The Green Book (IRA)

The Green Book (English The Green Book, Irish An Leabhar Uaine ) was a manual that the Irish Republican Army and later the Provos charges those approached to the underground organization to find recording. It includes not only a very Republican representation recent Irish history, the formulation of the stated aims of the IRA and their self-understanding. Other chapters deal with the battle tactics, internal security, and especially the behavior of arrest and interrogation.

History

The Green Book was published in two editions, the first in the mid- 50s, later to 1977, the better-known second edition.

In this book, the strict republican view of Irish history is portrayed. Great importance is the last place overall Irish Parliament, the Dáil Second of 1921. Therein Sinn Féin had the majority and voted against the division of Ireland. The separation of Northern Ireland in the same year as part of the implementation of the Anglo -Irish Treaty is regarded as a betrayal of the Irish people. The IRA concludes from this that all subsequent parliaments, both the Parliament in Belfast and the Dáil Éireann in Dublin, were illegitimate. Until the reunion was completed, the IRA thus provides not only a regular army for the liberation of Ireland, but looking at her governing body ( the Army Council ) as a provisional government:

Objectives

While the first edition of the reunification of Ireland considered as a target of the fight, this is later to step on the road to a democratic and socialist republic. It should be noted that the attitude towards ideological issues is characterized by pragmatism. Socialist Ideengut played a major role in the leadership of the IRA, particularly as they pertain to international independence movements hoped for benefits ideological proximity. Once a shift to the left, however, the Catholic population or supporters from the United States threatened to alienate, too anti-capitalist theories, however, were also revised. In addition to the independence of Ireland, the IRA sought after, the cultural independence and also hopes for the restoration of Irish as vornehmliche language of the country.

Secrecy

Statements on internal security of the IRA appeared only in the second edition of the Green Book. The additions helped the success of the British intelligence bill, which the staff strength of the IRA decimated crucial with their education success. At the time of formulation of the new edition took place within the IRA the conversion of the military command structure, away from traditional units such as companies and battalions, towards a tighter cell structure. The background of which were repeated instances in which individual activists broke down after their arrest in the subsequent interrogation and award them with several dozen names. Future recruits has now suggested, not lightly to join the IRA. As members of a banned organization, they would very likely expect to be arrested and spend several years in prison. You are stopped under any circumstances on their mind, or even to speak their IRA membership. As one of the highest security risks carefree chatter is listed under the influence of alcohol. In the event of arrest, the reader is told emphatically not to make any information and to be silent under all circumstances. The background of this was the fact that the Royal Ulster Constabulary, although arrest persons without a warrant and could hold up to 7 days without giving reasons, but was then forced to release to the extent that no hardened suspicions. In this period was similar to that specified to be expected following interrogation methods:

• Humiliation
• Psychological torture
• Physical violence

Besides its function as a political manifesto of the IRA is the actual meaning of the Green Book in the training to resist interrogation within situations. Before the appearance of the '77 edition were IRA members who made confessions during questioning only expect expelled from the organization and to be avoided in the detention enforcement of other IRA inmates. Then confessor could not expect such leniency.