Idiocy

[agricola]

Someone - probably dissident Republicans - has just shot dead two soldiers, and wounded four others (two of whom may be civilians) at an Army base in Northern Ireland:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7930837.stm

Lets hope these people are caught soon, the last thing the world needs is more bomb-and-gun happy cretins.

[Jamisjockey]

I get the feeling your definition of "Republican" and ours isn't the same thing.  IRA types??

[agricola]

I get the feeling your definition of "Republican" and ours isn't the same thing.  IRA types??

Yes.  There are several groups that think Sinn Fein and PIRA have "gone soft" by being part of the peace process, and despite their criminally stupid antics - Omagh being the most notorious - they have never really gone away.  They had been leaving bombs around the place for a couple of years now, and it seemed that the world was ignoring them... which is probably why this happened. 

Ironically enough, according to this article in the Guardian the primary target for dissidents up until now has been Catholic PSNI officers:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/mar/06/ira-terrorism-threat-northern-ireland

 

[digitalandanalog]

Lets hope these people are caught soon, the last thing the world needs is more bomb-and-gun happy cretins.

Hey, I almost resemble that and could almost find the energy to be offended (but I won't).

I love guns and things that go BOOM. On a really bad day I sink to almost cretin levels.

Yet, I have never seriously considered using either of these to further my agenda. It just hasn't gotten nearly insane enough.

I think you meant to say that some murdering human POS'es used things that make loud noises as they kill and they deserve the harshest punishment.

Yes?

[Perd Hapley]

No, he meant to say bomb-and-gun happy.  As in trigger-happy.  As in, eager to kill people. 

[Antibubba]

This is what happens when the PLO is your role model.

[De Selby]

This is what happens when the PLO is your role model.

Republican terrorism in Ireland long predates the existence of the PLO.

The most important thing about these incidents is that they not become another excuse to create a real war between peoples who otherwise do not want a war.  The approach of investigating and charging as criminals is working much, much better at keeping the peace than landing soldiers and torturing the information out of captives.

[agricola]

The most important thing about these incidents is that they not become another excuse to create a real war between peoples who otherwise do not want a war.  The approach of investigating and charging as criminals is working much, much better at keeping the peace than landing soldiers and torturing the information out of captives.

Indeed.  Gerry Adams has come out and said:

Last night's attack was an attack on the peace process. It was wrong and counter productive. Those responsible have no support, no strategy to achieve a United Ireland. Their intention is to bring British soldiers back onto the streets. They want to destroy the progress of recent times and to plunge Ireland back into conflict. Irish republicans and democrats have a duty to oppose this and to defend the peace process. There should be an end to actions like the one in Antrim last night. Sinn Fein has a responsibility to be consistent. The logic of this is that we support the police in the apprehension of those involved in last night's attack.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7930878.stm

Assuming that he is telling the truth, that statement demonstrates how far most of NI has come in the past ten years.  As for the attack itself, the latest news is that they shot some soldiers who had ordered a pizza delivery, killing the soldiers and seriously wounding the (entirely innocent, it seems) pizza delivery guys.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7930995.stm

 

[jackdanson]

The most important thing about these incidents is that they not become another excuse to create a real war between peoples who otherwise do not want a war.  The approach of investigating and charging as criminals is working much, much better at keeping the peace than landing soldiers and torturing the information out of captives.

Excellent point.

[agricola]

they shot a cop last night:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7935734.stm