The golden rule of politics in Northern Ireland seems to be 'never miss an opportunity for a good MOPE'. Following this rule seems to have become second nature to one Gerry Adams. Following yesterday's ARA raids in Manchester he claimed that the head of the ARA was anti-republican.

He may well be. "Republican" in Northern Ireland generally means one who supports a united Ireland at all costs, but who seems predisposed to have a love of violence and crime. Equally, Loyalists would be their opponents on the Protestant side of the fence.

Given this - yes, the ARA most certainly is anti-Republican. It's also anti-Loyalist. That's their f**king job!

Follow up:

Oh yeah, and at the same time, Sinn Fein's Newry & Armagh MP Conor Murphy was denying alleged IRA leader Slab Murphy was anyway involved in it. What do you know, another MOPE! This is the same party who denied Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness were in the IRA; the same party whose military wing denied killing a 14 year old girl and then shot an army soldier in 'retaliation'.