[Peptobismol]

Army paper says IRA not defeated

This analysis is far too self critical. Although it's fair to say that some elements within any army see nothing short of completely crushing the enemy and hearing the lamentations of the women as victory I'd hardly call this a defeat, at least in as far as the other side didn't win. Goals change. I'd be interested to see the IRA's report, I don't think their original demands included a devolved government with Ian Paisley as first minister of Northern Ireland. Protestants still hold the majority and despite all of the babbling of Gerry Adams with regards to a reunification of North & South by 2016 most people involved in this mess now see a third option on the table, one where Northern Ireland is a separate entity from both the UK and the Republic of Ireland, but one that can obtain funding from the EU teat (Should the people of NI one day decide to rejoin the south it will be for economic reasons). There is also a growing opinion within England that Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland are taking too much while returning little.

If anything can be learnt from this it's to avoid getting involved in other peoples domestics.