End of the road for Dads' Army???

Money dries up for CIRA and their drug dealing/gun renting/ 'security' services

REPUBLICAN Sinn Fein has been designated a foreign terrorist organisation by US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Previously the Continuity IRA (CIRA) had been designated as a terror group under the US Immigration and Nationality Act, but Mr Powell has amended the designation to add RSF to a list of 38 foreign terrorist groups.

Under the new designation "aliases" of CIRA, including the Continuity Army Council and Republican Sinn Fein, have been newly branded foreign terrorist organisations.

The State Department views CIRA as having been "formed as the clandestine armed wing" of RSF.

Under US law this designation makes it illegal for persons in the US or subject to the US jurisdiction to provide material support for the group. It requires US financial institutions to block the group's assets and it provides a basis for the US to deny visas to representatives and members of the group.

According to a statement from the US State Department, since its inception CIRA "the US nited States remains fully committed to a peaceful settlement in Northern Ireland on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement and we continue working with the British and Irish governments as well as with all the parties to advance this goal