"I suggest you take a look at the last 40 years, culminating with 9/11/2001" - Big Mick.

Yes absolutley, let's do that:

"Historical Background
Office of the Historian
Bureau of Public Affairs


Terrorist Incidents on US mainland, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology

Incident 1:
Domestic Terrorism, January 27, 1975: Puerto Rican nationalists bombed a Wall Street bar, killing four and injuring 60.

Incident 2:
Domestic Terrorism, January 29, 1975: The Weathermen Underground claims responsibility for an explosion in a bathroom at the U.S. Department of State in Washington no casualties.

Incident 3:
World Trade Center Bombing, February 26, 1993: The World Trade Center in New York City was badly damaged when a car bomb planted by Islamic terrorists exploded in an underground garage. The bomb left 6 people dead and 1,000 injured. The men carrying out the attack were followers of Umar Abd al-Rahman, an Egyptian cleric who preached in the New York City area.

Incident 4:
Domestic Terrorism, bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, April 19, 1995: Right-wing extremists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols destroyed the Federal Building in Oklahoma City with a massive truck bomb that killed 166 and injured hundreds more in what was up to then the largest terrorist attack on American soil.

Incident 5:
Empire State Building Sniper Attack, February 23, 1997: A Palestinian gunman opened fire on tourists at an observation deck atop the Empire State Building in New York City, killing a Danish national and wounding visitors from the United States, Argentina, Switzerland, and France before turning the gun on himself. A handwritten note carried by the gunman claimed this was a punishment attack against the "enemies of Palestine."

Incident 6:
Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Homeland, September 11, 2001: Two hijacked airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Soon thereafter, the Pentagon was struck by a third hijacked plane. A fourth hijacked plane, suspected to be bound for a high-profile target in Washington, crashed into a field in southern Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 3,025 U.S. citizens and other nationals. President Bush and Cabinet officials indicated that Usama Bin Laden was the prime suspect and that they considered the United States in a state of war with international terrorism. In the aftermath of the attacks, the United States formed the Global Coalition Against Terrorism.

Incident 7:
Anthrax Attacks, October-November 2001: On October 7 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that investigators had detected evidence that the deadly anthrax bacterium was present in the building where a Florida man who died of anthrax on October 5 had worked. Discovery of a second anthrax case triggered a major investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The two anthrax cases were the first to appear in the United States in 25 years. Anthrax subsequently appeared in mail received by television networks in New York and by the offices in Washington of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and other members of Congress. Attorney General John Ashcroft said in a briefing on October 16, "When people send anthrax through the mail to hurt people and invoke terror, it's a terrorist act."

Office of the Historian
Bureau of Public Affairs
U.S. Department of State
March 2004"

Well 42 years turned up 7 incidents:

- 4 involve bombs.
- 1 is a shooting incident in which the gunman kills himself.
- 1 is an incident where civilian aircraft are used as missiles and deliberately crashed into their intended targets.
- 1 is an attempted biological attack.

No Big Mick, your cities and civilian population have not been through the wringer as have the citizens of Derry; Belfast; Dublin; London; Madrid; Barcelona, etc, etc, the list is amazingly long.

One of the tiny, minute edges of silver that shone through the dark cloud that covered the USA in the immediate aftermath of 11th September, 2001 was the assessment by the President of the United States and his Administration of the threat of terrorism. "You are either with us, or against us in our fight against terrorism" is basically what he said. Meanwhile, taking a look at what his words meant, someone in that Administration called Richard Haas, clearly told the Provisional IRA and the armed Republican movement - "Go out of business, and go out of business now, or else you will find yourself with the US as your enemy." - And lo and behold! Disarmament and decommissioning came about. Now that in itself is no great deal, the IRA could rearm tomorrow if it wanted to. It won't though, because there can be no resumption of "The Struggle", there can be no resurrection of "The Troubles", because if the Republicans opt for violence they know that they will automatically go on a list in Washington as would the names of their supporters courtesy of "Homeland Security" and the Patriot Act.

As to what happens in Northern Ireland? That, quite rightly, is solely a matter for the people of Northern Ireland and no-one else.

By the bye, can't wait for the films dealing with the "disappeared", particularly Mrs Jean McConville and Captain Robert Nairac. The latter is currently topical as someone has just been arrested and charged as either an accessory or accomplice in his death, the two others sought under similar charges are currently living in the USA and their extradition has been applied for I believe, six others were previously caught, tried and sentenced.