate its participation in peace talks in N. Ireland.

From 1 September 1994 to 8 February 1996, the IRA observed a 17-month ceasefire. This was matched by a cessation of military operations by Protestent loyalists in Northern Ireland, who want the province to remain part of the United Kingdom.

(c) Emergencynet News Service, 1996, All Rights Reserved.

Return to the Counter Terrorism Page