Pls comment on the "Times" O' Loan RUC/Collusion r

[subaculture]

The most riduleous blog article has accompaniied the "English Tmes" web front page article on the O' Loan RUC/Collusion report. Is it written by
Daniel Finkelstein who is Comment Editor of The Times. Is is most dangereous and misleading and I would urge you to make a comment at the end of the blog article



And my view has always was that the IRA should be treated as simply criminals. But you know what? My view lost.The view that prevailed was that the IRA were political activists engaged in a war. They used any means they could to advance their cause and the police used any means they had at their disposal to stop them. The IRA thought they were in a war, and some police officers took them at their word and acted as if it was a war, with all the dirty things that go on in wars

Why do I say that this view prevailed? Well, what other construction can one put on the release of dozens of murderers from jail and the bestowing of ministerial office on the IRAs leadership, all in exchange for a ceasefire.

......we cannot now turn round to the police officers and treat them as if they were involved in an ordinary law and order situation. It would be offensive to punish the police officers, ruin their lives, while letting Gerry Adams swan up Downing Street.





http://timesonline.typepad.com/comme...t_about_t.html

[JCSkinner]

He's just a big nosed ill-informed Zionist ************************, who thinks he has to back up the murdering scumbags he sees as fellow travellers.
Mind you, looking at the stars of david flying over Ballybeen and other Loyalist UVF strongholds, he's probably right to see them as fellow travellers.

[hughj]

sure what more would one expect from the Times

[KeithM]

The most riduleous blog article has accompaniied the "English Tmes" web front page article on the O' Loan RUC/Collusion report. Is it written by
Daniel Finkelstein who is Comment Editor of The Times. Is is most dangereous and misleading and I would urge you to make a comment at the end of the blog article



And my view has always was that the IRA should be treated as simply criminals. But you know what? My view lost.The view that prevailed was that the IRA were political activists engaged in a war. They used any means they could to advance their cause and the police used any means they had at their disposal to stop them. The IRA thought they were in a war, and some police officers took them at their word and acted as if it was a war, with all the dirty things that go on in wars

Why do I say that this view prevailed? Well, what other construction can one put on the release of dozens of murderers from jail and the bestowing of ministerial office on the IRAs leadership, all in exchange for a ceasefire.

......we cannot now turn round to the police officers and treat them as if they were involved in an ordinary law and order situation. It would be offensive to punish the police officers, ruin their lives, while letting Gerry Adams swan up Downing Street.





http://timesonline.typepad.com/comme...t_about_t.html

Rather than resorting to personal attacks, you might actually deal with what he has to say. If SF/IRA weren't ordinary criminals (which I too believe them to be) then why should the police be chastised fortreating them as a special case?

I believe that no terrorist on either side should have been left out of prision as a result of a botched political agreement. I also believe that if there was colusion (and unlike O'Loan, it would take more that one person's evidence to satisfy me) then the perpetrators should also be behind bars.

[Kev408]

Rather than resorting to personal attacks, you might actually deal with what he has to say. If SF/IRA weren't ordinary criminals (which I too believe them to be) then why should the police be chastised fortreating them as a special case?

I believe that no terrorist on either side should have been left out of prision as a result of a botched political agreement. I also believe that if there was colusion (and unlike O'Loan, it would take more that one person's evidence to satisfy me) then the perpetrators should also be behind bars.

Here's what you said last night Keith when you were first off the mark with the predictable discrediting of O'Loan:

Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:24 pm Post subject:
What I find most interesting is how the SDLP got hold of this "leak". Could O'Loan be engaging in a little too much pillow talk?

Not only are you predictable but you're a hypocrite.

[subaculture]

I am not asking people to personally attack him or his paper.. but if in reading the article, they feel strongly about it or have an opinion or counter-argument, they should post it on the Times website, in the space provided.

[Corcaigh33]

Incredible !! - how can you not see what the core of this issue is?

This has nothing to do with seeing RUC/PSNI/UVF members prosecuted as, let's face it, that will never happen.

The core of the issue is COLLUSION - the core of the issue is that the British government actively and knowingly allowed this to happen. Seeing as the RUC and PSNI are one in the same with the exception of those Catholics who might have joined in the last couple of years - this further re-inforces the case that the Patten Commission reforms should be in place IN TOTAL before Sinn Féin accept policing and that the PSNI are completely unacceptable as an impartial police force in the 6 counties.

This report could not have come at a more disastrous time for Sinn Féin.
All of the arguments against supporting policing are encapsulated in this report.

Ordinary criminals, if it wasn't so serious it would be laughable.

[BelfastSpark]

The Journalist is a first Class idiot. But on the subject, The RUC used means that were completely outside the law. They allowed murder to occur beyond all reasonable means to stop it.
However in the fight against terrorism no-one can ask a government or its agents to be impecable, it needs sometimes to bend the law and norms of acceptable behaviour to fight against a threat to the state, however the governmen and its agents must be accountable at all times, it wasnt and this was the main crime and failure of this terrible situation.As its said when those who uphold the law break the law, there is no law.

[BertiesYellowPants]

This 'collusion' stuff is a red herring. What about the MI5 collusion, what about British army colussion?

Haughey may have been a theif but at least he did SOMTHING about the north and our west-brits put him thorugh the wringer for it.

When can we get nukes so we can protect our people in the north?

[cyberianpan]

His view is quite reasonable... "Republicans" can't have their cake & eat it.

Adams & McGuinness are mass murderers... this has been excused by the fact that they were doing it for a "political cause"

We bought the cessation (or at least partial cessation) of IRA violence at a huge moral price - our willingness to treat common murder as an act of war, and readiness to excuse the murderers.

So the police misdeeds are erased too by the same rule. Suppose if you were just murdering someone cos they raped your child then that'd be jail still.

His quibble is with putting mass murderers in suits into ministerial office.

If the IRA were merely involved in criminal activity then the police should have adhered to the highest standards of behaviour. Any transgression against the law should be punished and punished particularly harshly because it was committed by the forces of law and order.

And my view has always was that the IRA should be treated as simply criminals. But you know what? My view lost.

This thread is about some dimwits doing cheap Brit bashing. 'Ah sure begor the "rah" killing a few thousand is fine stuff sure... sure weren't they made do it by them rahj boys, tis them securocrat rahj boys who should be jailed'

CyP