Martin McGuinness in town today

[Gary]

Northern Ireland's deputy first minister and former IRA commander Martin McGuinness is to visit the Peace Centre later today to deliver a "Peace lecture."

If you could ask him one question, what would it be?

 

[Freeborn John]

Do you want another smack you *******?

[Bazj]

"How many kids did you kill you murdering scum?"

[wolfie]

Do you have any regrets? Why Warrington? Do you now believe that Peace not Murder is the way forward.

[francine]

Don't come to our town with peace lecture,your just evil.

[Wireboy]

How does it feel to have killed so many innocent people in a campaign that you have effectively lost?

[Davy51]

As implied by the BBC a couple of weeks ago ,if you & Gerry Adams say the bombing was not carried out by the IRA , then can you point the finger at who was responsible ?

[algy]

Why did you pick Warrington as a target and what do you think it acheived?.

[Lt Kije]

I am not sticking up for him at all but to say he lost would be wrong, as he is in a power sharing agreement, where before the battle/war they had no power at all, as the Protestant side deliberately kept them out of power. Never forget when the British troops went in, it was originally to protect the Catholics from Protestant intimidation, however things rapidly changed after that. They have power as as democracy works and the population demographic changes they will get more power, Londonderry is now just Derry as they out number the Protestants their, they are just playing the waiting game, unless the Protestant community starts to have as many children as the catholic comuninity they will win the North by democratic vote soon enough.

 

Back to topic, I would ask the same question as algy

[Sheila_P]

Why?

[Sheila_P]

What did you wish to achieve by bombing our town? Did the result make you proud?

 

(Sheila's twin sister!)

[Bazj]

Just driven past the Peace Ranch and lo and behold; the place is covered in cones and cops.... I wonder if the IRA scum is paying for them to be stood there or is it just another few quid on the council tax for next year? ....

 

and as for Colin Parry; he should hang his head in shame for inviting the IRA to visit Warrington

[Eagle]

"When are you going to bugger off back to your sewer?"

[Woody]

Do you expect the people of Warrington, for what you and your organisation did to two innocent kids

[AdrianR]

The BBC did an interesting slot on the bomb the other week on inside out indicating that it might have been a rogue cell with british rather than irish people involved.

 

I would therefore ask him simply to tell us everything he knows or even suspects and then let the police investigate.

[wolfie]

He denied that, after being asked the same question.

[Davy51]

And yet in the Inside Out episode the IRA said it was nothing to do with them. The BBC also said in that programme that the code words used to the police before the bombing were different from what the IRA would normally use.

[Gary]

I think the fact that McGuinness was in dialogue with the government on the day of the bombing to attempt peace talks makes it highly unlikely that the bomb attack was a direct order from him or Adams.

A few video clips from the event now online

http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/articles/16679/1/Martin-McGuinness-Peace-Lecture-video/Page1.html

[Dizzy]

I read part of the transcript earlier today of his speech at the peace centre last night and he seemed to infer that it 'was' the IRA in Warrington... So if McGuinness wants peace and closure and an end to it all how about he just tells the police WHO actually was responsible for the bombs in Warrington and elsewhere like Birmingham which killed and injured so many innocent people over the years !!

 

Here's the transcript of his speech...  (well it says it is anyway.... can anyone confirm?)

 

http://www.thejournal.ie/martin-mcguinness-ira-1090000-Sep2013/

[observer]

So, if it was "the IRA" who were responsible; who's to blame - the operatives that did it, or the operational leadership that ordered it?

[Bazj]

whatever.... he still has the blood of many dead innocents on his hands

[Davy51]

Dizzy ,i also heard that statement on a news report ,so why a contradiction now  from what was said on Inside Out ?  Confusing !

[Goonerman]

Sigh, just as I thought I wouldn't need to come in here any more, I realise perhaps I am needed.  I on facebook hit the like button for the Peace Centre, then scrolled down, and although I have not watched the video of you know who's visit, I read the postings, and thought, boy, we've stumbled into a big minefield here!  (Please pardon the expression.)  There is a little principle we need to bear in mind: Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.  (Incidentally, the strength of feeling should make one pause the next time anyone points the finger, usually at the wrong people, if an incident in Northern Ireland occurs.)  At least McGuinness, I hope, is being made to face up to what his organisation has done, and by the way, Lt. Kije, just to point out that the first British soldier to be killed in the Troubles was in February 1971 AFTER the legislation ending the discrimination against Catholics was in place in 1970.  Therefore the Provisional IRA's agenda was never to do with equality.  PS demographic studies indicate that the Catholic increase of population will fall short of equalling the Protestant population.  So you're not getting rid of us any time soon. Tough.  Hard luck.     

 

Also, we from Northern Ireland are always being lectured on how bad we all are and how we must sit down and talk to the other side, extremists included.  And yet when this happens, I see all the same raw emotions that mentally block people from talking happening here too.  So, ladies and gentlemen, don't even try to lecture me.  I enticed a Sinn Feiner in the direction of peace in the old 10 Downing Street forum in a debate in 2000, so it IS possible to get through to these people.  Besides, if you lecture us on how we should be talking to these guys, who are you to change your minds when it comes to you?  DOUBLE STANDARDS!  It would have been different perhaps had there been no cease-fire.  

 

As for who bombed Warrington, my own researches tell me it was the Nottingham 'Active Service Unit' of the Provisional IRA's England Department (answerable to the PIRA's General HQ in Dublin- and autonomous from the PIRA's top governing body, the 'Provisional Army Council' and you can guess, ahem, cough cough cough, two well-known people on that group!).  This ASU or should I say murder gang mostly consisted of ruthless fanatics from South Armagh.  Bizarrely two members of this group were English.  (Check out information on the Warrington Gasworks Bombing.)  

 

I see there is a ferocious debate between the veterans organisations and the Peace Centre.  It's going to be interesting to see how that pans out.  I've only known about this for at least 10-20 minutes.  

 

(I'm actually living in London at the moment but am moving home this month.)

 

Apart from the nonsense going on at Ardoyne/Tawaddell Road (often called Twaddle Road by locals for obvious reasons) roundabout, Belfast is very quiet.  It's so laid back compared to London it's hilarious.  

 

Waiting on being told I have a one track mind.  Yeah, right.  Waiting for Observer to slip up again!  

[asperity]

I know I don't always agree with you, but you must be aware that Lt Kije doesn't always let facts get in the way of reality

[Davy51]

Goonerman are the veterans associations you mention Protestant & Catholic religious veterans  or PIRA & various Protestant leaning terror groups? 

 

BUT no matter what, all right minded people realise that many governments across the ages & across the globe have to be ,at one point or another, formed with people who were once thought of as enemies of the state.As unpleasant as it may seem,there comes a time when 2 sides will come together & if peace is to be the victor then it should be accepted.