I wasn't going to come back to this thread after reading what went on after I left for the weekend but since people are continually bringing my name up I will counter with this. The information quoted was from the Ministry of Defence not my words. How many more times do I have to repeat this. The only piece I will consider withdrawing Keith is my reference to rape in this six year period. They mentioned sex offences that was my interpretation rightly or wrongly. Sex offence takes many guises and in an attempt not to incite further vitriol you may interpret sex offence however you like.

Teribus the devil is in the detail. You said above, "it looks like quite a number of our lads might have been convicted on "dodgy" evidence." "Might" being the operative word here. They might have been guilty of far more crimes that were never reported.

1200 cases requiring forensic tests. How many forensic tests do you think were conducted for traffic infractions? Not many I would suspect. I think forensic tests are indicative of more serious crimes.

For more detail on this information Teribus you are going to have to contact the Ministry of Defence although they seem to be recalcitrant in providing details. I wonder why because I like you would like there to be a full public enquiry into these and many more offences perpetrated by the British Government and its agents. If soldiers have been wrongly accused then they should be exonerated and likewise if the reverse is true then they should be tried for civil offences in civil courts like everyone else. Banging on about the number of offences committed by those charged with keeping the peace being only slightly better than the general populace flys in the face of law and order.

Finally although it is thread drift I utterly abhor what happened in Omagh and all those involved at whatever level of that heinous act should have the full weight of the law brought to bear.

Guest how's this for a balanced viewpoint. I have personally been robbed twice at gunpoint by British soldiers and my Godfather, a reserve police officer was shot dead by the IRA.