Conference tallis::celt

 Bruce,
   Get a life.

    
    You're supposed to understand that this was a legitimate, military and
    economic target by the brave freedom fighters, and therefore 'regrettably 
    justified'. Hope I got that right..
    

    
    Isn't there a DEC office in Basingstoke? 
    

    
    Actually there are three DEC offices in Basingstoke which employ about
    1000 people.
    Basingstoke is also a London commuter town. Basingstoke to Waterloo is
    one of the busiest commuter lines in England. Incidentally, you may be
    interested to know that Waterloo was closed at 1900 last night and was
    still closed at 1300 today, stranding thousands. Tant pis eh!
    
    Bill

I would imagine that these bombs are intended to cause general disruption
and inflicit economic damage. Since DEC Basingstoke people often have business
in London, the company is probably getting more than its fair share.

Dave

    
    I think there have been IRA railway bombs that've managed to kill a few
    people from time to time, depending when they explode. Then of course
    there are those planted in Victoria station and so forth.
    

    Hey
    
    Good to see the IRA are sticking true to form.  Two bombs in Belfast
    last night 1 Soldier injured and accidental civilian targetted.
    
    Just imagine what it would be like if they didn't want peace.

 re. .7
   Since the British have decided that talks about talks
 about talks must have pre-conditions, then it's 
 probably going to take a while before talks about
 talks about talks can lead to a cease-fire.

 Any word on the release of political prisoners.  I
 would hope that Britian could show good faith and
 release these men and women before talks about talks
 about talks begins.

 Have the British agreed to disarm, before talks about
 talks about talks begins.  This would probably greatly
 speed up the negotiations.

 Just imagine what could be accomplished if these
 were peace talks, and not talks about talks about
 talks.

                     Mark
  

There was a snippet on the subject of terrorist prisoners on BBC R4 today.
It was stated that there are more loyalists behind bars than nationalists.
A Sinn Fein spokesperson said that they regarded all such prisoners as
political prisoners and any amnesty would have to include both.

So how would you feel about the likes of the Shankill Road butchers being
released without preconditions?

Sorry I was forgetting, the loyalists are convicted terrorists, the nationalists
are the innocent victims of British justice.

Dave

    re last.
    
    Great idea Mark..  I wonder why nobody else thought of that.  Lets open
    up the prisons today !!!  Disarm the Army !!!!  Trust the IRA !!!
    
    SIMPLE.  Just like you Mark.

    
    re.8
    rather blows you're theory right out of the water again Mark eh?
    
    ULSTER PEACE HOPES SET BACK BY AMNESTY DEMAND
    
        Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein president, yesterday jolted hopes of peace
    in
        Northern Ireland when he called for all IRA prisoners to be
    released
        from jail as part of a negotiated settlement.  Downing Street again
        rejected an amnesty for IRA prisoners, but the demand angered
        Protestant leaders prompting one to warn that his party's
    "tentative
        approval" of the Major-Reynolds peace initiative could be
    withdrawn.
        The IRA appears to be signalling there will be no extended
    Christmas
        ceasefire before any decision to end violence; two incendiary
    devices
        exploded in London during the evening, and the IRA claimed
        responsibility for a bomb explosion in West Belfast last night.
    
        Financial Times, London. 21 December 1993
                                        

    
    Terrorist bombers political prisoners? Ho ho, if only it were funny.
    Anyone care to explain to me how bombing 2 post office sorting offices
    can remotely be considered to be military targetting?  Or do they come 
    under the heading of 'economic targets' under the theory that if the
    IRA can damage enough postal sorting stations, they will cripple the
    economy. The answer is that they are more simply acts of terrorism,
    designed to remind us all the freedom fighters are still bravely going 
    forth into battle.
    

Most of the Shankill Road butchers are already released.

    
    And of course some of them were never caught.

    Well
    
    London was virtually brought to a standstill yesterday.  Due to coded
    telephone calls from the IRA (they have claimed responsibility)
    claiming to have planted bombs on most tube and main lines.  Power was
    switched off to allow commuter to walk along lines into stations.
    
    This follows the planting and subsequent detonation of three firebombs
    in London Post offices.  One of which is approximately ten yards from
    my office window.
    
    Any intention of Gerry Adams to get the IRA involved in peace talks is
    made to look farcical by this type of action.  
    
    On purely selfish note.  Digital and our Customers are affected by this
    action.  At a time when Q2  Revenue is crucial to our survival we don't
    need this.  
    
    Mark H.  Please explain the Military nature of the a Post Office
    sorting room,  heavily involved in distributing Christmas presents.
    
    If you struggle with that one,  then please let us know how a railway
    line is military target.
    
    Last but not least Mark  remember to thank your pals for the damage that
    they do to your colleagues who work in the same Company as you.
    
    What do AI.  say about the infingement on human rights and cival
    liberties that fire bombs in the post cause.
    
    Regards
    
    Bruce

  Bruce,
    How awful.  Hopefully the British will agree to
  peace talks, and not just talks about talks about
  talks, so this war can be stopped.

    It's easy to understand why the European community
  decided London would be a bad place to locate the
  European community central bank.

    Hopefully for my colleagues in London, Digital 
  will not need to make the same kind of decision.
  But as you point out, if business is truly suffering
  we will have no choice.

    As for your questions on why the Irish Republican
  Army attacks economic targets in London, I guess 
  you would be best off asking them, or your
  government. 
 
                   Mark

  P.S.
    FYI, the impact of these economic attacks is felt
  my family in London also.  All the more reason why
  I would like to see a peaceful solution to this war.

    Mark
    
    Your sneering sarcasm in your last reply says it all.  Your total lack
    of regard for this Company and your colleagues makes me want to vomit. 
    If you feel so proud that the acts of your pals can have a negative
    impact why oh why work for this company.
    
    I would like to say I hope you never experience the horrors that you so
    clearly never have.  However it is likely that you would be the first
    choice of your pals to carry the next chip shop bomb,  and given their
    expertise with timers your arse would go past your head even quicker
    than it does today.
    
    Enjoy your trouble free Christmas Mark.  Remember to keep writing to
    your Pals giving them your total commitment and support.  Keep noshing
    on your Bobby Sands Diet.
    
    Regards
    
    Bruce

>    It's easy to understand why the European community
>  decided London would be a bad place to locate the
>  European community central bank.

    German clout... easy to understand, but not for you. 
    

I've just been dipping into the notes and found this interesting topic
I think I could possibly add a few points to this as I am involved somewhat
My brother came back from a tour of Northern Ireland, he didn't want to go
but he had to. He arrived in a coffin.  A Brave and Daring attack by the
freedom fighter known as Goldfinger. Lurking with extreme courage behind a
hedge he executed the precise military operation with skill and the sound 
knowledge that he was taking away this young mans life for the glory of the
IRA.  Well done.  Another Victory.  Hope you feel very proud.  
Bruce - I don't think its possible to get through to these people but thanks
for trying.  This isn't my account so I may not get any replies.

                                                                Damon

 Damon,
  You have my sympathies, as well as the folks who have
 been murdered by British security forces.  Hopefully
 the British government will change it's mind and sit
 down at the peace table without pre-conditions, so 
 that this senseless killing on all sides can stop.
 I hope no more young lives are lost on either side
 of the Irish Sea.  I will continue to lobby my 
 government to support a peace envoy.

                   Sincerely,

                      Mark

-1>    Unbelievable you would write that. 
    
    Your words, not mine.

 

                             Soldier

               Did you leave an English hillside,
                Heathered, rain-drenched, loved?
           Nature's truth revealed in flashing moment
                     Of startled bird-flight
                As your voice danced on the wind?

                 Or yet some narrow city street
                 With well-shined corner, etched
                With tales of all bravado'd youth
             Where young girls love to show disdain
               In arm-locked, hair tossed legions?

                  What brought you here to die,
           To scream your pain across another hillside
               Or down a darkened village street?
              What use the polished words of Empire
                 In the filth and heat of dying?

                 I wonder if you ever understood
              Or cared about the dreams of nation,
                  I wonder what you fought for?
                    Honour, courage, loyalty?
                      Or simply an escape?

                    I wonder if you ever knew
                         You were a pawn
                      Expendable, a number
               When your blood made crazy patterns
                          Over Ireland.

    
    That's very touching, Holohan. I think I'm going to cry.
    

.24  Crap.  Doesn't even rhyme