ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief history of the Irish conflict. It focuses on the period from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, though relevant information from subsequent years will also be included when applicable. Extortion In the Northern Ireland Threat Assessment Report for 2001, the Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) pointed out that among the reports of extortion to the police since the early 1990s, almost all were related to Loyalist groups. The cause the Loyalists fought for also had several goals: to keep Northern Ireland part of the United Kingdom; to oppose the so-called Home Rule; to defend themselves against aggression from the Republicans; and to counter Irish Republican Army (IRA) violence. Loyalist groups remain involved in drugs supply, intellectual property crime, extortion, money lending, and armed robbery. History offers numerous examples of Loyalist corruption. James Craig, a senior figure among the Loyalists and a member of the Ulster Defense Associations (UDA) inner council, is an interesting example.
