Waiting With Baited Breath: An IRA Statement?

The Irish Independent, followed by the Belfast Telegraph and Slugger O’Toole are claiming that Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Martin Ferris have stepped down from the IRA army council.

Naturally, the people of Northern Ireland did a quick double-take. Members of what??!!??! Then we remembered that we hadn’t been fooled by Sinn Fein’s assertions that they were a separate entity and went back to watching TV.

Of course, Sinn Fein hasn’t commented on this officially yet. Therefore it’s safe to assume this is true. If it was all a big lie, Gerry would have been all over the news protesting.

Many sources are taking this as a symbolic ‘parting of the ways’ between Sinn Fein and the IRA. So far, no-one is seeing this as a split in direction between the two.

Anyway, as we wait with baited breath for an announcement (sometime next week, possibly) I can’t help how this will dictate the future of Sinn Fein. Will the colorful murals start to disappear? Will the Sinn Fein heavies in their stronghold areas be rehabilitated? Are Sinn Fein going to devise some real policies?

Maybe that’s what’s holding this announcement up. Maybe real politics is harder than they imagined.