Political violence and economic targeting aspects of provisional IRA strategy, 1992–97
From 1992 to 1997, the Provisional IRA(PIRA) engaged in a protracted campaign of economic targeting against central business districts and transport systems in Britain, using a range of explosive devices. There is evidence that the campaign had significant economic and political effects, although PIRA was operating in an adverse security environment and many of its actions failed. The article analyses the origins, development and impact of the campaign and places it in the context of actions by other paramilitary organisations, exploring its significance for the evolution of political violence in relation to the vulnerabilities of urban industrial states.