Remember he came up through the unionist ranks as a member of the Vanguard movement, hard line unionists,, the leopard does not change his spots.

You have said it all JimmyC, what makes you think SF is any different.

"This all started with a march by students demanding civil rights and we know by the newsreels exactly how the police responded." I saw no need to elaborate on this as you pointed out we all know what happened.

There is no excuse or defence for what happened to you, if you think that as a "unionist" I intrinsically support the action of that scum your wrong. They like all terrorists have nothing to offer except pain and division, we do not need them. I was put in a wheelchair by the actions of the IRA, but I still recognise that SF has a lot to offer, was showing the way in many respects and had my support,I am in favour of a united Ireland,but not at any cost especially if that entails the gathering of intelligence by any terrorist group.

You have to recognise that unionists see the IRA as a threat and you cannot dismiss their fears as wanting to wreck the GFA, they did sign up to it no getting away from that fact. The rhetoric that unionists did not want the GFA in the first place does nothing but bolster the anti agreement people, it is also a crass way of diverting the blame from those who were gathering intelligence. Bit like saying I don't know what they are yapping about they did not want the agreement in the first place.

If SF cannot admit that the actions were wrong what are they going to be like if they get real political power, arrogance springs to mind, and we all know that it was the arrogance of the old unionist crowd the brought about the troubles in the first place.

Do you have any concern for the security force members whose details were in the hands of terrorist simple yes or no would suffice.

Your under the impression that by condemning the short sightedness of those in the past who advised people not to be part of policing their community that I put the blame on Catholics, I do not never will and do not condone those who do. We all have to take our fair share of the blame, those who got actively involved in the past and those who sat on their hands doing nothing. The so called silent majority who benefited from others efforts to bring about peace.

My posts are borne out of frustration and disappointment, I had a lot of faith in SF and still believe they have much to offer. If the IRA were to stand down, with the understanding it has the right to take up arms if the loyalist terrorist take advantage of their absence then the onus of the peace process would be squarely on the loyalist.

Simply if there is no IRA why should there be any loyalist equivalent they feed of each other, some one has to break the cycle.