Bloody Sunday: The long road to the Saville Report

Euronews.net ^ | 15/06/10

[GonzoII]

In 1972, 470 people died in the violent sectarian unrest which dominated Northern Ireland, including 13 people who died on Bloody Sunday when the army opened fire on unarmed civil rights marchers. Some 14 others were injured that day, one of whom later died.

[brooklyn dave]

And the sectarian violence continued for over another 20 years. I have very conflicting opinions on the Irish question. Sinn Fein/IRA have always been a left leaning bunch as a political organization-—so I could never get too excited about them...but it is understandable that a sizeable portion of the Catholic community turned to them because of the discrimination and the BS committed by the Unionist/Loyalists. I ask this theoretically-—when does one recognize a group as freedom fighters or as terrorists? Some acts are acts of terrorism—no bones about it-especially when the casualties are civilians. But there is so much that is subjective. The IRA were a mixed bag. They bombed pubs in England (acts of terrorism) but primarily fought British soldiers, UDA (local militia, like national guard) and a very heavily militarized police force as well as Loyalist paramilitaries. I know I am going to get crucified on this site—but that is the way I see it. I a reminded of FDR’s response to a cabinet member when speaker about the dictator Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. Yes, Trujillo is a SOB, but he is our SOB. War is not a pretty business and neither are foreign affairs.