Ironworks Gaming Forum - View Single Post - Another step forward for the UK (operation Banner ends)

wellard · 07-31-2007, 11:22 PM

It's getting hard to remember that the word terrorism in the UK used to mean people with Irish accents blowing things up. Last night another small step towards peace within Britain was taken with the Army stopping operation Banner. There was no symbolic striking of the Union flag, no bugles or fanfare, just a quiet fading away as from now on, the legal status of the Army in Northern Ireland will be same as it is in Wales or Scotland - no longer will it be "operating in support of the civil power".

A garrison of 5,000 or so soldiers remains, but they will be living and training in Northern Ireland, available for deployment to other theatres of conflict around the world.

So no more checkpoints, no more roadblocks, no more questioning from a soldier carrying a loaded weapon, peace really is arriving in every corner of the UK at long last. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Operation Banner had begun in 1969 and at first was warmly welcomed by the oppressed catholic minority in Ulster but heavy handed action by the troops soon got the IRA offside and the modern troubles began. Over 300,000 UK troops (including many members of my family) have served in Ulster since 1969, lets hope no more have to [img]graemlins/hippysmile.gif[/img]

"edited from the BBC"

07-31-2007, 11:22 PM	#1
wellard Dracolisk Join Date: November 1, 2002 Location: Australia ..... G\'day! Posts: 6,123	It's getting hard to remember that the word terrorism in the UK used to mean people with Irish accents blowing things up. Last night another small step towards peace within Britain was taken with the Army stopping operation Banner. There was no symbolic striking of the Union flag, no bugles or fanfare, just a quiet fading away as from now on, the legal status of the Army in Northern Ireland will be same as it is in Wales or Scotland - no longer will it be "operating in support of the civil power". A garrison of 5,000 or so soldiers remains, but they will be living and training in Northern Ireland, available for deployment to other theatres of conflict around the world. So no more checkpoints, no more roadblocks, no more questioning from a soldier carrying a loaded weapon, peace really is arriving in every corner of the UK at long last. [img]smile.gif[/img] Operation Banner had begun in 1969 and at first was warmly welcomed by the oppressed catholic minority in Ulster but heavy handed action by the troops soon got the IRA offside and the modern troubles began. Over 300,000 UK troops (including many members of my family) have served in Ulster since 1969, lets hope no more have to [img]graemlins/hippysmile.gif[/img] "edited from the BBC" __________________ fossils - natures way of laughing at creationists for over 3 billion years