What do you think of the IRA?

the Iraq war had very little legitimacy at all.
Why was the Iraq war fought? to confiscate WMDs that don't exist? America have many WMDs too you know, and all it takes it for Bush to open his mouth and the world can be blown to pieces.

I never said the Iraq war was legitimate. I did however, there are different circumstances surrounding the two situations, which no one could deny.

Just one example of Loyalist bombs: The Dublin and Monaghan bombings. 17 May 1974. The greatest loss of life in a single day during the Troubles. Largest mass murder in the Republic.

You seem very outraged be these incidents. I'm surprised your not outraged at the much greater number of people the IRA killed over a much longer period.

I'm sitting here in Belfast and after reading the entire of this thread I've just realised, I don't give a **** about a united Ireland. I don't care about a line on the map. Because of the politics of the place, Northern Ireland has effectively become its own screwed up little country. Its horribly inward looking, and the politics are at the very least, opressive. Towns like Castlederg literally have a line down the middle of them with an RUC station sitting on that line and it always seems to me that that station is the only thing stopping them trying to ethnicly cleanse each other.

Why this opressive atmosphere, the IRA and UVF/UDA/LVF (etc). OK, in theory you could say the Brits 400 years ago but we'd have got over it if it wasn't for the IRA. Realisticly, the unionist community are people too, they were born and raised in NI and its as much thier country as anyone elses.

And now I'd wish they'd all just shut up, and go away. The solution to this place is simple, just unacceptable. The British government pumps something in the region of £4 BILLION into the north every year (its been a long time since I checked this figure, the peace process may have reduced it, but I know its sill in billions) and NI requires this to balance its books and give the sons and daughters of vaguely important people cushy jobs in government offices. So just make it an independant state, and leggit. The county would just implode, unable to balance is budget, total anarchy would ensue. Its not a very nice way to do it, its totally inhumane, but it'd work.

redleslie can you please remove some of your more gruesome pictures are they are quite disturbing and graphic and discust me severly, please.

thanks

imo it's people like you who stop democracy from working.

Ermm, no. It's the people with the big guns and semtex that do that. Democracy does not include blowing people/things up when things aren't the way you want them. I don't think anyone on this thread has accused you of being involved, as you claim - however, you are the person who is here defending the actions of terrorists, lending them support and attempting to give them legitimacy they cannot claim.

is it just me or is this thread filled with prejudice against Republicans?

No. I doubt many people are prejudiced against Republicans. Personally I feel people are entitled to beleive in any political viewpoint they like (including little green men should be so inclined). I think what people have a problem with is your attempts to justify terrorist activities in support of political goals.

my beliefs are my own, i'm entitled to them

Well if you come on an internet dicussion forum and proclaim them, you should expect them to be examined and challenged.

if someone walked down the road wearing a t-shirt with "Tiocfaidh ár Lá" written on it they'd get a lot of dirty looks

Perhaps it says more about the level of support for the aims of the organsations you support than anything else.