A quarter of a century after the end of the Troubles, paramilitaries continue to recruit, march, intimidate and, on occasion, kill
The scenes are like a time warp. Masked men in camouflage gear march through city centres while youths gather petrol bombs to hurl at police. Hoax bomb alerts seal off streets. Fresh murals celebrating gunmen appear on walls. News headlines report so-called punishment attacks.
If Rip van Winkle had dozed off when the Good Friday agreement was signed in 1998 and woke up now, 25 years later, he may not have noticed much difference in the presence of paramilitaries in Northern Ireland.
