Posted on 03/08/2009 6:36:32 AM PDT by presidio9
Suspected IRA dissidents opened fire on British troops and pizza delivery men outside a Northern Ireland army base, killing two soldiers and wounding four other people. Police said Sunday the attackers fired on their victims again as they lay wounded on the ground.
Saturday night's attack at the entrance to Massereene army barracks in Antrim, west of Belfast, was the first killing of British troops in Northern Ireland since 1997. Its callousness, in targeting soldiers and civilians alike, appeared calculated to inflame community tensions and undermine Northern Ireland's Catholic-Protestant administration.
"The whole country is shocked and outraged at the evil and cowardly attack," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in London. "I assure you that we will bring these murderers to justice. No murderer will be able to derail a peace process that has the support of the people of Northern Ireland."
In Dublin, the Irish government said virtually nobody in either part of Ireland wanted to rekindle a conflict that left more than 3,700 dead. Leaders pledged greater security cooperation with British security forces in the north to catch and imprison the dissidents, who are strongest along the Irish border.
"Violence has been utterly rejected by the people of this island, both north and south," said Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen. "A tiny group of evil people cannot, and will not, undermine the will of the people of Ireland to live in peace together. "
Police Chief Superintendent Derek Williamson, who is leading the hunt for the killers, said two men armed with assault rifles both opened fire from a car on a group of four soldiers taking delivery of food from two Domino's Pizza drivers. He said it wasn't clear whether all six were hit at that point,
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
“The troubles started when the Brits invaded Ireland centuries ago. There has been strife ever since then.
They are only now beginning to settle down due to people of good will on both sides.”
That’s no excuse and no justification. If it was, the Mexicans or the Native Americans would be perfectly justified in slotting US soldiers stationed in areas that they once controlled, even though most of the present population is happy with the current sovereignty situation....
Unfortunately, threads about N. Ireland always bring out the Plastic Paddy’s who sympathize with a cause they’ve never taken the time to understand.
I’m surprised that a few of my favorites haven’t made their way to this thread yet.
And then of course, you have the People's Front of Ireland, and the Irish People's Front. (Splitters!)
“That’s no excuse and no justification.”
Not intended to be an excuse or justification.
Just stating a fact, only a fact. The troubles are nothing new.
Disgusting, you hang your head in shame, for no American that had an ounce of pride would even consider the notion.
Oh, I see now. You are an idiot and a troll. Well, I’m glad that’s all sorted out now.
“USA correct and excellent actions”.... LOL... That’s comedy gold right there...
“Ha ha, you are such a joke comparing America to Britain”
I will compare America to Britain without hesitiation.
Both are fundamentally Beacons for all that is good in the world: The Rule of Law, the promotion of trade and enterprise, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, political freedom and democratic government. Both have proven over this century and last that when push comes to shove they will pull out arms and fight for all of the above instead of just bitching about other places. Indeed both currently have men in harms way doing just that. Both are currently suffering from left leaning governments.
I would say there are not two nations in the world that have more in common the the UK and the US.
And yet you apparently would side with some Marxist seperatist guerrillas in a place you clearly know very little about over the UK. Shame on you.
Forget it dude. He is what we like to call a dumbf*** out to rile people up. His arguments are as self-evidently stupid as they are poorly phrased in English...
Because of the cease-fire from 1997. There have still been shootings and bombings, but it hasn’t garnered as much attention, probably because this is the first deaths from such action in several years.
What I don’t get... and I have been studying church history for some time - and am fully aware of the Catholic/Protestant fighting and arguments in the British Isles.
But what I don’t get - Britain no longer exercises a strong arm in telling Northern Ireland what religion they have to follow - and in fact, though the “Church of England” is still the “official” state church in England proper, there is no longer a mandate for anyone to exercise any particular religious flavor.
Yet these folks, the product of over 10 generations, just want to fight.
I have tried to put some logic to it... and I just can’t. I guess terrorists are just terrorists - but this also gives me some indication of the real “hearts” of those still pushing violence among the IRA. Catholicism is just an excuse. There is absolutely nothing Christian about the IRA’s actions. So what are they REALLY fighting for?
The next time someone steals my McDonald's french fries, my main suspect is going to be a guy in a mask and prison stripes who says "rabble rabble" all the time. But feel free to try to pin it on Islamic radicals if you like.
And drug trafficers.
US has very little in common with your police state. I’ve been. Very little.
‘If the Irish would convert to the raghead doctrine of Moehammedism the Brits would put their tails between their legs and go home.’
Why do you say this?
‘and stop referring to soccer as “football,” and producing television sitcoms that Americans can’t understand.’
Ha ha, well football is as it says ‘football’ played with the feet!
Rugby’s the game though and pre-dates both proper football and American football.
Nothing wrong with our sitcoms, we understand them fine.
And I have a different take too, We’re a largely conservative country that live with a so-called socialist government, who don’t jump when our socialist ‘masters’ tell us, as Peter Mandelson found out just the other day!
Seriously though, you should ask the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland what they want rather than what you feel they should have.
Thank you for posting these pictures. My late husband was a British soldier and served there in the early 90s. When he would come home he would talk about all the American money that paid for the arms of the IRA, and what Americans may feel if they ever saw the murals that were painted on the walls by the IRA and their sympathizers.
‘I’m sure if the IRA wanted to distance themselves from these guys, they could do so fairly easily’
The IRA is dead, long live the IRA!
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