ABSTRACT
The present leadership of the IRA has been in power for about five years, and appears to be a tight, collective one, with determination to fight a long terrorist campaign until the British government is forced to abandon Northern Ireland. Behind that firm façade are doubts and uncertainties, such as whether the IRA will in fact be able to sustain a long campaign in the face of improved antiterrorist measures. The article traces the development of the leadership, its differences, the reasons for the split between the “Officials” and the “Provisionals,” and the appearance of the Irish National Liberation Army splinter.
