Return to the bad old days?

[Targan]

In the statement put out by the R IRA, the civilians (including the deliveryman) we targetted as "collaborators".

Insanity. Poor guy already has a pretty crappy job, probably a uni student or an immigrant. Hope he wasn't hurt too bad.

[TiggerCCW UK]

As previously posted RIRA have claimed responsibility. Same shower of shit the murdered 29 people in the Omagh bombing. Hopefully the cops won't be long getting them.

[Rainbow Six]

Caught this on the news yesterday morning, the day after reading an article in the Daily Mail about members of the Special Reconnaisance Regiment being redeployed to NI...to say I was shocked was putting it milldly...

Condolences to the families of those killed and best wishes for a speedy recovery for those injured...understand that one is listed as serious whilst the others are stable. To call the pizza delivery guys "collaborators" just beggars belief...

Let's all hope that it's not the start a return to the way that things were.

[TiggerCCW UK]

Last I heard on the news tonight was that the two wounded squaddies are stable, as is the younger of the delivery men. The older one, a Polish immigrant, is still in a serious condition. Sorry if I've come across strongly about this and used strong language, but I was finally starting to believe that the peace process was working here, and now I'm not so sure. We were starting to get a generation growing up here that hadn't lived through the troubles, which gave us a chance at reaching some kind of accord between the two communities. I hope we haven't blown that chance.

[Targan]

Sorry if I've come across strongly about this and used strong language...

No need to apologise Tig, I don't blame you for feeling strongly about it. We're all outraged too, but you live in NI. Terrorism could conceivably occur anywhere and IMO it is never justifiable to injure or kill unarmed civilians.

[TiggerCCW UK]

Just got up and checked the news this morning. A police officer was shot dead in Craigavon last night. Details are sketchy so far, more as it follows.

[Targan]

A police officer was shot dead in Craigavon last night.

Just monitored this story at work. Nasty.

[headquarters]

no need

Last I heard on the news tonight was that the two wounded squaddies are stable, as is the younger of the delivery men. The older one, a Polish immigrant, is still in a serious condition. Sorry if I've come across strongly about this and used strong language, but I was finally starting to believe that the peace process was working here, and now I'm not so sure. We were starting to get a generation growing up here that hadn't lived through the troubles, which gave us a chance at reaching some kind of accord between the two communities. I hope we haven't blown that chance.

I understand your sentiments - no reasonable person want to see a return to the days were extremists held a nation hostage.

It is my understanding that both loyalists and republicans have come together in condemning the acts -publicly , and I hope this can have a positive impact .

Many of us have followed the news from NI for years as kids and the troubles have always evoked sympathies .

We hope for peace for you guys -you certainly deserve it by now.

[TiggerCCW UK]

I don't know why I'm so depressed by this - I grew up through some of the worst years of the troubles, for the first 24 years of my life it was just the way things were here, and if asked I would have said that it didn't really affect my life. Now I'm not so sure. Possibly its because I'd got used to 'peace', or at least our local version of it, or maybe its because I have a daughter of my own and worry what the future will be for her. At least the politicians are united in condemning the attacks - even Sinn Fein are saying that its terrible and wrong. Hopefully sane heads will prevail and this can be stopped and seen as no more than a speed bump on the road to peace. As I've mentioned in the past on here, the people over here are by and large good, decent normal people who don't want a return to the troubles. The vast majority just want to live their lives as peacefully as they can. Stiff Little Fingers (a local punk band for those not familiar with them) summed it up well in "Each Dollar A Bullet" with the lyrics 'Well its lasted for so long now, and so many have died. Its such a part of my whole life, yet it leaves me mystified, how a people so intelligent, friendly, kind and brave can throw themselves so willingly into an open grave'

There are enough problems both globally and locally that this is one more thing that we really don't want. Sorry if this doesn't make a lot of sense, but I'm mostly just typing random thoughts as the rattle through my brain. Mostly I'm trying not to think the last couple of days through too much - I'm not sure I want to come up with any conclusions just yet.

Bit more information on last nights murder. It seems to have been a classic 'come on' ambush. The police received a call from a distressed female who said her house was being attacked. Two police cars responded to the call and when they got out of their cars at the scene they were fired on. One officer was hit and killed. No details have been released about him yet, other than its believed that he was married with young kids. My deepest condolences to his family.

Again apologies to anyone that I'm upsetting by ranting about this. I find it helps me get my head round the situation by writing it down on here. If you're all fed up with my moaning by all means tell me to foxtrot oscar.

[Mohoender]

Again apologies to anyone that I'm upsetting by ranting about this. I find it helps me get my head round the situation by writing it down on here. If you're all fed up with my moaning by all means tell me to foxtrot oscar.

No need for apologies. I understand it makes you worry, especially as you are living there. I first thought it would remain isolated and now I start to fear it doesn't. Hopefully (from what you say) politicians remain all on the same side. I have never been in NI but I had met a number of people from there and always liked them. I truly hope that it was over and, hopefully, you are sticking on the road to peace. Let wish for that.

[TiggerCCW UK]

The murdered officers name has just been released. Constable Stephen Paul Carrol, 48, from Banbridge. God rest. The first police officer killed in NI in ten years.

Thanks for the support folks. I'm still hopeful that this is a couple of isolated incidents, but sadly thats little consolation for the family of Constable Carrol and the two engineers murdered on Saturday and the others injured in Saturdays attack. Everyone is calling for restraint, no retaliation and no return to the bad old days. The politicians are united in condemnation of it, on all sides. The threat level is at its highest possible level.

[TiggerCCW UK]

Continuity IRA have claimed responsibility for the murder. Thats two seperate dissident groups active in the last 48 hours.

Apparently the call to the police came in from a terrified woman who'd had windows of her house smashed by a street gang. When the police responded Constable Carrol remained in the car providing cover and monitoring the radio when he was shot.

[kato13]

Even though I don't like discussion of politics, I think there is 99% plus support here for the concept that the deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians for some perceived political gain is reprehensible. While as students of history we might understand the tactical and strategic goals of the perpetrators, I cannot imagine anyone here saying that Real IRA is in the right on this one.

This is the work of deranged lunatics. Hopefully a small group of them, who will be dead before this can expand any further.

[TiggerCCW UK]

Thanks for that Kato. As far as I'm concerned the politics of the situation are irrelevant - nothing justifies the targeting of civilians whose only 'crime' is delivering a pizza to an army base. Its not my intention to bring politics into this as I am well aware of the problems that this can cause. If anyone wants any political insight/information on over here please PM me, rather than toss it onto an open forum.

[Targan]

I agree, I don't think this is a topic that is likely to result in head-butting over politics. Terrorist acts and counter-insurgency ops are two areas that are bound to crop up in discussions on this forum. I'm sure we are all "big enough and ugly enough" to keep things as apolitical as possible as we discuss such topics.