Within weeks of the announcement it became obvious that the ‘cessation of military operations’ did not mean that the IRA would be entirely inactive. The practice of carrying out ‘punishments’ of alleged wrongdoers in republican areas continued, and although the practice of shooting them in the legs was temporarily ended, scores of men and youths were savagely beaten. It also emerged in late 1994 that the IRA was still watching members of the security forces, and continued to size up potential targets for attack in both Northern Ireland and Britain.
