Resurfacing of the Troubles?

[DougieG]

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Protests over dissident murders
BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Officer's murder condemned
BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Arrests over NI policeman murder

What does everyone think? I doubt that anyone here will condone murder, but was Thatcher right? - 'there is no such thing as political violence and murder. Only criminal violence and murder.'

On a wider scale, what should be done about Northern Ireland? I have a fairly 50/50 view on this, and will give a longer explanation when I have time!

[Midas]

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Protests over dissident murders
BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Officer's murder condemned
BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Arrests over NI policeman murder

What does everyone think? I doubt that anyone here will condone murder, but was Thatcher right? - 'there is no such thing as political violence and murder. Only criminal violence and murder.'

On a wider scale, what should be done about Northern Ireland? I have a fairly 50/50 view on this, and will give a longer explanation when I have time!

I believe she was quite right; what may have originally started as political/religious violence was used as an excuse for criminal violence on both sides of the divide. I guess the thought pattern goes that tagging anything with the 'political' or 'religious' label enables the perpetrators to justify their actions, to themselves if to no-one else.

As to the long term fate of Northern Ireland, short and sweet but I sit in the 'give it back to the Irish Republic' camp - with plenty of safeguards and assurances for the continuity of British interests of course.

[Opinionated]

I hope no-one panics too much over the potential consequencies of these incidents, it's good to see there are peace marches planned. Spain still has to deal every now and then with ETA and I think sometimes that's the price you pay for an imperfect democracy. At the end of the day I am sure the people of Northern Ireland feel happier living in an imperfect peace than at the height of the troubles.

[Midas]

Spain still has to deal every now and then with ETA and I think sometimes that's the price you pay for an imperfect democracy.

With apologies in advance, but did you hear about all those killed after the panic with a fire alarm in a building in San Sebastian? The local authorities tried to put just too many Basques in one exit!