Editing Real Irish Republican Army (section)

===2002–2007===
After McKevitt's imprisonment, the RIRA regrouped and claimed responsibility for a series of firebomb attacks against premises in Belfast in November 2004,<ref>{{cite news |last=Chrisafis |first=Angelique |date=26 November 2004 |title=Firebomb campaign hits Belfast |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/nov/26/northernireland.politics |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=3 May 2007}}</ref> and an attack on a [[Police Service of Northern Ireland]] (PSNI) patrol in [[Ballymena]] during March 2006 was attributed to the RIRA by the [[Independent Monitoring Commission]] (IMC).<ref name="IMC12">{{cite web|last=Independent Monitoring Commission |title=Twelfth report of the Independent Monitoring Commission |pages=12–13 |date=4 October 2006 |publisher=The Stationery Office |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7cd726e5274a2c9a4846eb/0101680120.pdf |access-date=4 February 2024 }}</ref> On 9 August 2006, fire bomb attacks by the RIRA hit businesses in [[Newry]], County Down. Buildings belonging to [[JJB Sports]] and [[Carpetright]] were destroyed, and ones belonging to [[MFI (retailer)|MFI]] and [[TK Maxx]] were badly damaged.<ref>{{cite web | title = Real IRA admits city bomb attacks | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4783953.stm | publisher = BBC | date = 11 August 2006 | access-date = 3 May 2007}}</ref> On 27 October 2006, a large amount of explosives was found in Kilbranish, [[Mount Leinster]], County Carlow by police, who believe the RIRA were trying to derail the [[Northern Ireland peace process|peace process]] with a bomb attack.<ref>{{cite web | title = Irish police 'foil Real IRA plot' | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6094660.stm | publisher = BBC | date = 28 October 2006 | access-date = 3 May 2007}}</ref> The IMC believe the RIRA were also responsible for a failed mortar attack on [[Craigavon (planned town)|Craigavon]] PSNI Station on 4 December 2006.<ref>{{cite web | title = Device is fired at police station | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6206266.stm | publisher = BBC | date = 4 December 2006 | access-date = 6 May 2007}}</ref><ref name="IMC15">{{cite web|last=Independent Monitoring Commission |title=Fifteenth report of the Independent Monitoring Commission |page=12 |date=25 April 2007 |publisher=The Stationery Office |url=http://www.nio.gov.uk/fifteenth_report_of_the_independent_monitoring_commission.pdf |access-date=13 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214082450/http://www.nio.gov.uk/fifteenth_report_of_the_independent_monitoring_commission.pdf |archive-date=14 December 2010 }}</ref> The IMC's October 2006 report stated that the RIRA remains "active and dangerous" and that it seeks to "sustain its position as a terrorist organisation".<ref name="IMC12"/> The RIRA has stated it has no intention of calling a ceasefire unless a declaration of intent to withdraw from Northern Ireland is made by the British Government.<ref name="RIRA"/>

In a lengthy interview with the newspaper ''[[An Phoblacht]]'' in 2003, the leadership of the [[Provisional IRA]] said that the RIRA had "no coherent strategy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/organ/ira/rira280103.htm|title=CAIN: real Irish Republican Army (rIRA) Statement, 28 January 2003|first=Dr Martin|last=Melaugh|website=cain.ulst.ac.uk|access-date=17 June 2006|archive-date=6 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806160931/http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/organ/ira/rira280103.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>