All we want is the truth!

by how wrong we were Wed Feb 27, 2008 18:24

Is british intelligence pulling the strings of the provos an illusion? Since 1986(when the provisionals first turned their back to the Republic) the retreat away of Republican principles, ideas, and politics by the Adamsite has seen the greatest success of collusion. PSF supports partition, Supports the RUC, and are part and parcel of teh status quo with 'ministers' who dish out Brit rule to our people. Provisional collusion with Britian is no illusion.

by Republican Thu Feb 28, 2008 09:30

In war people die.
When we had to do dirty things ourselves we did them - touts who were selling out their comrades needed to be rubbed out - no hatred involved just the rules of the game.
RUC officers and part-time UDR members could not be got at when they were on duty and armed.
It was easier to get them when they were off duty - if this involved knocking them off in front of their families so be it - we were not playing games or having arguments with these people.
Labourers doing contract work for the British Army building bases, re-roofing, installing central heating, electrical appliances and such like were collaborators with the enemy and had to be taken out.
To bring Stormont down the economy of the North had to be attacked - commerical premises we bombed. We had to scare the anti-republican population and if that meant planting bombs and giving a few minutes warning but led to civilian deaths that too bad - it was war. If British and American forces bomb targets and kill civilians as an unintended by product that's just too bad.
To raise funds we had to rob banks - if that led to the odd garda killed in a pursuit or a bank employee shot dead well that was too bad.

I don't accept that IRA members killed in the line of duty were victims - they signed up and knew the score - this was not a game of cops and robbers and cowboys and indians - it was a war. If you were involved in armed struggle against the Brits you accepted that it could mean and bullet and the other side did not play fair so we didn't either.

That war is over now - We got what we wanted - Sinn Fein has a place in government with the unionists and we can forget the past and move on to a peaceful transition to Irish unity.

by w. Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:32

"We got what we wanted - Sinn Fein has a place in government with the unionists"

Funny how paradigms have been shifted to make this seem like it was the ultimate aim of the struggle in the North, talk about moving the goalposts.

by Durey Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:09

Scapatici donaldson and god knows who else lead to lots of pointless deaths

by Republican Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:37

Sure paradigms shift.
This is the real world after all.
The Troubles was negotiation through violence - the Republican movement was always in contact with the Brits through back channels while the war went on.
Michael Collins, & DeValera were communicating in secret with the Brits at the height of War of Independence long before the Treaty.

At the moment you can be sure that the CIA are also in secret contact with Al-Qaeda and Iran and North Korea.

The Republican knew that some stage the violent strategy would have to end and negotiations would commence.
When the Brits were back tracking and stalling we would launch a spectacular to make them know we hadn't gone away.

That strategy is no longer needed because it is clear the Irish unity can be achieved by killing loyalism with kindness towards our goal of a united ireland.

By going into government with the unionists we have won a victory and brought the day of Irish unity forward.

Resurrecting the nasty dirty past of Brit activies naturally resurrects memories of morally dodgy but necessary deeds that we ourselves did.

What is done is done, it can't be undone, so we have to crack on with a new reality.

by Sceptic Thu Feb 28, 2008 19:50

"THE BRITISH ARMY FAILED TO SUPPRESS THE IRA OR SNUFF OUT REPUBLICAN SEPARATISM IN NORTHERN IRELAND."

The British Army and RUC did succeed in containing the IRA to the extent
that the latter was quite unable to attain anything approaching a military
victory. In that space an opening for politics eventually emerged. To
that extent British policy of firmness against the IRA succeeded.

It was never a British objective to "snuff out Republican separatism in
Northern Ireland" nor could it have been done without the ethnic
cleansing of large areas. The British had their failings but they never
contemplated a Milosevic type solution or at least not in recent times.
They were also realists - separatism was a reality in Ireland and in
most of the former British colonies - they came to respect the reality
and permanence of it a long time ago.

“THAT WAR IS OVER NOW - WE GOT WHAT WE WANTED - SINN FEIN HAS A PLACE IN GOVERNMENT WITH THE UNIONISTS AND WE CAN FORGET THE PAST AND MOVE ON TO A PEACEFUL TRANSITION TO IRISH UNITY.”

Is that really all you wanted all along? I doubt. You people always said you wanted a 32 county socialist republic no less. SF owes its place in Government to electoral success not the IRA. On the contrary SF only became the dominant nationalist party in NI when the IRA ceased its campaign. Sunningdale for slow learners again. Pity several thousand people had to be killed in the meantime. Moreover far being path to unity the GFA is primarily an arrangement for the Governance of NI under partition. Not Irish unity.

yours with respect

by how wrong we were Thu Feb 28, 2008 20:37

It was the adamsite leadership that did all that. Yes, the brits controlled the maneuvering but was they who did it the provisional leadership and their loyal followers who did the actual work.and who helped them at it? Everyone from the phoblacht sellers to the lads who smashed up or threatened lcr, tyrone prisoners fund and rsf meetings on teh behalve of their 'northern' leadership. all are complicit. Adams and co didnt get where they are by themselves. today a bridge to far asks the loyal labourer who fool that he was never thought to inquire where the bridge went.