Bloody Sunday & the Saville Inquiry.

[cyanide-sid]

Don't get me started on the millions it cost to search for a 16 year old girl whose parents were stupid enough to encourage her to sail around the world on her own - with a Frenchman nearly losing his own life trying to pull her out of the water.

not a complete waste of dosh then

 

[cyanide-sid]

Not being funny, but I really don't understand your point? I was pointing out that the Civil Rights Association was not an entirely innocent civilian organisation - If you want to argue the rights and wrongs of the ANC's campaign of violence, that's a whole different issue. The SA govt were correct to fight the ANC as they saw them as terrorists, the politics behind that fight were clearly flawed and horrible, likewise the British Govt were correct to deploy the military to try and keep order against violent organisations.

The jump from civil rights activist to sabateur to 'terroist' ( or of course freedom fighter) is dictated to by the extremes of oppression showed against a people. Both Tambo and Mandela have both been quoted on more than one occasion in saying that an armed struggle with innocent casuties would have been inevitable sooner than later. Soviet backing was in place and Tambo was always amazed why people expressed such horror that they sought Russian support. With the attitude of the USA and Britain for such long periods who could blame them for the friends they sought out.

 

[Pat McCrotch]

Can't be arsed reading the whole thread but, to me it really is beyond belief.

How much worse can people in government get? Are they taking lessons in how to piss people off? If things weren’t bad enough with our economy etc., we’ve now got a new pile of f****** crap about Northern f****** Ireland.

“Call me Dave” Cameron is another one who’s already beginning to get on my nerves. He tells the Commons that his government and the country are “deeply sorry” for what happened in that hell hole in 1972.

If, by “the country”, he thinks I am included, well he’s most certainly mistaken. I’ve been listening to this crap for virtually my entire life. Terrible mistakes were made & had to be suffered but also life must move on.

The more you dwell in the mire of the past, the more you are unable to deal with the present. And that’s the problem with the people of Northern Ireland (& also Liverpool, while we’re at it). They blame the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the British Army, the South Yorkshire Police for all their problems and then, as the joint benefit capitals of the universe, expect the rest of us to keep them comfy so that they enjoy their Nike gear.

Since Blair became Prime Minister, more times than I can remember, I’ve had to read the following headline about IRA killers/assassins “released from prison under the terms of the Northern Ireland peace agreement”.

These are people who carried out the killings in all our hotels, the underground system, the army barracks, the horses in Hyde Park, the Grand in Brighton, the shoppers at Harrods, the children in Warrington, the shoppers in Omagh.

What shame I feel about the way our politicians behave.

 

[El Presidente]

Terrible mistakes were made & had to be suffered but also life must move on.

Since Blair became Prime Minister, more times than I can remember, I’ve had to read the following headline about IRA killers/assassins “released from prison under the terms of the Northern Ireland peace agreement”.

These are people who carried out the killings in all our hotels, the underground system, the army barracks, the horses in Hyde Park, the Grand in Brighton, the shoppers at Harrods, the children in Warrington, the shoppers in Omagh.

.....and those killings have now stopped.

 

[Brian Potter]

For what it is worth to the great debate, here is my take on it without getting overtly political..

Yes, the Paras probably did f*** up, but first let's consider a copule of things..

1. Prior to the outbreak of the troubles, the army had spent the past 40 odd years fighting the fuzzie-wuzzies in far flung corners of the empire. The army had no experience of how to deal with these situations, and the training they received prior to deployment was probably woefully inadequate at best. By the time I went on my first tour out there in the early 80's we had developed strategies and training methods to help the troops cope with these situations.

2. Sending the Paras there in the first place was a bad choice. Paras are built up to be fighting machines,their whole ethos is based on "get into them and f*** them up". They were probably the worst unit to have sent over.

So yes, I think most people would agree that things were done wrong, but don't blame the individual squaddies, blame the hierachy and the process.

 

[ROSM]

For what it is worth to the great debate, here is my take on it without getting overtly political..

Yes, the Paras probably did f*** up, but first let's consider a copule of things..

1. Prior to the outbreak of the troubles, the army had spent the past 40 odd years fighting the fuzzie-wuzzies in far flung corners of the empire. The army had no experience of how to deal with these situations, and the training they received prior to deployment was probably woefully inadequate at best. By the time I went on my first tour out there in the early 80's we had developed strategies and training methods to help the troops cope with these situations.

2. Sending the Paras there in the first place was a bad choice. Paras are built up to be fighting machines,their whole ethos is based on "get into them and f*** them up". They were probably the worst unit to have sent over.

So yes, I think most people would agree that things were done wrong, but don't blame the individual squaddies, blame the hierachy and the process.

agreed