IRA to lay down arms

[chequita guevara]

Woops.

[Adam Smith]

In terms of furthering its cause among nationalists, the IRA's decision to carry out the Bloody Friday attacks proved to be a disaster.

Earlier in the year, the IRA had experienced a massive propaganda and recruitment boost after the Parachute Regiment killed 13 protesters during Bloody Sunday in Derry. Many joined believing that they had no other way to defend their communities.

By June, the organisation felt confident enough to call a ceasefire and hold secret talks with British ministers in London. Those talks came to nothing and the ceasefire collapsed.

Bloody Friday was part of a deliberate decision to ratchet up a campaign and make normal life impossible.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/2132219.stm

It appears Sunday came before Friday.

[Japher]

Sunday always comes before Friday

[C0ckney]

the troubles started in 1969, bloody sunday was in 1972. it would be nice if people would learn a bit about northern ireland before they comment on it. :/

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by C0ckney
the troubles started in 1969

I remember Lisburn & Belfast in 1969-71, as a small child. Helicopters always in the sky, checkpoints, soldiers on the streets. It was only when I moved back to England two years later that I discovered that growing up in a war-zone was not normal!

Now the provos have 'hung up their armalites' (subject to verification) meybe some them will want to contract themselves out to the Met (London Police) to offer some of their, erm, expertise in the 'New Troubles'.

So one war ends and another begins .... sigh

[MarkG]

Originally posted by C0ckney
mark g don't know **** :/

yeah i dont follow your politics so close. shoot me for living in another country

still, i do know what you know about greek issues

[MarkG]

Originally posted by molly bloom
They're known as the Troubles over here, it's not just B.B.C. speak.

i'm sure some northern irish dont feel like it's a simple "trouble"....

[MarkG]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
So one war ends and another begins .... sigh

war? no, it's just trouble

[C0ckney]

no kidding

Originally posted by MarkG
yeah i dont follow your politics so close...

and yet you still manage to post about it at every opportunity.

cort, i think it's a near certainty that the IRA will carry on with their criminal activities, there's a lot of money to be made smuggling fuel and drugs, racketeering and robbing banks

[MarkG]

Re: no kidding

Originally posted by C0ckney
and yet you still manage to post about it at every opportunity

so perhaps you propose to have a system where each of us is subject to the decision of a democratically appointed committee of apolytoners which decides on what kinds of issues we can post about?

[C0ckney]

nah i thought we could all just use our common sense, although i can see why you might struggle with that.

[Cort Haus]

Re: no kidding

Originally posted by C0ckney

cort, i think it's a near certainty that the IRA will carry on with their criminal activities, there's a lot of money to be made smuggling fuel and drugs, racketeering and robbing banks

They won't if they want to get back into the assembly - which Adams & McGuinness are desperate to do. The "No Surrender" DUP won't even think about talking to them if they feel the gangsterism is still there.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by MarkG
i'm sure some northern irish dont feel like it's a simple "trouble"....

If you understood anything about the Irish you'd know they have a sense of humor and like to understate things.

[Bereta_Eder]

i thought that was what the englezzoi called it

[Bereta_Eder]

BTW I knew some Irish and they didn't like to understate ANYTHING! And they were quite different from the english. But I always confused them.