Northern Ireland.

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/358cjz3

So some soldiers could face prosecution 38 years after the "The Bloody Sunday Shootings" that took place in Northern Ireland?

Surely this cannot be fair when the terrorists that killed many innocent civilians, were allowed to walk free, thanks to the "Good Friday Agreement"?

Many horrendous things took place during the "Troubles", isn't it now time for a line to be drawn under this affair, once and for all?

[Zeuhl]

We are yet to see the report of course.

Even though it was apparent at the time that some of our lads went OTT, it is hard to imagine that successful prosecutions could be brought now.

Hopefully, the families affected will let it rest if they have official acknowledgement that their relatives were not culpable and were killed unlawfully.

.

[Old_Geezer]

Life isn't fair. Organised murderers may get away with what they have done, as it could impede progress & peace. Those that act as the authority's representatives are under greater scrutiny, and can only hope for a whitewash when they get it wrong. NI was (is ?) a difficult situation, it is to be expected not everything would go perfectly.

[Gromit]

So how long after you murder someone, are you exempt from prosecution?

Obviously 38 years, but can you get off scott free after 10/ 15? 20 years?

And if a relation of yours went out one day, and was murdered by a soldier, would you be happy that as long as your Government covered up the blame, that your relations murderer should not be prosecuted because some arbitary number of years had passed.

Agree with Zeuhl though, successful prosecutions will be hard to obtain.

[R1Geezer]

No murders took place.

Martin McGuiness started it, the troops ended it. End of story, I do wish they'd stop ralking this sh1te up. If anyone wants prosecuting it's MM.

[R1Geezer]

It's the same issue as those Palistinian idiots, fire on troops and wonder why you get your head blown off. derrr!

[jake-the-peg]

<<Martin McGuiness started it, the troops ended it. End of story>>

So why is one deputy first minister for NI and the others in the dock?

Not really the end of the story at all was it - apart from perhaps in Geezerland where people put fingers in their ears and shut their eyes.

You're right though AOG there has been give and take on both sides and it's been painful on both sides.

I would strongly doubt that there would be prosecutions - partly as you say because of the release program but also because of the practical difficulties in bringing a prosecution after so much time.

Once these killings have been acknowledged as unlawful people hopefully will be able to move on.

The worst thing about Bloody Sunday was not the attrocity itself - put a bunch of trained thugs like the Paras into a delicate situation like NI and there will be trouble.

The worst thing was the apalling cover up that has persisted all this time and the outright lies that were told about it in an attempt to justify or confuse

[Gromit]

// Martin McGuiness started it, the troops ended it. End of story, //

If only you had been commissioned to investigate the incident Geezer. Instead, a respected Lord and Judge spent 12 years meticulously investigating the matter and is about to conclude that several civilians were unlawfully killed.

[jake-the-peg]

It's the same issue as those Palistinian idiots, fire on troops and wonder why you get your head blown off. derrr!

Or like those idiots in the French resistance - blow up German convoys? and get shot!

What a buch of idiots!

Everybody knows that resisting force is stupid you should just keep your head down and do what your told by the men with the guns.

[OrcadianOil]

I haven't seen the authorities, for example, acting with the same vim and vigour to pursue those responsible for, say, the Warrenpoint Massacre of 1979 when 18 British squaddies were blown to smithereens by the Provos - wonder why?

[styley]

The IRA were a group of a few hundred people who could cause a lot of hurt to society. They were not supported by many Irish people when they killed innocent individuals. The British army have the support of the British nation and should uphold that respect by acting responsibly. On Bloody Sunday they murdered 14 innocent people. And by the way, their actions on that day was a major catalyst for the Troubles that was to follow.

That being said, I think when the report is out, with any luck people should be held accountable for their actions on that day, but I feel prosecutions would serve no purpose.

[Gromit]

OrcadianOil, probably because the man who did it, blew himself up no long after.

One of those said to be involved in the Warrenpoint attack was Brendan Burns, an IRA man who died in South Armagh when a bomb he was handling exploded prematurely in 1998. He was reportedly stopped with another republican on a motorcycle by Gardai when heading away on the road opposite Narrow Water following the explosions. In the Irish Times dated 27th August 1998 Eamon Collins as IRA supergrass said Brendan Burns had carried out the attack.

[sandyRoe]

All soldiers who testified were given a promise of immunity. One of them admitted to shooting 4 men that day, 2 of them in the back.

[sandyRoe]

There was another casualty at Warrenpoint. An Englishman, a circus worker, heard the blast and foolishly went to have a look. He was shot dead by one of the surviving Paras.

[OrcadianOil]

Or, how about this little lot, then? All happened during the so called "Troubles" - how many of these g!ts have been brought to justice??? All done in the name of a "Paramilitary Group" in Northern Ireland.

http://en.wikipedia.o...lunteer_Force_actions

Or how about this guy? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_McGuinness

Perhaps, if any are found guilty, including the Paras, all could retrospectively be pardoned under the auspices of the "Good Friday Agreement", as many mass murderers were/have been?

What's the point of it all? Political bleedin' correctness gone mad!!!

[R1Geezer]

The IRA started it, the Paras finished it end of. Why do he lefties always take the side of our enemies?

[styley]

Well I could say the British started it by invading Ireland geezer.

[R1Geezer]

Perhaps but we are talking about this particular incident

[Whickerman]

Pretty sure the IRA didn't start this one - the people killed were on a civil rights march. The troops accounts are reported to be dodgy enough - reported to be - I wasn't there, neither were you Geezer. Even the Widgery report - described by many as a complete whitewash - described the shootings of the 28 unarmed people as 'bordering on the reckless'. What you also have to remember is this took place in full view of the press and tv cameras, not in some sordid back alley.

However - to the question at hand - only those convicted of crimes could walk free thanks to the good friday agreement. I would agree that any soldiers who are found guilty may be able to make a case for their freedom under the same agreement, but they would have to stand trial first.

[Whickerman]

correction - 27.

[OrcadianOil]

Or, how about the Provisional IRA, responsible for over 1800 murders during "the Troubles" and beyond, i.e. circa 1969 - 2001?

Let's not forget that the Army lost many of their own during those dark times, and also did a lot of good in that Godforsaken place. No sane person could condone deliberate killing, but if there were cases to answer, it should not have taken almost 40 years to come up with what can only be now described as show trials, designed to appease from a PC perspective. That is not justice, it is no more than a witchhunt.