[Shasown]

Originally Posted by setanta

Wee shinnanigans kinda highlights exactly where you're coming from in this whole thing. Very dismissive tone for a people who were initially trampled on and not protected when they had the audacity to make a peaceful protest... how dare they want some say in a land that they've lived in for generations. The IRA was a necessary evil at a time when the loyalists had already armed themselves and Nationalists were getting no support from the State.

The SAS executed many of the IRA. Just took them out in ambushes. Would they do the same to loyalists? Would it have reached that stage had they been more inclined to listen to the problems of the people of Northern Ireland? And again, you never answered about the atrocities committed by British troops in Iraq.

Correct me if I am wrong here, but the troops were deployed to the Six counties to protect the Catholic Communities. They were sent to aid the civil powers, now a minor little problem was both sides of the divide had decided to arm themselves. The Catholic enclaves receiving money from amongst other places the government in Eire. The right to bear arms is actually a right enshrined in the US constitution its not allowed in the UK or the republic of Ireland.

So when the troops asked for the weapons and ammunition, didnt the people with the weapons decide to send the ammunition first, through the barrels of the weapons?

Wasn't it only in the mid 80's that PIRA dropped its assertion about the illegalities of the Government of the Irish Republic and Sinn Fein dropped its abstentionist policy towards the Dáil

Incidentally in 1955 in case you didnt know internment was re-introduced in Northern Ireland and it was used on both Loyalist and Nationalist groups.

Change was taking place at the time but unfortunately not fast enough for some.

Executed the IRA? Behave PIRA and the INLA wanted to be treat as soldiers, to be the heroes of the Armed Struggle. If you are engaged in a struggle with insurgents, then you remove the insurgents. Which particular ambush are you talking about?

Loyalists were ambushed using the same tactics. Most of these ambushes were against either men already armed, in the stages of arming themselves planting bombs or moving the explosives to the point of detonation. Sorry but thats a legal and legitimate tactic. Or maybe you think they should have not opened fire at all and just let get on with it?

What atrocities in Iraq? Real or alleged, then investigated and disciplined when necessary?