Wow, I did not know what a hornets nest I was stiring up!! If anyone is offended then I do appologise. I also apologise to anyone who is getting fed up with this thread, but this is the first chance, since my original posting, I have had to answer some points.

To Big Mick, first of all, a Sapper is the rank given to a private soldier in the Royal Engineers, formerly known as the Royal Corps of Sappers and Miners when a "Sap" was a trench dug towards enemy defences. Thus any member of the REs is known as a Sapper. I regret that it is nearly 20 years since my demob. With respect a couple of points he raised, first I also condem the so-called loyalist thugs. There is nothing loyal about them. Secondly, the only OFFICIAL "Shoot to kill" policies in Ulster have been those of the Paramilitaries, so-called Loyalist as well as Republican. Yes, during the 70's there were some RUC officers involved in the murders of republican activists and some officials, now no longer in positions of authority, turned a blind eye to these activities. But let us not forget that RUC officers, especially any catholic who joined the RUC, were specifically targeted by the IRA. The RUC today has been cleansed and is probably one of the least bent police forces in the world today. With respect to Bloody Sunday, there were no snipers. Just a bunch of twitchy over-hyped young kids in uniform who had been sent "Paddy Bashing" (a term I always detested) under the control of officers who should have been court-marshalled. As an intersting point, I believe that the Roman Catholic Primate of All Ireland is on record (at least a recording held by the BBC) as stating that at least one armed known IRA activist was with the marchers as they were assembling and requested by him to depart. Incidently, was not the term "Bloody Sunday" also used for the day at the start of the earlier troubles when IRA gunmen kicked down the doors of several dozen RIC officers and murdered tham in their beds? As you can probably guess from my opinions above, I consider the murder of Rosemary Nelson to be another senseless act of brutality in a brutal world. "One person's terrorist is another person's patriot." When there is a constitutional means of redressing grievance, there is no justification for murder. A Patriot or Freedom Fighter is justified only where such means do not exist. The Civil Rights movement in Ulster were achieving a great deal in changing public opinion in the rest of the UK with respect to the gerrymandering and injustices of the Stormont parliament. Had the IRA not jumped on the band wagon most of the changes required would have been conceded.

As a last point, BK wrote "about the Irish Catholic woman murdered for comforting a mortally wounded Tommy." She was Jean NcConville, a protestant girl who married a catholic and converted to catholisism. The British Magazine "The Spectator" did an article on the "Bog Jobs" in the 15th of April issue, 1995 that is worth reading.

I apologise for extending this issue, but if anyone is in any doubt about the IRA, then there is a book by a former member, Sean O'Calahan, (I've probably spelt that wrongly) that describes his activities. One last thing, most of you reading this are Americans and have never had to live with the IRA like we in the UK have. I respect the opinions of the peaceful, constitutional side of Irish Republicanism as personified in Gerry Fitt, but the majority of the people of Ulster want to remain under the British Crown. Please respect that. Bob.