America funding the IRA?

Question

What do you think about the USA funding the IRA. The UK was dealing with terrorism for decades, and the US were partly to blame. Then when they're targeted, all of a sudden the activities that they were funding for decades are wrong. Is this because they came to their senses or because they can dish it out, but can't take it?

I'm interested to hear the views of any Americans. Can you justify it and, if so, how?

I'm not holding a grudge against the USA or Ireland (I'm quarter Irish), but I don't condone the slaughter that was caused by these two nations.

My grandmother is Irish, people! The simple fact that I'm part Irish and Part English allows me to make an educated decision on what I believe. I'm not just some Englishman trying to say we're always right!

Answer 1

When 9/11 happened there was a feeling in Britain that now the US would know what it felt like to be attacked. I think that since the cease-fire this sentiment has wained a little, andmost people want to move forward

Answer 2

America DID NOT fund the IRA in the sense that no administration or policy was ever enacted to support the IRA. However, the IRA covertly conducted some fund-raising in the United States, and the United States government did little to stop it.

In the United States there is a large number of Irish sympathizers. Generally the Irish War of Independence is looked upon as a good thing. When the UK was having problems with the IRA the American press ran articles showing atrocities on both sides. Irish Catholics were getting killed in the streets of Belfast as often as the Protestants. So for the American public this was often viewed as a religious conflict.

Politically, the US government did not condone supporting either side. However, individual Americans felt as much a vested interest in the conflict as the people in Ireland. Some gave money in the hopes that it would help their side.

Individual Americans also started peace programs. Families opened their doors to taking in children of Northern Ireland to live with them for some months, to show them that Catholics and Protestants can live and work together without conflict. I don't know anyone to gave money to Irish political organizations, but I do know families who took in Belfast children for the summers.

If you believe that the American government should have done more to stop individuals from giving money that ended up in terrorist pockets, then I'd agree. And when 9/11 occurred American perspectives on terrorism changed.

Answer 3

Funny how Gerry Adams had spent plenty of time at the white house, usually during st Patrick's Day.

Anyone who wasn't aware Gerry Adams is the main spokes person and now leader of Sinn Féin, the political mouthpiece of the IRA.

Kelvinistic. I'm amazed by how little you really know. Did you realise that the British troops were sent into Northern Ireland to protect the Catholics? Why would they then train people to attack them? Very few bombs went off in Southern Ireland compared to Belfast and London. In one year there was 36 bombs in Belfast and 32 in London! The loyalist could never do it, how hard is it to park a van in a city or drop a package in a bin? Don't you remember the Oklahoma bomb, it was a well organist group who did that, or are you saying that the Irish aren't clever enough to set bombs? Next you'll be saying the Muslims could never fly a plane into a building. The UDF, death squads as you call them, were Irish Protestants Civilians who formed to fight the IRA. Your saying that the British fought dirty, I take that you are recalling the Gibraltar killings were SAS shot dead 3 IRA suspects before they could detonate a bomb. If you remember the American government caused so much pressure that it is now illegal under international law to kill a suspect terrorist until they have committed the crime, witnessing them planting a bomb isn't good enough anymore. Maybe you can explain why the IRA firebombed a children’s clothes shop? Threatened to blow up schools? Went into to schools and threatened anyone who didn't sound catholic? Murder people for walking alone the wrong street? Honestly most British would have put a wall around them and let them fight it out. Oh, and most southern Irish didn't support the IRA either.

Jeremy M, What do you call people fighting for the freedom of a country that the majority of it’s population don’t want? Next you’ll be saying Al Qaeda are just freedom fighter in America when they flew the plane into the world trade centre. The IRA were terrorist, agreed there were several versions and the worst being the real IRA, but anyone who sets bombs to cause as much casualties as possible are terrorists. In case you didn’t know how an IRA bomb works, it consists of a minimum of two bombs, this goes up to five for big news days. The first bomb is set in a busy road with shops either side, this bomb is just to cause panic and a few casualties. The main purpose is to get people to run in to the second bomb that is timed to go off shortly afterwards causing massive confusion and death. Nice people aren’t they.

Answer 4

As a Scot and someone who has had relatives posted in Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles I do honestly think those Irish Americans who were contributing voluntary donations to the IRA's political wing in America did not understand exactly what they were gifting their money to. The US government were asked several times over three decades to outlaw this organisation within the US but nothing happened for years.
I don't believe the US government directly funded the movement just a lot of ill advised US citizens of Irish descent.

Answer 5

The slaughter caused by two nations?? America was not responsible for the slaughter in Northern Ireland, quite the opposite. Bill Clinton was actually a key figure in the peace process, and in 1999 at the one year anniversary of the RIRA Omagh bomb attrocity he told Northern Ireland to "stand up for peace today,tomorrow,and for the rest of your lives". I doubt somebody funding the IRA would have been saying that.

Yes perhaps individuals in America did give money towards the cause,but that does not mean you can say "America (as a nation) funded the IRA" ,that is incorrect.

Im Northern Irish by the way,not American,but I appreciate the work Bill Clinton did in our country.

Answer 6

Just because your grandmother was Irish doesn't make you an expert on Ireland.

Just because you're part English doesn't mean you'll have an educated point of view it just means you'll be un-biased.....you can still be as ignorant as you want!

You clearly don't know what you're talking about because if you did you'd know that AMERICA DID NOT FOUND THE IRA, some American businessmen (most 2nd or 3rd generation Irish) did fund the IRA but that was in the past and in the past the IRA were not terrorists, the were fighting for freedom of the oppressed 6 counties.

That was then and this is now, the IRA still aren't terrorists ( in the literal meaning of the word ) but has been infiltrated by scum bags who either have none , or at best a twisted sense of patriotism who are more interested in selling drugs egt.


Stop making stupid statements

Answer 7

There are two sides to every story!
Just read your side, all simple isn't it?
Lets just have a glance at the other one.
Was there only one (so called) terrorist group, why do folk just ramble on about the IRA? I supose the Ulster mob were 'Freedom fighters'? Who was supporting them? Not the Brits surely????
Could there be any chance that the Brit army wanted to keep hold of a lump of the land they stole at any cost???
I was just in the mood to start a really good rant here, I've had my little pink tablet now , and a couple of large vodkas, (No I'm not a Communist because I drink vodka) and I feel calmer now.
I'm not American, but I've been there, done that, worked among them for years, they are no different to us really, (except we are better looking)!
Now I have a big problem , (apart from the vodka drinking) I really dislike the English attitude , I am aScot,perhaps not a 'typical' Scot?
I frequently make that known, not only on this forum but also in a lot of pubs! I have the violitions to prove it!
Just as a matter of interest I wonder why you boil the troubles down to USA and Ireland, are you suggesting the Brits had nohing at all to do with it?
OK, I'm calm again now.
Folk keep telling me all the history of England and 'Great Britian' is in fact history!
I should forget it and move on, it really is difficult for me, but I will make a better effort if you promise to do the same?

Answer 8

The views of John mcd are typical - ignorant bigotted generalising anti-English crap from an American who's probably never been closer to Ireland than wearing a silly Shamrock hat on St Pad's day. .

I'm Welsh and my great grandmother was Irish but I hold no ill will against the English (my other half is English) and do not blame modern day English people for what happened 100s of years ago. Shame idiots like John Mcd can't do the same. He's *exactly* the sort of person who donated to the IRA.

Answer 9

Not such a thing. It has been known there is/was a group of Irish people and Irish Americans net- working from New York City and Boston, who were actually hiding insurgents from IRA. This group is totally unrelated to the U.S. Government. What would be the gain from it anyway?


Note: Adams has been in the White House, but Bin Laden's family has had business for years with the Bush family. I still don't see the point and relationship between IRA and the U.S government.

Maybe is a plot and everyone is a terrorist. Hell yeah! let's just leave it like that, and continue to give me thumbs down.

Answer 10

as an irish immigrant to the united states, i feel like i'm in an almost unique position to answer this question.

unfortunately, ireland has had a penchant for nationalism since the beginning of...ireland...

consider even the music--four green fields as my favorite example. or the whole 26 counties of the republic plus 6 counties of ulster = 1.

the IRA was a terrorist organization, no one can seriously deny that. calling them freedom fighters really shows how much you'd be grabbing at straws.

the unfortunate reality is that when you find yourself with the same goals as terrorists, you tend to justify their actions.

i, for one, would be happy to see the whole island become a republic. but not against the will of the people who live there.

Answer 11

Americans had no concept at the time of what Terrorism was all about and the impact on the ground. Well, 9/11 changed that so the funding from US people dried up overnight. Forgive and forget. They have always been our friends and always will be. Glad to have them.