Historical Dictionary of Terrorism Third Edition

294 • IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMYto block fund-raising for Sinn Fein as long as it refused to accept theauthority of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. On 18 March 2002a break-in of the Castlereagh police station was blamed on the IRA,while a police raid on Sinn Fein offices on 4 October 2002 foundevidence alleging that Sinn Fein had been passing sensitive police andmilitary information to IRA military units. This allegation led to the14 October 2002–8 May 2007 suspension of the Northern Ireland Assemblyand Executive. In December 2005 Dennis Donaldson, an IRAmember who had turned informant, claimed that the spy ring had actuallybeen a disinformation campaign directed by his British handlersagainst the IRA. Donaldson’s later assassination on 4 April 2006 wasblamed on the IRA, while Gerry Adams claimed it was committed byrenegade IRA members trying to derail the peace process.On 20 February 2004 the attempted abduction of a former INLAmember, Bobby Tohill, who was an outspoken critic of the IRA, ledUnionists to accuse the IRA of further breaches of the Good FridayAgreement, and on 2 March 2004 David Trimble announced thatthe Ulster Unionist Party was withdrawing its support for the GoodFriday Agreement due to IRA lawlessness. On 20 December 2004the main office of the Northern Bank in Donegall Square, Belfast,was robbed of £26.5 million, which was blamed on the IRA by thePSNI and by both the Irish and British governments. During 17–18February 2005, the Irish police, the Garda, arrested eight people,including some known Sinn Fein members, and recovered £2 millionof the stolen funds. In October–November 2005 the PSNI arrestedfive people in connection with the robbery, three of whom were formallycharged, although charges against two of them were droppedon 3 January 2007. On 20 January 2005, IRA members murdered aCatholic, Robert McCartney, during a pub brawl. The IRA expelledthe three men accused of the murder and offered to execute the offendersif the McCartney family so wished, an offer they refused. On1 June 2005, two men were arrested and charged with the murder. On22 May 2006 Ian Paisley rejected Sinn Fein’s nomination of him asfirst minister, saying that he would not share power with those who“condoned and even planned murders, who robbed banks, who committedcriminal acts and who will not support the police.”To counter this stalemate, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern andBritish Prime Minister Blair joined in urging all parties to restore afunctioning Northern Ireland government. During 7–10 October 2006,