The IRA have no trust for the other side because the Roman Catholic’s have always been treated as second class citizens, for example, The Ulster police force was made up of Protestants and would discriminate against the Catholics. There have been a number of major incidents in the past that also makes this trust difficult.
One of these is Bloody Sunday. Thirteen innocent people were shot dead. The British Army opened fire on unarmed and peaceful civilian demonstrators. Another example is the Hunger Strikes. Ten people died due to this hunger strike. Margaret Thatcher and the British Government abolished the ‘special category’ and then refused to give in to Bobby Sands hunger demonstration. These angered the Roman Catholic community and the IRA, they have bad memories of the past and some of the IRA’s violence could be blamed on them seeking revenge for these above incidents.
The IRA have always been able to rely on their weapons. The mainland bomb attacks are proof of this. If the IRA want something they can use major violence. If they decommission they will not have this option, this again would weaken the IRA.
Some members of the IRA see decommissioning as surrender. The IRA does not want to surrender until they have gained a united Ireland. They set out to gain a united Ireland and have not yet succeeded so they don’t want to decommission.
Violence has worked for the IRA in the past. When they use violence the British Government listen to their demands. The IRA have not been defeated by the British Army or the loyalists so they feel they don’t need to decommission. Some would say that the IRA would like Ireland all to themselves and wouldn’t try power sharing.
The IRA’s power is based around violence, terror and their weapons. Therefore by decommissioning their weapons they would lose a great deal of power. If the IRA were to give up their weapons it would be a major risk as they would become very weak.
The IRA is under a great deal of pressure not to decommission its weapons by some of the Roman Catholic Community. E.g. South Armagh- the IRA has stronghold here. The Catholic people are scared that if the IRA decommission its weapons the unionist will mistreat the Catholics and the Catholics will no longer have anyone to protect them.
Some people don’t know any other way of life. Some people see violence as normal because of the way they have been brought up. They think that decommissioning is a stupid and foolish thing to do. Some people earn their living from the IRA. To decommission would possibly mean a lack of income.
The IRA needs weapons for a number of important reasons. It is not as simple as some make it out to be. There are many dangers and risks involved. To give up their weapons would leave the IRA in a precarious position and would be a major sacrifice. I think the major point to why the IRA do not decommission is because of the lack of trust between the IRA, the republicans and the British Government.