Editing Northern Ireland peace process (section)

===Tensions and dissident threats===
Although the peace process initially progressed mostly trouble-free, tensions escalated in 2001 with increasing sectarian conflicts, rioting, political disagreements and the decommissioning process. [[Real Irish Republican Army|Real IRA]] bombs at [[2001 BBC bombing|the BBC]] and a [[2001 Ealing bombing|commercial district]] in London threatened to derail the peace process.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/mar/06/northernireland.comment|title=Comment: The grim message of the BBC bomb|author=Taylor, Peter|date=6 March 2001|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=15 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315224714/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/mar/06/northernireland.comment|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|access-date=22 October 2019|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/1471284.stm|title=Car bombers rock west London|date=3 August 2001|publisher=BBC News|archive-date=22 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022160209/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/1471284.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Holy Cross dispute]] in north Belfast starting in June 2001 would become a major episode of sectarian conflict. Widespread rioting occurred [[July 2001 Belfast riots|in July]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jul/13/northernireland.rosiecowan|title=Rioting turns screw on Ulster talks|author=Cowan, Rosie|date=13 July 2001|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=14 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414152646/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jul/13/northernireland.rosiecowan|url-status=live}}</ref> and that same month the loyalist [[Ulster Defence Association|Ulster Freedom Fighters]] (UFF) pulled out of the Good Friday Agreement whilst the [[Progressive Unionist Party]] (PUP) withdrew from the "current phase" of the peace process.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jul/10/northernireland.northernireland3|title=UFF pulls out of Good Friday agreement|author=Oliver, Mark|date=10 July 2001|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=14 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414163700/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jul/10/northernireland.northernireland3|url-status=live}}</ref> On 26 July two hardline [[Ulster Unionist Party]] (UUP) MPs, [[David Burnside]] and [[Jeffrey Donaldson]], both called for their party's withdrawal of supporting the new power-sharing Stormont assembly.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jul/26/northernireland.northernireland|title=Loyalists deal fresh blow to Good Friday agreement|date=26 July 2001|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=14 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414181350/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jul/26/northernireland.northernireland|url-status=live}}</ref>

Much of the disturbances are thought to have been caused by the alienation of loyalists in the years following the Good Friday Agreement, who increasingly feared that the Agreement was largely in the Catholics' favour and that Irish unity was inevitable. Northern Ireland Secretary [[John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan|John Reid]] told unionists in a speech that they are "wrong" to think so, and that the Agreement would be a failure if Protestants no longer felt at home.<ref>{{cite news|author=Millar, Frank|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/unionists-wrong-to-think-unity-inevitable-1.338458|date=22 November 2001|title=Unionists 'wrong' to think unity inevitable|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=22 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922131057/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/unionists-wrong-to-think-unity-inevitable-1.338458|url-status=live}}</ref> The number of loyalist paramilitary shootings increased from 33 at the time of the Agreement to a peak of 124 in 2001/02.<ref>{{cite book|title=Northern Ireland: The Politics of War and Peace|author=Dixon, Paul|edition=2nd|orig-year=2001|year=2008|publisher=Macmillan International Higher Education|page=299|isbn=978-0-230-50779-1}}</ref>

On 9 September 2001 a gang of 15 [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|Provisional IRA]] members kidnapped, tortured and shot two youths.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1340000/Belfast-youths-tortured-beaten-and-shot-by-IRA.html|title=Belfast youths tortured, beaten and shot by IRA|author=Oliver, Ted|date=8 September 2001|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426060258/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1340000/Belfast-youths-tortured-beaten-and-shot-by-IRA.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Major loyalist rioting and violence broke out amid the Holy Cross dispute on 27 September. The next day, journalist [[Martin O'Hagan]] was killed by [[Loyalist Volunteer Force]] (LVF) members.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/sep/28/northernireland.northernireland|title=Loyalist mob opens fire on police|author=Cowan, Rosie|date=28 September 2001|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=14 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414193137/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/sep/28/northernireland.northernireland|url-status=live}}</ref> On 13 October 2001, Reid declared the ceasefires of two loyalist paramilitary groups, [[Ulster Defence Association]] (UDA) and the LVF, to be over due to their violent shooting and rioting incidents.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1359316/UDA-ceasefire-declared-over.html|title=UDA ceasefire declared over|date=12 October 2001|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=26 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426045745/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1359316/UDA-ceasefire-declared-over.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams urged the Provisional IRA to disarm amid Stormont's near-collapse.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/oct/22/northernireland.northernireland|title=Sinn Fein urges IRA to disarm|author=Tempest, Matthew|date=22 October 2001|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=14 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414153404/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/oct/22/northernireland.northernireland|url-status=live}}</ref> In December 2001, two army watchtowers [[2001 South Armagh attacks|were attacked in South Armagh]] by republicans that caused many injuries.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/12/10/nireland.violence/index.html|title=NI riots leave 25 injured - December 10, 2001|work=cnn.com|access-date=1 June 2018|archive-date=25 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725033322/http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/12/10/nireland.violence/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Throughout 2002 rioting and sectarian clashes continued, the most tense incident being the [[2002 Short Strand clashes|clashes in Short Strand]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/jun/11/northernireland.estheraddley|title=Esther Addley investigates a new kind of violence in Belfast|author=Addley, Esther|date=10 June 2002|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=16 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116110151/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/jun/11/northernireland.estheraddley|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/jun/15/northernireland.rosiecowan|title=Loyalists offer truce to end upsurge in Belfast violence|author=Cowan, Rosie|date=15 June 2002|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=14 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414184416/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/jun/15/northernireland.rosiecowan|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 6 May 2002 Progressive Unionist Party politician [[David Ervine]] said that continuing violence, doubts among loyalists and uncertainty about the IRA has left the peace process in a "substantial and serious crisis".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/2933949.stm|title=Northern Ireland chronology: 2002|date=9 April 2003|work=BBC News|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/2933949.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> On 14 October 2002, the Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended and [[direct rule]] from Westminster imposed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/oct/14/qanda.northernireland|title=Suspension of the Northern Ireland assembly|author=Left, Sarah|date=14 October 2002|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 October 2019|archive-date=14 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414193434/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/oct/14/qanda.northernireland|url-status=live}}</ref>