Pooka

I wasn't advocating the IRA retaining weapons for use against the republic (although in truth I can just see somone who still calls the Republic the Free State out there saying that) rather I was refering when I mention Jack Lynch's time in govt. to the fact that it was in that era that Loyalists invaded many Nationalist areas in the North. Lynch's errection of field hospitals was to provide medical care for these people-some here may be old enough to remember the scandal of Neil Blaney and others in the Irish Defence Forces been implicated in smuggling guns to the Republicans.

The decommisioning argument was used during the Anglo-Irish truce to, it's ridiculous as far as I'm concerned, no-one can ever be really sure anyone from any side has handed in all their weapons -and fertiliser which is used in most major bombs (semtex is used as a 'starter') is available down any local garden centre. The decommisioning argument is a bluff and a stupid one at that as far as I am concerned.

Marcus