IRA blamed for N.Ireland bank robbery

[Disco]

IRA blamed for N.Ireland bank robbery
BELFAST, Northern Ireland, Jan. 7 (UPI) --

The IRA was responsible for a $47 million bank robbery in Northern Ireland, police Chief Constable Hugh Orde said Friday.

Orde, the top-ranking police officer in Northern Ireland, told a news conference the organization was behind the raid at the Northern Bank in Belfast in December, thought to be the largest in the history of the United Kingdom.

In my opinion, the Provisional IRA was responsible for this crime and all main lines of inquiry currently undertaken are in that direction, Orde said.

Orde acknowledged his statement would have significant consequences for the peace process, already at a stanstill after a disagreement between Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing, and the Democratic Unionist Party over IRA disarmament.

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuiness denied the IRA were involved, telling the BBC the accusations were politically motivated.

Ian Paisley Jr., a member of Parliament from the DUP, told the BBC Orde's statement was evidence Sinn Fein could not be trusted and the peace process should move on without them.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair told a news conference Thursday there was absolutely no place for criminal activity in the peace process. He is to meet Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern to discuss the findings.


© UPI, Headline News

[Mraka]

the robbers shouldn`t be able to buy anything,because the money has images of North Ireland on it ,and can be therefore easily be recognized.

[Mraka]

they deny it
IRA send a paper of which the signature on it,is a sign for taking actions, in the name of IRA.Like an original document.

[CuriousEuropean]

Er, Mraka. They can obviously spend Northern Irish money in Northern Ireland. Only some of it was traceable, not all of it my friend. All Northern Irish money has pictures of Northern Ireland on it.

Some of it has apparently already surfaced in their underworld circles, (according to British newspapers anyway).

The IRA has many splinter groups. Not all of them want to conform / sign to the peace treaty.

[Mraka]

Sinn Fein ,too rejected responsibility.
Letter was signed with P.ONeill,for official statement of IRA.
british North Ireland minister Paul Murphy says its throwing back the peacetalks.

Yo,but you can not spend the money outside Ireland if it can be recognized that easy,can you? So they can not go to the Bahams with it.All that money,and has to stay there,what a shame!





If it is an splinted group it is an seperated group.
Even if they were from IRA they are not backed by them anymore.

[Helms]

I honestly don't think Sinn Fein had any knowledge of it. They're just not that stupid. Unless they WANT to get kicked out of government. I could have been a splinter group ie. those RIRA bastards.

I think most likely it was one of the Loyalist gangs like the UDA. They've been way deaper in criminal activity over that last few years.

[Helms]

Hmmm....well it seems the IRA is pissed off that they've been blamed and have pulled out of peace talks. In a statement earlier this week they told the government "not to underestimate the seriousness of the situation".

Does anyone think the IRA could go back to war? It's been what, 7 years since they've been active?

[Mraka]

Croatian officials deny the fact that NI. money is laundered in croatia and its capital Zagreb.
-that is a simillar robbery like the picture of Munch/out of nowhere for no reason.no fingerprints/paths

[MICK]

The IRA IS a f*ckin mob.