Along the back roads of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, black flags nailed to telephone poles fluttered desultorily in an autumn mist. In Dungannon an Irish tricolor flew at half-staff, while in Carrickmore the sidewalk curbs were painted orange, white and green. Thus last week did supporters of the tiny but lethal Irish Republican Army mourn the loss of three ranking "volunteers" -- two of them brothers -- who had been shot to death by British commandos in an ambush near Carrickmore.
After a series of successful attacks against British forces, the outlawed I.R.A. has suffered a string of mishaps and...