[Stayfrosty]

You are probably right. IMHO though there will never be peace until the British leave with their Army. People can argue all they want but that is a fact. The Irish catholics see them as an invading and occupying force. Shouldn’t the UK be dedicating those forces to Afghanistan instead? It is long past due that NI govern itself.

[fruser1]

Actually, another recent development is that there is now shared police powers with Catholics and Protestants in the PSNI. The prior police, the RUC, was basically Brit army. So in a sense you mention they are “out” to some degree, though, since terrorism still exists, MI5 maintains a strong presence, as it did before.

True, they are still sovereigned by UK and maybe the Catholics will never be satisfied until “all Brits get out”, but that situation is not likely to happen. Sort of like Muslims not wanting any Jews in the mideast - keep dreamin’.

Basically, without committing genocide, the ultimate solution will be political. For that to begin to work, the institutionalized abuses have to end first, hopefully to which, the power sharing in the PSNI will contribute.

[Stolly]

NI governs itself, and Republicans sit in that government.

Until the people decide via the ballot box that they no longer wish to remain in the UK, in the UK they will remain.

They will almost certainly NOT become part of Eire, the majority does not want it and even after the passage of decades a large enough minority does not want it.

All this hopeless misty eyed romantisim about “One Ireland” sounds great from thousands of miles away, but its never going to happen. The only result of years of financial support of terrorism from NORAID and the like was more dead civilians.

NI was the last part of the UK to get home rule, Wales and Scotland came first and nobody died to get it. A lesson seemingly lost on some.

[elc]

You are probably right. IMHO though there will never be peace until the British leave with their Army...Shouldn’t the UK be dedicating those forces to Afghanistan instead?

I think you may be a little behind the times. The British Army ended its operation (Operation Banner) in 2007. There are troops stationed in Ulster (most of them locals), but they do not do active operations. They're mostly there for training before deployment. The RIR battalions and their garrisons are long gone.

Secondly, I'm very curious, which British do you want to leave Northern Ireland? Are you referring to the Protestants that live there who consider themselves British?

[Amberdawn]

British troops were first sent to NI to PROTECT the Catholics from the paramilitary protestants.

[Vanders9]

But that’s what they are arguing about. The majority in NI dont want to be part of the republic. What do you expect the British to do? Just simply abandon them? If (as seems likely) latinos become the majority in the South western States of the USA in the next 20-30 years, and they press for “AZTLAN”, will the US government simply abandon all those who want to be Americans in those States?