Editing Northern Ireland peace process (section)

===Endgame===
In January 2005, [[Murder of Robert McCartney|Robert McCartney]] was murdered after a pub brawl by IRA members. After a high-profile campaign by his sisters and fiancée, the IRA admitted its members were responsible and offered to meet them. The McCartney sisters turned down their offer, but the episode badly damaged the standing of the IRA in Belfast.<ref>{{cite news|title=A Killing in Belfast Is Turning Backers Against a Defiant I.R.A.|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=7 March 2005|page=A6}}</ref>

In April 2005, [[Gerry Adams]] called for the IRA to lay down its weapons. It agreed on 28 July 2005 calling for its volunteers to use "exclusively peaceful means".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4720863.stm|title=IRA says armed campaign is over|publisher=BBC News|date=28 July 2005|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=22 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022160210/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4720863.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> It would not disband, but simply use peaceful means to achieve its aims.
*Apart from some worn pistols from the [[Loyalist Volunteer Force]], no other loyalist paramilitary group has decommissioned any of their weapons, and all have been involved in several murders, including major feuds, both internal and with other loyalist groups. Most Unionists maintain that the loyalist refusal is less of a stumbling block to the restoration of the [[Northern Ireland Assembly|assembly]] because, unlike the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]], parties with formal links to loyalist paramilitary groups do not have significant elected representation within the Assembly, despite their high levels of support. Throughout their existence, loyalist paramilitaries have been described by some (including [[Taoiseach]] [[Albert Reynolds]]) as "reactionary", i.e., that they respond to the attacks of republican groups, and some commentators claim that if there were no violent republican activity, loyalist violence would cease to exist. Others contend that these claims of solely "reactionary" loyalist attacks are hard to square with the emergence of militant loyalism in the [[Northern Ireland civil rights movement|civil rights era]] (i.e., when the IRA was dormant), and their preference for attacks on Catholics with no paramilitary connections, rather than attacking the more dangerous members of republican organisations. In the event that full transparent decommissioning by republican paramilitaries is completed, then it is widely expected by political commentators that loyalist paramilitary organisations would be put under heavy pressure to follow suit.
*While killings and bombings have been ''almost'' eliminated, "lower level" violence and crime, including "punishment" beatings, extortion and drug dealing continue, particularly in loyalist areas. Paramilitary organisations are still perceived to have considerable control in some areas, particularly the less affluent. Details of the perceived current level of activity by paramilitary organisations were published in a 2005 report by the Independent Monitoring Commission.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20050928182452/http://www.independentmonitoringcommission.org/documents/uploads/IMC_Report.pdf The Independent Monitoring Commission]}}</ref>

On '''28 July 2005''', the IRA announced the end of its armed campaign, and committed to the complete decommissioning of all its weapons, which was to be witnessed by both Catholic and Protestant clergymen. The statement was first read by veteran IRA militant [[Séanna Walsh]] in a video released to the public and contained the following text:<ref name="vid">{{cite web |date=28 July 2005 |title=Irish Republican Army Disarmament |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?188115-1/irish-republican-army-disarmament |access-date=4 April 2022 |website=[[C-Span]]}}</ref>

{{poemquote|
The leadership of [[Óglaigh na hÉireann]] has formally ordered an end to the armed campaign. This will take effect from 4pm this afternoon.
All IRA units have been ordered to dump arms. All Volunteers have been instructed to assist the development of purely political and democratic programmes through exclusively peaceful means. Volunteers must not engage in any other activities whatsoever.
The IRA leadership has also authorised our representative to engage with the IICD to complete the process to verifiably put its arms beyond use in a way which will further enhance public confidence and to conclude this as quickly as possible.
We have invited two independent witnesses, from the Protestant and Catholic churches, to testify to this.
The [[IRA Army Council|Army Council]] took these decisions following an unprecedented internal discussion and consultation process with IRA units and Volunteers.
We appreciate the honest and forthright way in which the consultation process was carried out and the depth and content of the submissions. We are proud of the comradely way in which this truly historic discussion was conducted.
The outcome of our consultations show very strong support among IRA Volunteers for the Sinn Féin peace strategy.
There is also widespread concern about the failure of the two governments and the unionists to fully engage in the peace process. This has created real difficulties.
The overwhelming majority of people in Ireland fully support this process.
They and friends of Irish unity throughout the world want to see the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.
Notwithstanding these difficulties our decisions have been taken to advance our republican and democratic objectives, including our goal of a united Ireland. We believe there is now an alternative way to achieve this and to end British rule in our country.
It is the responsibility of all Volunteers to show leadership, determination and courage. We are very mindful of the sacrifices of our patriot dead, those who went to jail, Volunteers, their families and the wider republican base. We reiterate our view that the armed struggle was entirely legitimate.
We are conscious that many people suffered in the conflict. There is a compelling imperative on all sides to build a just and lasting peace.
The issue of the defence of nationalist and republican communities has been raised with us. There is a responsibility on society to ensure that there is no re-occurrence of the [[pogrom]]s of 1969 and the early 1970s.
There is also a universal responsibility to tackle sectarianism in all its forms.
The IRA is fully committed to the goals of Irish unity and independence and to building the Republic outlined in the [[Proclamation of the Irish Republic|1916 Proclamation]].
We call for maximum unity and effort by Irish republicans everywhere.
We are confident that by working together Irish republicans can achieve our objectives.
Every Volunteer is aware of the import of the decisions we have taken and all Óglaigh are compelled to fully comply with these orders.
There is now an unprecedented opportunity to utilise the considerable energy and goodwill which there is for the peace process. This comprehensive series of unparalleled initiatives is our contribution to this and to the continued endeavours to bring about independence and unity for the people of Ireland.}}

The [[Independent International Commission on Decommissioning|IICD]] confirmed in its final report of September 2005 that the IRA had decommissioned all of its weapons.
[[Image:W. Bush and Martin McGuinness.jpg|thumb|300x300px|[[Ian Paisley]], [[George W. Bush]] and [[Martin McGuinness]] in December 2007]]
The definitive end of [[The Troubles]] and thus of the Peace Process came in 2007.<ref>{{cite news|author=Rowley, Tom|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/northernireland/11610345/Timeline-of-Northern-Ireland-Troubles-from-conflict-to-peace-process.html|title=Timeline of Northern Ireland Troubles: from conflict to peace process|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=19 May 2015|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=22 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022160213/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/northernireland/11610345/Timeline-of-Northern-Ireland-Troubles-from-conflict-to-peace-process.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the [[St Andrews Agreement]] of October 2006, and [[2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election|March 2007 elections]], the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] and Sinn Féin formed a government in May 2007. In July 2007, the [[British Army]] formally ended [[Operation Banner]], their mission in Northern Ireland which began 38 years earlier, in 1969.<ref>{{cite news|author=Weaver, Matthew|author2=Sturcke, James|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/jul/31/northernireland.military|title=British army ends Northern Ireland operation|work=The Guardian|date=31 July 2007|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=26 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826085642/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/jul/31/northernireland.military|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 8 December 2007, while visiting President Bush in the [[White House]] with the Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley, Martin McGuinness, the Deputy First Minister, said to the press "Up until the 26 March this year, Ian Paisley and I never had a conversation about anything – not even about the weather – and now we have worked very closely together over the last seven months and there's been no angry words between us. ... This shows we are set for a new course."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7123939.stm|title=Paisley and McGuinness in US trip|publisher=BBC News|date=3 December 2007|access-date=22 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Purdy, Martina|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7134094.stm|title='Charming' ministers woo president|publisher=BBC News|date=8 December 2007|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=31 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231210655/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7134094.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>