Don, you've got your history completely wrong. The troops were deployed in August 1969 by the Home Secretary of the day (Jim Callaghan) because of fears for catholic communities in which loyalist gangs were running amok, sometimes led by B Special reservists, or even serving police. Particularly in the Bogside part of Derry and in West Belfast. Direct rule from Westminster replaced Stormont in March 1972. Various memoirs, brfoadcast interviews with Callaghan and Cabinet papers released under the 30-year rule all point to the same motivation for sending the troops in.

The whole business was something of an embarrassment for the IRA, which had been largely moribund and certainly had been in no position to respond quickly when those catholic comomunities came under the loyalist cosh. Obviously they wanted the brits out, and their cause was given huge impetus by various atrocities, but in particular the horror of Bloody Sunday.