The Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) is a splinter group of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).  While the IRA and its political wing, Sinn Fein, pursued negotiations for a cease-fire in Northern Ireland, an internal rift grew within the IRA itself.  Members of the IRA who opposed the ceasefire negotiations broke off in early 1998 to form the RIRA.  <p><br />The creation of the RIRA was instigated by the 1994 and 1997 cease-fires declared by the IRA, as well as Sinn Fein's agreement to the Mitchell Principles on democracy and nonviolence.  Some hard-line members of the IRA objected to the policy of cease-fires and negotiations.  The final catalyst was the signing of the Good Friday Agreement reached in 1998.  While much of the world heralded the Good Friday Agreement as an enormously positive step towards peace, some members of the IRA chose to continue their brutal terrorist attacks throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland.  These members broke from the IRA and created the RIRA. <p><br />As a paramilitary organization, the RIRA remains devoted to terrorist tactics to attain the goal of unifying Ireland's 32 counties under an independent Republic of Ireland.  Currently, six counties in Northern Ireland remain part of the United Kingdom.  The RIRA believes that armed struggle is the best method through which to rid Northern Ireland of any British troops.  They have consistently attempted to derail peace prospects in Ireland through bombings, assassinations, and robberies. Traditional targets have been British military forces and Northern Ireland's police and Protestant communities. Members of the group have also conducted bombings in London against British government targets and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). <p><br />On August 15, 1998, the RIRA carried out the single largest terrorist attack in Northern Ireland's history.  Using a car bomb, the RIRA killed 29 people in the town of Omagh.  After the attack, the organization claimed responsibility for the incident, and apologized, saying that it was not the group's intent to kill civilians and that prior warning had been given.  The group also committed to a cease-fire, which was never implemented.  Members of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), a related Irish republican terror group, were also suspected of providing supplies and transportation for the bombing.   <p><br />On August 7, 2003, the group's founder and leader, Michael McKevitt, was sentenced to a 20 year prison term on charges of directing terrorism.  Since his detainment, McKevitt has called for the disbandment of the RIRA.  However, despite his calls for disbandment and the imprisonment of approximately 40 other members of the RIRA, the attacks continue.  Members of the RIRA remain committed to the unification of Ireland and the use of violence to attain this goal.<br />