News Sunday Bloody Sunday

[rynnor]

There's talk of the soldiers who gave evidence at the inquiry (on the agreement that it would not be used against them as this was a 'truth' comission) may be prosecuted for murder!

Crazy stuff - for one thing we have dozens of known murderers walking the streets due to the amnesty of the good friday agreement.

It would be insane to prosecute soldiers who panicked when cold blooded pre-meditated murderers walk surely?

Isnt it time to move on - we spent millions on that commission and millions in compensation and if all it achieves is to reopen old wounds then what a terrible waste of time and resources that was.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...ay-soldiers-could-face-arrest-for-murder.html

 

[Hawkwind]

fucking shambles - We only comply if all those released with the Good Friday Agreement are returned to jail to serve out their sentences for murder and terrorism etc.

 

[rynnor]

It also means that in future everyone contacted by any sort of inquiry will be advised to keep their mouths shut or risk indicting themselves.

 

[rynnor]

Things have gone a bit crazy over there - memorials to bombers who killed civilians in a chip shop?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24599485

 

[Chilly]

The only objective the UK govt can have here is to minimise the chance of shit going bad again. If that means some funky justice, who cares? No more chip shop bombs. The millions spent are trivial when compared to the costs of running the MI5, army and police operation in NI back in the day. If we have to start that shit up again at full tilt we'll be WISHING we could have spunked £100m up the wall on "pointless" commissions.

 

[rynnor]

The only objective the UK govt can have here is to minimise the chance of shit going bad again.

You don't think that such prosecutions are incredibly divisive and will re-open old wounds then?

 

[Chilly]

You don't think that such prosecutions are incredibly divisive and will re-open old wounds then?

I wasnt casting judgement on whether that was a good or bad idea, I'm just saying whatever happens it's going to be "wrong" to someone. The correct course is the one that reduces risk of more bombs. If that means murderers walking the streets, then perhaps that's an acceptable cost. I don't know enough about the politics of it right now so I can't really comment any further.

 

[dlyan]

And yet a full commission into the deaths of 29 people in Omagh does not warrant investigation according to the NI secretary.

NI is fucked these days,when a terrorist gets a plaque to commemorate his death by blowing himself up,killing 9 people and wounding 57 i am glad i am out of that place tbpfh.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-24599485 didn't notice rynor had posted that already

 

[Tom]

It would be insane to prosecute soldiers who panicked when cold blooded pre-meditated murderers walk surely?

Apparently they were in so much danger and such a panic that they shot unarmed members of the public in the back.

 

[rynnor]

Apparently they were in so much danger and such a panic that they shot unarmed members of the public in the back.

If you put armed men who arent trained in crowd control into that sort of situation then people get shot - is that the fault of the men on the ground or their commanders though?

 

[Mabs]

never had much sympathy for this lot im afraid to say, they were aware of what they were doing, they were aware that tensions were running high, and they knew how these things often ended up... if you play in traffic you get run over, so yea, if THE ARMY (especially the paras) as opposed to the PSNI or whatever they were back then were doing the crowd control, you make damn sure you dont do anything stupid

it was a cluster fuck, but of the 3 factions involved, its arguable that they are all to blame to a certain extent, and its too long ago now to keep raking over it, especially with all the peace accord stuff, and doubly so seeing as we let a lot of convicted terrorists/freedom fighters out , i dont see why we should start arresting anyone

 

[rynnor]

i dont see why we should start arresting anyone

Its all about appeasing the Republicans at any cost.

 

[Mabs]

Its all about appeasing the Republicans at any cost.

oh i know WHY were doing it, just think its a shit idea

 

[Mabs]

oh and while were arresting people over killings from 30-40 years ago, im pretty sure Mcginness was on the Army Council , as was Gerry Adams, or was he in charge of the Belfast Brigade before he went political, cant remember

/edit
wikifontoftruth has adams as commanding officer, belfast brigade.. how right that is, remains to be seen

 

[Tom]

If you put armed men who arent trained in crowd control into that sort of situation then people get shot - is that the fault of the men on the ground or their commanders though?

Would you shoot unarmed civilians in the back?

 

[Raven]

Depends if they were tinkers or not.

 

[DaGaffer]

Its a terrible idea. If you draw a line through "the troubles" by turning a blind eye to the crimes of the PIRA, the UVF and all the other fucknuts, you don't make exceptions. For anyone. This was something they did in South Africa and its worked.

Apart from anything else, who's going to be a reliable and unbiased witness in any trial, 40-odd years after the fact?

 

[rynnor]

Apart from anything else, who's going to be a reliable and unbiased witness in any trial, 40-odd years after the fact?

More fundamentally can they get a fair trial in NI - not many neutrals there when it comes to juries.

 

[Job]

Theres a video somewhere of a fireman using a shovel to scrape the remains of a young lad off the road who was blown apart by the ira whem mcguiness was in charge...that fucking evil cunt..just give me ten minutes and a claw hammer

 

[DaGaffer]

More fundamentally can they get a fair trial in NI - not many neutrals there when it comes to juries.

Same problem if they were tried at the Old Bailey, "Brit whitewash" if they're acquitted. You could do it at the Hague, but then we're in to "war crimes", which is a whole other can of worms.