Some of your statements and figures are incorrect and misleading. Firstly the recent IRA attacks came before the loyalists protests over the flying of the british flag over belfast city hall and the IRA attacks have absolutely nothing to do with the flag issue. The flag protests are about loyalists not accepting a democratic decision by duely elected representitives of the people. Secondly the figure of 3,600 is the total number of dead in the conflict from '69-'98, which includes people mudered by loyalist death squads and the British army. According to the CAIN research project at the University of Ulster the Provisional IRA was responsible for the deaths of 1,824 people during the troubles up to 2001. This figure represents 48.4 percent of the total fatalities in the conflict.

Also to call the Provisional IRA a fringe element is also misleading seen as Sinn Fein who are comprised of ex IRA leaders and volunteers are now sharing power in NI and are the biggest Nationalist/republican party. They very much had/have the support of their community and the way the demographics stand at the moment in NI is 48% protestant 45% Catholic.

It should also be noted that democratic elections were held on the island of  Ireland  in 1918 and 75% of the people voted for Sinn Fein having a mandate to establish a republic, however BRITAIN IGNORED DEMOCRACY! and refused to recognise sinn fein who had established their own government and the Irish war of independence followed in the end Britain once again ignored democracy by partitioning the country sowing the seeds for never ending violence in Ireland

I would also like to comment on the use of the word terrorist, this is a term that a bigger army applies to a smaller one that has the intelligence not to fight on the terms of the larger army.

It may come as interest to the American readers that Britain once called the American war of independence fighters Terrorists also