D
Digitonomy
Guest
This is a very good sign.
- Status
M
MikeWM
Guest
Excellent. Dismantling terrorist groups intelligently is a slow but worthwhile process.
Mike
Mike
G
GarryOwen
Guest
35 years overdue, but better late than never.
D
Digitonomy
Guest
It’s true. On the other hand, 35 years ago the British government was unwilling to take the reasonable measures of the past few years to assure the Catholic population its interests would be protected, so there was not a lot of vocal opposition to the IRA from Catholic quarters. Why change if your base isn’t clamoring for it?
V
vern_humphrey
Guest
It is one of the ironies of history that the solution to problems like those in Ireland, South Africa and other strife-torn nations turns out to be one that could have been adopted before the trouble started.
We should remember that in 19i64, the IRA did disarm – and in 1969, the present troubles started with attacks on Catholics. The IRA today descends not from the Official IRA (which is now the “sticky” Worker’s Party) but from Provisional IRA, which was formed to protect the Catholic ghettos from Protestant paramilitary groups.
G
GarryOwen
Guest
The ironic thing about the IRA is that they murdered maimed and tortured more Catholics than the Protestants did. They were nothing more than evil murdering terrorists.
V
vern_humphrey
Guest
And opposed by even more evil murdering terrorists. The Unionists and security forces killed more non-combatants than the IRA. I recommend reading Tim Pat Coogan, J. Boyer Bell, and Brigadier Glover’s report.
J
jonfan
Guest
Now they just need to dismantle Ian Paisley.
R
RomanCrusader
Guest
Ian Paisely and his Protestant/Unionist thugs are the real terrorists in Ireland. The Unionist Protestants for hundreds of years waged a genocide campaign that killed over a million Catholic Irish.
The IRA has done some awful things that I will never condone, but their mission itself was a good one: liberate Ireland and protect the Irish Catholics. Still though peace is good so I’m glad to see they have disarmed.
The IRA has done some awful things that I will never condone, but their mission itself was a good one: liberate Ireland and protect the Irish Catholics. Still though peace is good so I’m glad to see they have disarmed.
G
GarryOwen
Guest
You
re American, arent you.
G
GarryOwen
Guest
Yes Jon, Paisley is a political dinosaur who spouts nothing but Anti Catholic rhetoric. He and his kind of Protestant fundamentalist politics should be confined to the political dustbin forever.
G
GarryOwen
Guest
Paisley is as much a terrorist as the IRA.
Millions of Irish people killed in genocide…don`t get carried away.
You say you won`t condone them, I challenge you to condemn their previous activities instead.
With protectors like the IRA, who needs Loyalists.
I take it that you are an American as well.
V
vern_humphrey
Guest
Yes. And also a professional soldier – one whose duties both before and after retiring have led him into contact with terrorist problems – to the extent as working as a terrorist at US Army training centers.
The IRA is a unique organization in many ways – and it is true that Loyalists and security forces have killed more non-combatants than the IRA. It is also true that the current settlement could have been implemented in 1969 – had the power structure been willing.
E
Eireann
Guest
Well having lived through it I can see your totally wrong, have you ever been to Northern Ireland ? have you ever been to Iraq, because I can tell you that the news you receive where ever you are in the world is more than a little skewed, what you get from Iraq is different from what you get on the ground.
You have no idea, and you come on here accusing the IRA of murdering and forget the reason they went to war in the first place.
What about the famine, when the English starved us to the four corners of the world, mainly the USA.
Do you know the people of this province weren’t totally without fault, do you know what they wrote on the walls ?
I.R.A. I ran away, then when the IRA took on the British, helped off course with money from the USA, the people that wanted protection suddenly didn’t want any part of it, TOO LATE, the cat was out of the bag.
Why don’t you condemn all the Protestant murdering gangs ? do you know the song Sean South from Garry Owen ? because like your user name, he, Sean South was an IRA member, shot dead by the black and tans.
The british made this problem, and we all reaped the harvest, why could’nt you say “GREAT NEWS” instead of a negative like the murdering IRA, because I can tell you here in Ireland, the IRA wern’t always looked upon as the bad guys.
G
Gottle_of_Geer
Guest
This ? I wish I believed it. 
But thanks for posting it 
Not having the capacity to do so, is perfectly compatible with wanting to - they may not want to at present, but that is no proof whatever of a real change of heart; it may well be that they will try to gain their ends by equally destructive but less openly violent means. “No longer” may be true for now - why must it be true for all time future ? What reason is there (*apart *from their propaganda) to believe one word they say ? Have people never of the boy who cried “Wolf !” ?
The IRA is Marxist, after all; all the Catholic trappings are a sham (they’re hardly going to pretend to be Calvinists now, are they
?) - & Marxists have often behaved in exactly this way. Only the very naive or ignorant (= most politicians in this country 
) are going to be deceived. What is not said, is as important what is. These people have left themselves plenty of room to “justify” going back on this announcement; they’ve committed themselves irrevocably to absolutely nothing. As is their habit. They are not fools - even they intend to take the rest of the UK for idiots. ##They’ve said that kind of thing in the past. Several times. Next thing we’ve heard, they’ve been involved in robberies, knee-cappings, “executions” of informants, that kind of thing. Why should this time be any different ?
Not that their Loyalist opposite numbers are much better (if at all) - but at least the Loyalists (if they were loyal to the Crown, they would not break the Queen’s laws as they do) haven’t:
- tried to kidnap members of the Royal family
- murdered MPs
- tried to murder the Cabinet
However, pointing to the crimes of the “Protestant” thugs, does not in any way make the IRA any less a criminal gang.
Until then, he and his crew are no different from OBL and his. If they are different at all. AFAIK (perhaps wrongly) OBL’s own ideology is at least in part inspired by Arabist Marxism.
Marxism is a “revolting plague” - even if these two gentlemen are treated as heroes.
This “agreement” is best used as lavatory-paper - it would at least be useful for that purpose; it’s worthless otherwise ##
S
system
Guest
Garry - most people have their location stated. You don’t have to snidely ask if they are American. Are you implying you’re not?
I see you have your point of view already locked in place. Unfortunate. It’s people who are unable to change that make bad situations last longer.
I have friends from there. I have been there. It’s is incredibly different than it used to be. I was there during the first decommissioning in 2001. What many would look at fantastic news was immediately downplayed by Paisley and his followers. If you followed this you would know how many times the republicans took forward steps and the unionist/loyalists did not.
The only people armed there right now are loyalist paramilitaries.
The provos war is over. It was over YEARS ago.
And by the way Geer, the only marxists you’re going to find are in tiny splinter groups who have no popular support. The republican movement has what Americans may call socialist ideas maybe, like dignity for workers and that sort horrible stuff, but not Marxist.
Feel free to look at the state departments list of terrorists groups and see what you can find. The IRA was taken off long ago.
And let’s give credit where it is due:
This new peaceful situation is a direct result of the intervention of President Clinton, Senator Mitchell, Canadian General De Chastelain and one more…Holkerri?
Read George Mitchell’s book “Making Peace” The man had the patience of a saint. Missed his own father’s funeral to get the opposing sides to sit at the same table and SPEAK. I think that act alone stunned and humbled a few of them into sitting down. The “Good Friday Agreement of 1998” could be seen as a modern day miracle!
S
system
Guest
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
The IMC as well as the two clergymen witness of the decommissioning were put in place so no one HAD to believe anything the IRA said. A canadian Genreal, a Catholic Priest, and a Methodist minister were the impartial observers, remember?
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
Actually, most polls quote that a majority of the population of the UK would LOVE to be rid of Northern Ireland. (you know, come to think of it, I think that was true at the time of partition in the 20’s, too.)
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
It is true that since there is no inherent trust in the policing system, that the IRA had done some policing of their own. But this latest IMC report does NOT state the things you do.
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
You are correct. Seems like just the Summer of '05 when Loyalist gunmen were taking shots at her Majesty’s soldiers. Good old PARADE season, when thousands of marches take place reliving the battle of the boyne in 1690 because the catholic King lost! What better way to celebrate than to burn catholic homes, and beat the Lambeg drums, eh?
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
Aw - that is so cute. As you know, none of the republican members of parliament have ever, or should they ever swear allegience to that Germanic Queen over there. (look it up)
Gottle of Geer;1554252:
- This agreement has saved lives.
- This agreement has kids hopeful again.
- This agreement has tourism booming in Northern Ireland.
- This agreement has thousands of soldiers going home
- This agreement has watchtowers and spying tower being torn down
- This agreement is the closest thing to peace they have seen in over a generation
E
Eireann
Guest
Well Garryowen is a small place in Limerick County, so who knows, possibly south of the border, or across the water as we say.
My father picked it up on the radio, when Sean South from Garryowen was killed, not sure but I think he was pitched forked to death, along with a hail of bullets.
There’s even a song to him…'Twas on a dreary New Year’s Eve
As the shades of night came down
A lorry load of volunteers approached a border town
There were men from Dublin and from Cork
Fermanagh and Tyrone (And Tyrone!!)
But the leader was a Limerick man -
Sean South from Garryowen.
Yes such negativity, easy to do if you don’t have live here.
Yes and there are important talks going to take place in Scotland next week, we’ll see.
Yes the shout here all the time is IRA, and yet the loyalists, (in name only ) hang onto their weapons, very unbalanced.
Yes dissident Republicans they’re called here, and want no part of the so-called peace process, problem is, many are defecting to them.
Yes but for the brave steps that President Clinton took in allowing Gerry Adams a visa to the States we wouldn’t be where we are today.
And George Mitchell does deserve a medal, he stuck with it to the end.
What Bill Clinton did was in great opposition from the British, but there was no love lost, the then Tories under John Major didn’t want him voted in as President, so it was a two fingered salute to them.
E
Eireann
Guest
Yes if there had been fair play for Catholics, the whole 30 year conflict could have been avoided.
I believe this was the catalyst for the recruiting of members to the IRA, and they didn’t need a push, this was the straw that broke the camels back.
And the inhumane way people were treated here is
unbelievable,…
The Celtic League is to seek clarification from the British Prisons Minister of reports that Irish political prisoner Roisin McAliskey may be shackled whilst giving birth and that the new born child will be taken away from her within twenty-four hours.
Guilty or not, no-one deserves to be treated like an animal, and a pregnant woman at that, this is only one example.
Castlereagh and Gough Barracks
** We would remind you that this latest series of incidents is, regrettably, completely compatible with the track record of the United Kingdom’s Security Forces for a period of over twenty years in N. Ireland. **
** In 1972 the Irish government complained formally to the European Commission about interrogation techniques then used. The Commission found against the United Kingdom and confirmed that those techniques contravened Article 3 of the European Convention. Periodically over the years there were sustained allegations about methods used in Police Stations and Army bases throughout N. Ireland. **
Oral Submissions to the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, Father Raymond Murray, Dublin Castle, April 1995
The British Government does not hold the high moral ground. Like the paramilitaries it should also acknowledge and repent for its crimes, the deaths and suffering of innocent people it has caused. Truth helps a peace process and has healing effects. Justice and charity flow from it. Our submission to the Forum outlined 16 classifications of the violations of human rights.
Aidan Mc Anespie I remember this coming on the evening news, the British soldier said he would get him, and he did, how convenient, he said the catch on his gun failed, oh yeah and I’m Elvis.
G
GarryOwen
Guest
Factually inaccurate on a number of issues.
I am from the north and I see that you are from Enniskillin and a barstool republican at it, with more than a blinkered view of Irish history. I have had friends and family murdered by both republicans and loyalists so you are in absolutely no position to lecture me on anything especially the morallity (or lack of it of the IRA).
Sean south( from Limerick) was was shot as a result of attacking a police station along the border during the 1950
s IRA s border campaign. It the B Specials/RUC not the black and tans.I condemn both loyalist and republican violence, I condemn all violence whatever its origin, which is more than you are doing. You seem to take an a la carte attitude to it.
I suggest you go stop trying to rewrite history to suit your purposes.
- Status