Editing Omagh bombing (section)

== Background ==
{{Main|Northern Ireland peace process|Timeline of the Northern Ireland Troubles and peace process}}
After negotiations to end [[the Troubles]] had failed in 1996, there was a resumption of political violence in [[Northern Ireland]] which peaked during the [[Drumcree conflict|Drumcree crises]].<ref>{{harvnb|Darby|2001|p=96}}</ref> The peace process resumed in 1997. [[Sinn Féin]] accepted the [[Mitchell Principles]] in September 1997, which involved commitment to [[non-violence]], as part of the peace process negotiations.<ref name=fas>[https://fas.org/irp/world/para/nira.htm Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) profile], [[Federation of American Scientists]]; retrieved 13 May 2009</ref> [[Dissident republican|Dissident]] members of the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] (IRA), who considered this as a betrayal of the [[Physical force Irish republicanism|republican struggle]] for a [[united Ireland]], left in October 1997 to form the [[Real Irish Republican Army]] (Real IRA).<ref name=fas /><ref name=birth />

The Real IRA's tactics were the same as those of the IRA before it. It targeted the British security forces and carried out bombings of symbolic or economic targets. The goal was to damage the economy and cause severe disruption, thereby putting pressure on the [[Government of the United Kingdom|British government]] to withdraw from Northern Ireland.<ref>O'Day, Alan. ''Political Violence in Northern Ireland''. Greenwood Publishing, 1997. p.20</ref> Warnings were sent before such bombings, along with a code word so that the authorities would know it was genuine. The Real IRA [[Real Irish Republican Army#Early campaign|began its paramilitary campaign]] with an attempted car bombing in [[Banbridge]], [[County Down]], on 7 January 1998. The {{convert|300|lb}} explosive was defused by security forces.<ref name=birth /> Over the following months, it [[Timeline of Real Irish Republican Army actions|mounted several car bomb and mortar attacks]]. There were also attacks or attempted attacks in [[Moira, County Down|Moira]], [[Portadown]], [[Armagh]], [[Newry]], [[Lisburn]], [[Belfast]], and [[Belleek, County Fermanagh|Belleek]], as well as [[1998 Banbridge bombing|another car bombing in Banbridge]] on 1 August, which caused thirty-five injuries but no deaths.<ref name=birth />

The Omagh bombing took place thirteen weeks after the [[Good Friday Agreement]] of April 1998 was signed. Intended to be a comprehensive solution to the Troubles, the agreement had broad support both in Ireland and internationally.<ref name=on>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/15/omagh.bombing.anniversary/index.html|title=Deadly Omagh bombing remembered 10 years on|work=CNN.com|date=15 August 2008|access-date=11 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/index.asp?locID=375&docID=1365 |title=Statement to Seanad Éireann on the Omagh Bombing |publisher=Department of the Taoiseach |access-date=18 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050728094109/http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/index.asp?locID=375&docID=1365 |archive-date=28 July 2005 }}</ref>