IRA dissident groups have been identified as a real threat to London's 2012 Olympics. The British minister for sports, Hugh Roberson said "threat assessments" have identified them as a clear danger.
He said British security agencies have determined that Northern Ireland-based groups could definitely stage terrorist attacks on Britain during the Games.
Speaking at the launch of the annual report on preparations for the Olympics, Robertson a former Army officer said "It's a threat to the Games".
He said the Government's concern over the threats has increased due to improvements in the way these sorts of threats are analyzed.
Robertson said "The security situation is uncertain. When we started talking about this two years out, nobody foresaw, for example, the rise in the threat of dissident Republicanism that they're facing over the water in Ireland…There are constantly different elements coming in and out of the equation. There's a greater understanding of the dynamic behind it.
“We have much more appreciation of what's precisely required to keep the Games secure than we did 18 months ago.”
Dissident Republican groups including the Real IRA, Continuity IRA and Oghlaigh na hEireann have increased their activities in recent years as they have rejected the power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly.
In January the Police Service in Northern Ireland (PSNI) defused a bomb in Belfast which had been planted by Oghlaigh na hEireann. This bomb led to Northern Irish politicians being warned that the dissident's abilities to create sophisticated terrorist attacked and reached a new level.
MI5’s Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre's official threat level in Northern Ireland is "severe" while in Great Britain the threat is ranked at "substantial" a slightly lower level.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.BigMack13 | May 31, 2011, 07:38 PM EDT
Their will always be a threat as long as the Britsh Government holds land in Ireland,but they rather hold the land then stop a war .
FallsRNat | Mar 03, 2011, 08:27 PM EST
just a bunch of sad twats really who have gone past their sell by date, even ETA haven't given up, but not johnny paddy.
Kilsally | Feb 22, 2011, 01:56 PM EST
Pretty clear most folks on here are `plastic paddies`. Dissident Irish Republican terrorist groups often use events to try and make a point , ie the date of the devolution of policing and justice to the NI Assembly was used to set of various bombs. Royal wedding, Olympics, elections are all prime targets for terrorist activity in the UK whether IRA or Al Qaeda
FallsRNat | Feb 18, 2011, 05:27 AM EST
maybe they could have tossing the grenade, instead of the caber as a sport
FallsRNat | Feb 17, 2011, 04:45 PM EST
aah the good ol' boys of the RA will be pleased that there some gullibles left in the mother country.
sirpeter | Feb 16, 2011, 10:54 PM EST
No sign of the Brit lovers on this topic..Only poor paranoid FallsRNat fell for this one.
maloney | Feb 16, 2011, 09:28 PM EST
The brits are worried about the wrong bunch of people.
kurtjohnson | Feb 16, 2011, 09:21 PM EST
Despicable propoganda designed to stir anti-Irish hatred - even during the height of the troubles, the IRA never targeted international events. In reality, it's about giving the RUC thugs carte blanche to abuse the indigenous community (witness the recent attacks on the bloody sunday marchers as they tried to make their way home on the train).
sirpeter | Feb 15, 2011, 04:28 PM EST
It's nice to see the Brits blame Irish people for things they might do. You sucked that up Seamus as if it already happened. See how the mere suggestion of violence by the RIRA ect, triggers and enforces a belief in the brain. In your mind,and other posters it has already happened..There is your enemy Seamus. Now look at your post and see how you reacted..It's one thing to report violence..But the enemy of the peace process is FEAR. Say thanks to the Brits..Maybe sometime it will click, who are the real enemies of the peace process. Brainwashing is the process,not a human on the planet can resist it,our brains are too receptive.
Edinboron | Feb 15, 2011, 02:38 PM EST
Don't believe it for a second. This is just the British government trying to frame the Irish as the bad guys. A couple of years ago they claimed dissident IRA were targeting William and Harry, and then they were targeting the wedding, now they are targeting the Olympics. According to British Intelligence, dissident IRA is behind every tree and under every rock. In 2002 they were at a checkpoint in Israel, sniping at Israelis, then they were in Iran teaching Iraqis to make IED's...let's get real. The Irish are still the favorite scapegoat of the British. How would it benefit dissident IRA to stage an attack at the Olympics? Would killing or injuring a bunch of foreign athletes help their cause? Would killing a bunch of American tourists help their cause? An attack at the Olympics would only help the British to crack down on any Irish independence movement.
FallsRNat | Feb 15, 2011, 02:11 PM EST
these guys just can't stop, how many more times does ireland have to say - no no no to anymore violence
antoman | Feb 15, 2011, 01:26 PM EST
Wow..you'd think it would be the lot that likes to be henpecked in heaven for eternity by 72 formerly virgin women.This is scare mongering.Sure there's a man here representing Ireland in fencing,even bought new stakes and barbed wire to prepare for the event.
snakehips | Feb 15, 2011, 01:19 PM EST
Scary stuff!
kateomprint | Feb 15, 2011, 01:09 PM EST
Do these people not realize yet that the majority of people don't want this type of violence any more. Can they just leave it alone and let people get on with the Games. What great satisfaction is there in harming people. It is lovely to turn on the News and not see people who have been destroyed by this type of violence.