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IRA terrorism was pretty extensive too. They murdered close members of the UK royal family (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Mountbatten,_1st_Earl_Mountbatten

IRA terrorism was pretty extensive too. They murdered close members of the UK royal family (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Mountbatten,_1st_Earl_Mountbatten_of_Burma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Mountbatten,_1st_Earl_Mou...), major damage to cities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Manchester_bombing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Manchester_bombing) and actual mortar attacks on a sitting Prime Minister and other key high level ministers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downing_Street_mortar_attack http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downing_Street_mortar_attack). Have a look at the list for London alone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_London http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_...). I had no idea the IRA was this level of threat - a personal threat to the people in power. And the problem was pretty much solved through the long hard slog of getting them round a table talking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday_Agreement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday_Agreement).

excuse-me 14y ago
Hence the slightly raised English eyebrow when American politicians - especially a Kennedy at a St Patricks Day parade in Boston - talk about supporting terrorism.
- Zenst 14y ago
  Yeah and that upto 9/11 you could go into alot of Church's in the Boston area and make donations to the IRA. That kind of stopped post 9/11. We all learn from our mistakes eventualy.
Zenst 14y ago
Yip they did it all. Personaly cost me a job, almost blown up once and had a long walk on day. But we have moved on. Funny thing is the there was a time I was supposed to go intot he office on saturday to do a upgrade, woke up saturday and had a bit of a hangover so as it made no difference I thought I'll go in Sunday. Was lucky as the office got blown up Saturday so in all respects a hangover saved my life - literaly. The mortar attack caused me to have a very long walk, on a very snowy day, was alot of fun and fond memories of seeing a london taxi unable to go over a bridge as the road was so snowed/iced up. I Had a in the bag job all lined up, IRA blew that office up and as such job went up in smoke. But hey, it's history and can laugh about it now.
macavity23 14y ago
The 'getting them round a table talking' was largely an effect of a massive intelligence and infiltration campaign that reduced the IRA's offensive capability to the point that they figured they'd be better off playing the electoral game. Make no mistake, the IRA was defeated - but it took decades, and involved the kind of subtle work that seems to have been missing in Iraq or Afghanistan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stakeknife http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stakeknife is the best example - the guy who was put in charge of finding moles within the IRA had been a British agent for 20 years! Not that you'd expect any British or Unionist pols to mention this... when they've won, no point in rubbing their opponents' noses in it.

excuse-me 14y ago

Hence the slightly raised English eyebrow when American politicians - especially a Kennedy at a St Patricks Day parade in Boston - talk about supporting terrorism.

Zenst 14y ago
Yeah and that upto 9/11 you could go into alot of Church's in the Boston area and make donations to the IRA. That kind of stopped post 9/11. We all learn from our mistakes eventualy.

Zenst 14y ago

Yip they did it all. Personaly cost me a job, almost blown up once and had a long walk on day. But we have moved on. Funny thing is the there was a time I was supposed to go intot he office on saturday to do a upgrade, woke up saturday and had a bit of a hangover so as it made no difference I thought I'll go in Sunday. Was lucky as the office got blown up Saturday so in all respects a hangover saved my life - literaly. The mortar attack caused me to have a very long walk, on a very snowy day, was alot of fun and fond memories of seeing a london taxi unable to go over a bridge as the road was so snowed/iced up. I Had a in the bag job all lined up, IRA blew that office up and as such job went up in smoke. But hey, it's history and can laugh about it now.

macavity23 14y ago

The 'getting them round a table talking' was largely an effect of a massive intelligence and infiltration campaign that reduced the IRA's offensive capability to the point that they figured they'd be better off playing the electoral game. Make no mistake, the IRA was defeated - but it took decades, and involved the kind of subtle work that seems to have been missing in Iraq or Afghanistan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stakeknife http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stakeknife is the best example - the guy who was put in charge of finding moles within the IRA had been a British agent for 20 years! Not that you'd expect any British or Unionist pols to mention this... when they've won, no point in rubbing their opponents' noses in it.