"NATO forces where stationed in the occupied counties of the Irish Republic, recognized as part of the nation by both the 1922 treaty ending the Anglo Irish War, and the constitution of the Republic of Ireland at the time Robert Sands was alive." - InOBU

Ah! "..the occupied counties of the Irish Republic,.." By this fantasy I take it you mean the physical and political entity known throughout the world as Northern Ireland. Internationally recognised as being part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Unfortunately for the Republicans in 1922, having just fought an extremely bloody civil war of their own in order to establish Eire, nobody really had the stomach to fight an even bloodier civil war to "conquer" the North against the will of the people who lived there - InOBU all your talk of recognition and mentions in Constitutions amount to aspirations not fact.

The actual facts are that Bobby Sands was born a British Subject in an integral part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The last poll held on the subject still records about 62% of the population wish it to remain so.

Even with all of that taken into account there have never been NATO forces stationed in Northern Ireland. NATO force deployments within Europe were:
- Iceland
- Greenland
- Norway (Northern Flank)
- Belgium (SHAPE HQ)
- Germany (Center)
- Spain
- Italy
- Malta
- Turkey (Southern Flank)

"The US courts, who were bias against Doherty, but where, in fact, neutral, in the end found that the IRA did not target civilians as a primary target of war, but that loyalists and the British army did." - InOBU.

You are behind the times InOBU even the PIRA has admitted that that is a load of horseshit and apologised for the civilian deaths they deliberately caused.

If you don't believe me InOBU, perhaps you can tell me please just who the Provisional IRA were targeting in Belfast city centre on the 21st July, 1972. Between 14:09hrs and 15:30hrs on that horrendous afternoon 22 bombs were detonated by the PIRA in a city centre packed with Irish shoppers. That equates to one bomb every 3 minutes 40 seconds InOBU - How do you reckon New York's finest would have coped? What would have been the result? How efficient do you think they would have been had they had to have coped with the added twist of hoax calls phoned in along with real ones? PIRA Commander in Belfast at the time was one Gerry Adams, same person that sanctioned the abduction, torture and murder of Mrs Jean McConville a completely innocent, widowed mother of ten.

Unlike you InOBU I have got absolutely no respect or admiration for any of the paramilitary groups that were active in Northern Ireland, or their supporters/apologists. By their actions they considered themselves to be above the law of the land, that is where they placed themselves, they should therefore not be surprised in the least when unorthodox means are used to curb their activities.

Oh, by the bye, InOBU the "butcher's bill" for "Bloody Friday" as it came to be known was nine dead, 130 injured. Those figures were as low as they were due to the magnificent work done by Belfast City's Emergency Services, the RUC and the British Army - Gerry Adams and the PIRA had a completely different scenario and outcome in mind.

INLA eh? Members of that organisation had more to fear from factions within their own organisation and PIRA than from the Security Forces, according to the statistics.