Irish troubles
At midnight on July 31 2007 the British Army’s longest continuous military campaign in its history (38 years) ended and Regan looks back on the years she lived in Northern Ireland and remembers the atrocious war crimes, her bigoted neighbors and the total ineffectiveness of both the British and the Irish governments to provide a solution that would have enabled everyone to live in peace.
"Had the British and Irish governments seen sense in 1969 -- when I was 10 years old -- they would have realized that sectarian conflict cannot be resolved by warfare or partition," says Regan. "I know the Irish troubles go back hundreds of years, but whoever thought of partitioning the Emerald Island into North and South was applying a band-aid, not a solution."
"It is abominable that 763 Army personnel were killed as a direct result of terrorism in Northern Ireland, and 309 civilians and members of paramilitary groups were killed by Army personnel."
"Moreover, 14,000 illegal weapons were confiscated and more than 10,000 Irish terrorist suspects arrested," says Regan. "Is this madness, or what? And with 5,000 soldiers now being stationed in Northern Ireland -- but no longer as part of the security forces -- you get to wonder if the madness of Operation Banner is yet over."
"Why not post those 5,000 soldiers to where they can do some good -- at every seaport, airport and immigration centre in the country -- and give the Northern Irish a chance to join the Republic or re-settle in England?"
Read more by Regan:
cementing global ties the right to live in peace time to return to ireland? catholics vs. protestants bigoted neighbors Irish sectarian conflict
"Had the British and Irish governments seen sense in 1969 -- when I was 10 years old -- they would have realized that sectarian conflict cannot be resolved by warfare or partition," says Regan. "I know the Irish troubles go back hundreds of years, but whoever thought of partitioning the Emerald Island into North and South was applying a band-aid, not a solution."
"It is abominable that 763 Army personnel were killed as a direct result of terrorism in Northern Ireland, and 309 civilians and members of paramilitary groups were killed by Army personnel."
"Moreover, 14,000 illegal weapons were confiscated and more than 10,000 Irish terrorist suspects arrested," says Regan. "Is this madness, or what? And with 5,000 soldiers now being stationed in Northern Ireland -- but no longer as part of the security forces -- you get to wonder if the madness of Operation Banner is yet over."
"Why not post those 5,000 soldiers to where they can do some good -- at every seaport, airport and immigration centre in the country -- and give the Northern Irish a chance to join the Republic or re-settle in England?"
Read more by Regan:
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