The United States this evening re-designated the "Real IRA" as a "foreign terrorist organisation," renewing a designation made two years ago.
"We are announcing today the re-designation of the Real Irish Republican Army, also known as the RIRA and other aliases, as a foreign terrorist organisation under US law," State Department spokesman Mr Philip Reeker said at a briefing.
The "Real IRA" first got the "terrorist" designation from the United States two years ago, and such designations last two years, Mr Reeker said.
"The Real IRA is a militant group that seeks to end British rule in Northern Ireland and bring about political incorporation of Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland, and during the past two years they have continued their terrorist activities," he said.US sanctions against the "Real IRA" were first imposed by Secretary of State Colin Powell in May 2001 following pressure from the Irish and British governments.
Those sanctions froze the group's assets in the United States and barred visas for "Real IRA" members. In addition, it made it illegal for people in the United States to give cash to the group, a main source of its income.According to the State Department's annual "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report, the "Real IRA has carried out more than 80 terrorist attacks since October 1999, including the August 1998 Omagh bombing. Agencies