Northern Ireland terrorism threat level rises

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Chippy_Tea

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A bit of a scary headline but when you get to the bottom of the articele it says -

MI5, rather than the PSNI or the government, is responsible for setting the Northern Ireland terrorism threat level, which it has been publishing since 2010.
For all but one of those 13 years, the level has been at "severe" - so Tuesday's move should not cause undue alarm.
Most people in Northern Ireland will not notice any difference in terms of everyday security.

So fingers crossed nothing will change.





The terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland has been raised from substantial to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely.

The move, based on an MI5 intelligence assessment, follows a rise in dissident republican activity, including a recent gun attack on a top police officer.
It reverses a downgrade in Northern Ireland's terror threat level last March - its first change for 12 years.
It was announced by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.
MI5, the UK's Security Service, is believed to review the threat level every six months. The terrorism threat level remains substantial in the rest of the UK, meaning an attack is a strong possibility.
Threat levels are designed to give an indication of the likelihood of a terrorist attack and there are five rankings ranging from low to critical. Severe is one level below critical, meaning an attack is expected imminently.

Vigilance urged

In a written statement to MPs, Mr Heaton-Harris said: "The public should remain vigilant, but not be alarmed, and continue to report any concerns they have to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)."
PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne said the force would "relentlessly pursue those who seek to cause harm and terrorise our communities, and attack my officers and staff".
The chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Liam Kelly, said the escalation of the threat level was justified and that no one should be surprised.
Mr Kelly added that it might be reasonably asked why the level was downgraded to substantial in March.
"It was clear dissident republican groups were still actively wedded to causing murder and destruction," he said.
In February Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times by two gunmen as he was putting footballs into his car boot having been coaching a youth training session in Omagh.
The 48-year-old father of one remains in a critical condition in hospital.

The attack was admitted by the New IRA, the biggest and most active group dissident group, whose main areas of operations are in Londonderry and County Tyrone.
The group was formed in 2012 and previous security assessments estimated it had about 500 supporters, some 100 of whom are prepared to commit acts of terrorism.
On Tuesday, the PSNI's Terrorism Investigation Unit said it had recovered "a quantity of ammunition" during a planned search operation into the New IRA in Ballymagroarty in Derry.
It was put on the back foot by several successful security operations run by MI5, leading to the first reduction in the terrorist threat level in Northern Ireland in a decade.
A number of suspected members of the group were arrested after MI5 bugged two alleged meetings of the New IRA's executive in 2020.
But after a lull in activity the New IRA re-emerged in November with a bomb attack on a police patrol car.
Three months prior to February's attack on the police officer, the New IRA set off a roadside bomb in Strabane, County Tyrone, as a police car drove past, but neither of the two officers inside was injured.
Both attacks showed that after a number of years on the back foot, the organisation remains dangerous.

Who are dissident republicans?

The republican movement wants Northern Ireland to leave the UK and unite with the Republic of Ireland.
During most of the Troubles the Provisional IRA was the by far the biggest and most influential violent republican paramilitary group.
But in the 1980s and 1990s it and its political wing Sinn Féin began to make moves which eventually led to ceasefires and Sinn Féin's support for the Good Friday Agreement peace deal.
Members who opposed these moves broke away from the Provisional IRA and formed new groups, such as the Continuity IRA, Real IRA and - later - the New IRA.
They remained committed to using violence to try to bring about a united Ireland, something which has been rejected by Sinn Féin for many years.
The support for dissidents is very small: All of Northern Ireland's main political parties are opposed to their actions.

In early March, Arm na Poblachta (Army of the Republic) said police officers' families would be considered targets.
Smaller than the other dissident republican groups, it emerged in 2017 but has not been as active as the New IRA or the Continuity IRA.

'Undue alarm'

MI5, rather than the PSNI or the government, is responsible for setting the Northern Ireland terrorism threat level, which it has been publishing since 2010.
For all but one of those 13 years, the level has been at "severe" - so Tuesday's move should not cause undue alarm.
Most people in Northern Ireland will not notice any difference in terms of everyday security.
Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O'Neill reacted to Tuesday's announcement by saying there was no place or space for paramilitary groups in a modern, democratic society.
"They must go," she said.
Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson called on the government to fund more police officers in Northern Ireland.
"With police officers facing such a threat, now is the time for the government to provide that additional funding to ensure the PSNI has the full capacity to meet this threat," he said.
The Alliance Party's Policing Board representative John Blair said the announcement was incredibly concerning but not surprising given recent "unjustifiable events".
Ireland's Minister for Justice Simon Harris said gardaí (Irish police) would also continue to monitor the situation.
"While the threat of an attack from these groups in this jurisdiction is generally considered to be low, An Garda Siochana will continue to work closely with services in Northern Ireland," he said.
Although tensions within loyalist groups have led to attacks in parts of County Down in the past few days, the change to the threat level is not related to this flare up.
Several loyalist paramilitary groups - the largest being the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association - are active in Northern Ireland but are not considered a threat to national security and therefore are not a factor in MI5's assessment.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65096493
 
Bunch of gangsters and idiots stuck in the past and determined to bring back the dark days not as much support for them in the Derry area as the media would have you believe.
There is also a heightened threat from loyalist groups. Worried about Sinn Fein taking their seat as first minister and their perceived loss of their place in the union.
Most people here won’t notice a difference.
I wish we could all move on once and for all.
 
If only you knew the people of Northern Ireland like I knew them.
I would hope it happens for my children but most likely won’t, possibly not even for their kids.
I don't agree but I understand why you have that opinion. Change can be slow but a united Ireland is not if but when. Brexit is the game changer, the first vote will be on staying in the single market.
I want to live in an Ireland that is inclusive for all.
 
I don't agree but I understand why you have that opinion. Change can be slow but a united Ireland is not if but when. Brexit is the game changer, the first vote will be on staying in the single market.
I want to live in an Ireland that is inclusive for all.
United there won’t be peace.
Divided there won’t be peace.
Change will happen but there will still be factions than won’t accept it
 
Education is key. Free the next generation of the past.
In my opinion it needs to start with integrated education , and very slowly take it from there .
I visited a unionist area a while ago, we went in for a beer and some lunch , the barman came over rubbing his hands, "Afternoon gentlemen , what can I get you?" When he heard our accents he turned on his heels and ignored us. They wouldn't serve us .
I'd a similar incident at a Leinster / Ulster match at the Aviva lately, Myself and my son were seated beside some Ulster fans, I spoke to the guy beside me, and he completely ignored me . He just glared at me
It's improved since the good Friday agreement in that the violence has reduced , and with the army off the streets, it looks like a normal society, but there's a very long way to go.
 
In my opinion it needs to start with integrated education , and very slowly take it from there .
I visited a unionist area a while ago, we went in for a beer and some lunch , the barman came over rubbing his hands, "Afternoon gentlemen , what can I get you?" When he heard our accents he turned on his heels and ignored us. They wouldn't serve us .
I'd a similar incident at a Leinster / Ulster match at the Aviva lately, Myself and my son were seated beside some Ulster fans, I spoke to the guy beside me, and he completely ignored me . He just glared at me
It's improved since the good Friday agreement in that the violence has reduced , and with the army off the streets, it looks like a normal society, but there's a very long way to go.
I agree with you're point on education. The younger generation will decide Ireland's future. If you look at Ireland as a whole, it's moved away from religion. Also if you look at the break down of voter's in N. Ireland based on age. The hard line unionist vote is an aging population. Young voters are looking for Equal rights, same sex marriage, abortion rights, education, free travel.
It's sad that some in society will discriminate because you are from a different background. All forms of discrimination should not be tolerated, live and let live
 
In my opinion it needs to start with integrated education , and very slowly take it from there .
I visited a unionist area a while ago, we went in for a beer and some lunch , the barman came over rubbing his hands, "Afternoon gentlemen , what can I get you?" When he heard our accents he turned on his heels and ignored us. They wouldn't serve us .
I'd a similar incident at a Leinster / Ulster match at the Aviva lately, Myself and my son were seated beside some Ulster fans, I spoke to the guy beside me, and he completely ignored me . He just glared at me
It's improved since the good Friday agreement in that the violence has reduced , and with the army off the streets, it looks like a normal society, but there's a very long way to go.
Surprised at a rugby match as many would treval down to Dublin to watch Ireland. As an Englishman 20 years in Belfast I’ve also experienced the flip side+of that in some ationalist areas ( my wife is catholic) but it’s few and far between these days. I agree though integrated schools should be the only option, people need to mix more and start at an early age.
 
Surprised at a rugby match as many would treval down to Dublin to watch Ireland. As an Englishman 20 years in Belfast I’ve also experienced the flip side+of that in some ationalist areas ( my wife is catholic) but it’s few and far between these days. I agree though integrated schools should be the only option, people need to mix more and start at an early age.
It seems that one side has moved on a bit less than the other unfortunately
 
In my opinion it needs to start with integrated education , and very slowly take it from there .
I visited a unionist area a while ago, we went in for a beer and some lunch , the barman came over rubbing his hands, "Afternoon gentlemen , what can I get you?" When he heard our accents he turned on his heels and ignored us. They wouldn't serve us .
I'd a similar incident at a Leinster / Ulster match at the Aviva lately, Myself and my son were seated beside some Ulster fans, I spoke to the guy beside me, and he completely ignored me . He just glared at me
It's improved since the good Friday agreement in that the violence has reduced , and with the army off the streets, it looks like a normal society, but there's a very long way to go.
If you were shunned in the bar because you had an Irish accent that shows how narrow minded the bar owner was as the issue in Northern Ireland is a religious one and there are protestants of all churches in Ireland so he would have had no way of knowing what religion you were.
 
If you were shunned in the bar because you had an Irish accent that shows how narrow minded the bar owner was as the issue in Northern Ireland is a religious one and there are protestants of all churches in Ireland so he would have had no way of knowing what religion you were.
The hilarious thing is I am or was at one stage , Church Of Ireland , but I had no interest in educating the bigot
 
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