The RIRA: Go Back To War

On 8 November 2007 two RIRA members shot an off-duty PSNI officer as he sat in his car on Bishop Street in Derry, causing injuries to his face and arm.[95] On 12 November another PSNI member was shot by RIRA members in Dungannon, County Tyrone.[95][96] On 7 February 2008, the RIRA stated that, after experiencing a three-year period of reorganisation, it intends to "go back to war" by launching a new offensive against "legitimate targets".[97] It also, despite having apologised for the Omagh bombing,[98] denied any large scale involvement with the attack and said that their part had only gone as far as their codeword being used.[97] On 12 May 2008 the RIRA seriously injured a member of the PSNI when a booby trap bomb exploded underneath his …show more content…
Two soldiers were killed, and the other two soldiers and two deliverymen were injured.[103] On 3 April 2009 the RIRA in Derry claimed responsibility for carrying out a punishment shooting of a man who was awaiting sentencing for raping a 15-year-old girl.[104] The RIRA were also blamed for orchestrating rioting in the Ardoyne area of Belfast on 13 July 2009 as an Apprentice Boys parade was passing. Several PSNI officers were injured in the rioting and at least one shot was fired at police.[105] In early November, the Independent Monitoring Commission released a report stating that the threat from the RIRA and other dissident republicans was at its most serious level since the 1998 Good Friday …show more content…
In addition, two Real IRA men were charged in Dublin's non-jury Special Criminal Court of membership of an illegal organisation. The Real IRA claimed responsibility for kidnapping and shooting dead of one of their members, Kieran Doherty, for alleged drug dealing. Further significant seizures of Real IRA arms and explosives were made by the Gardaí during 2012 and 2013, leading to the arrest of over a dozen persons. In 2011 Michael Campbell, brother of Liam, was found guilty in Vilnius, Lithuania, of trying to purchase arms and explosives and was sentenced to twelve years in jail. In October 2013 Campbell was freed on appeal, only to have the Supreme Court of Lithuania order a retrial in June 2014. Campbell has maintained his innocence, accusing British intelligence of attempting to frame him. In June 2013 Gardaí arrested eight people after a Real IRA meeting and uncovered a massive haul of the plastic explosive Semtex in two raids in Dublin. In October 2013 the Real IRA claimed responsibility for "executing" an alleged leading cocaine dealer in north