[tcostell]

The obviuos problem here is not the UK military. I for one believe that they would rather be rid of the whole N. Ireland problem. The problem is the "loyalist" groups and their "we'll fight anyone to stay British, even the British" attittude.

And naturally, to the media, all trouble in the north is attributed to the IRA, or it just didn't happen. For some time loyalist groups have promoted what amounts to an "ethnic cleansing" agenda often with police complicity, and the media has ignored it.

[tcostell]

My apologies, I promise to get myself a spell checker.

[kellynla]

The Brits will not leave NI because they know if they do the Scots will demand the same and of course if they give Scotland their independence GB will lose the income of all that North Sea oil. You see it's all about oil. It actually costs more than it receives to stay in NI but it knows if it pulls out the slippery slope will cause them to have to pull out of Scotland too. The Brits don't give a hoot about the Irish in NI they just want to hold on to Scotland and they don't care about the Scots either. Once the North Sea oil drys up they will be glad to give both Nothern Ireland and Scotland their independence.

[TheHound]

The solution to the Irish problem is quite simple and has been figured out years ago. Just give every Irish male a litre of Irish wiskey and a pistol. Then you go back the next day a shoot the last one. I'm half Irish, so I would probably need two litres.