[setanta]

Originally Posted by Shasown

Oh Loughgall, would have thought you would have went for a better bone of contention. Like Op Flavius - Gibraltar.

I would suggest you read up on accounts of it first before saying things like they were unarmed. They were driving a JCB(used to crash through the fence) with an oil drum packed with explosives, three men on the JCB and a 5 man ASU (Active Service Unit) in a toyota all were armed.

The same style attack had been used the previous year, JCB carries bomb crashes through barriers bomb is lit while others fire into the police station, bomb goes off, the team wait a few minutes to kill anyone exiting the station in a daze, they all sod off in an escape vehicle.

First off the men on and in the JCB are armed with a bomb, they also carried side arms. The 5 man team in the toyota were armed with automatic assault rifles(machine guns for want of a better term).

Do you honestly think the JCB would have stopped if an RUC constable or a soldier in uniform stepped out in the road and put up his hand. Be serious they were intent on exploding the bomb, destroying the police station and the use of assault rifles firing into the station just as the fuse on the bomb was started shows they intended to take the life of anyone exiting the station either due to the noise of the approach of the JCB, the demolition of the protective fence around the station or after the bomb had exploded, any survivors crawling out of the wreckage.

Incidentally the station was manned at the time by both RUC and other SAS blades for the three days this op was ongoing, yes thats right they didnt have the date and time.

Legally to arrest them and get a conviction you had to catch them in possession of a bomb, detonating the bomb or immediately afterwards. They were armed to the teeth. Do you really think they would have put the weapons down if challenged, go on answer, do you?

It even went to the bleeding hearts in Europe and the authorities got a slap on the wrist for failing to carry out a full investigation into the incident. Apparently this was a denial of the terrorists human rights. Nuff said eh?

I'm not codemning or condoning it - just saying that every single group used ultra violent methods, that's all. Sure the SAS put over 200 rounds into two lads who were hiding guns in a barn out in the middle of nowhere. Just opened fire on the two of them in a hail of bullets. That's war baby and Britain didn't do much to defuse the situation initially. They made all the wrong moves, all the time. Plus they wouldn't have listened to the Nationalists if they weren't willing to highlight what they were capable of, you know?