Can someone explain to me the differences between the UVF, UFF, UDA, etc. in N. Ireland ? ?

Question

Which one was the biggest? What are the differences in ideology, agenda, tactics, etc.?

Answer 1

The UDA was an umbrella group used to include numerous Loyalist 'defense groups'  in responce to PIRA attacks.  Up until 1992 the UDA was a legal orginisation (only in name of course).

The UFF was a cover name for the UDA (like the Red-hand defenders)

when they wanted to use their death squads to pick up, torture and kill people they suspected of being Catholics.

The name UVF dates back to 1912 as the Loyalist force who opposed the home rule bill (treating to bring civil war to Ireland if home rule was granted).

The name was adopted in 1966 by a group of militant loyalists in the north opposed to liberal unionism and in particular the Catholic civil rights movement.

Both groups claim their main objective was to kill Provo's but in reality they lorded over unionist working class communities just as brutally as the IRA did.  They operated above the law because some high ranking RUC officials seen them as an assist in their campaign against the Provo's, providing them with guns, ignoring their drug peddling and most significantly the countless people they tortured and murdered because they suspected they were catholics.

Today the UVF and UDA have no political agenda, it's all about drugs and turf wars.

Answer 2

They are terrorists.

This will be a touchy subject!

The UVF first terrorize Catholics then kill them.

The others will just kill them - anyone of them they could.

Answer 3

You've asked a lot of questions about politics and paramilitaries in this country???  It is true that Loyalist murder gangs, as that is the only way to describe them, have been used to target and murder Catholics and there has been conclusive proof that both the former RUC and elements of both the British Army and intelligence community in Northern Ireland have used them to carry out their dirty work.  They are mostly in disarray now fighting amongst themselves over drugs and as said previously turf wars as they watch their once total dominance in Loyalist working class areas slowly but surely disappear.  I feel this in turn has allowed Republicans to seize the high moral ground and allow them to participate in nearly all aspects of political life in Northern Ireland, the final pieces of which will fall into place shortly.  Loyalists need to come in from the cold as there is a place for them at the negotation table and hopefully this will happen sooner rather than later.