I thought that Steve was being ironic there.
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All people in leading roles in any conflict are pretty certain to have terrible things on their conscience, if they have one. I'd imagine far more innocent people have been blown to bits by Obama's drones than by the IRA's bombs. And as for the bigger wars...

I'd see Martin McGuinness's role in taking Northern Ireland away from war as more important historically than his role in making war. If he hadn't been there I doubt if it would have made any significant difference to the way the Troubles went - but if he hadn't been there I think it might have made it a lot harder to lead the republican army and community to relinquish methods of violence, and to build a peace across the divisions, however shaky at times.