New BBC documentary asks ‘Who Won the War in North?’

[barryqwalsh]

Perhaps some of the most surprising observations come from people such as Baron Prior, who as James Prior was Margaret Thatcher's Northern secretary during the course of the 1981 hunger strikes, and also from Lord Tebbit, who was injured in the 1984 IRA Brighton bombing and whose wife was paralysed in the attack.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/new-bbc-documentary-asks-who-won-the-war-in-north-1.1942143

[omaghjoe]

Militarily the provos probably edged this one, the Brits got a serious bloody nose

However the settlement is probably favours the Brits most or at least would be closest to their ultimate aims. IRA got something that was on the table back in the 70s anyway so the whole thing from their point of view never reached anything like their aims.
The Unionist got shafted as they went berserk at Sunningdale and it ended up getting implemented anyway.
The Brits ultimately wanted to get out of NI with the sovereignty of the UK in tact and they achieved that, although they have had to give up alot of garrisons.

[Aerlik]

"War"?  What "war"?  The British authorities NEVER referred it to as a war because by doing so they would've had to acknowledge the republicans as a legitimate combatant and then abide by the UN conventions.  That is why it was called a "terrorist campaign".  Maybe they are seeing the light after all!

[seafoid]

None of the players ever wins civil wars.
Who won the Lebanese civil war? Dubai, who took over from Beirut as the regional financial centre.

Who won in the North? The place is still a mess.
Wars are a sign of deep dysfunction. It's like saying who won when x had cancer.

[Rossfan]

It ended in a kind of a "score draw". We then got an Agreement ( not a Settlement) that most can live with.
Meanwhile Demographics will get working in the 6 Cos and as English Nationalism grows in the "New UK Constitution" means less money going to to the 6 Cos........

[deiseach]

What a fine journalist Peter Taylor is. Getting them to admit to anything less than total victory is very impressive. Definitely a programme to watch.

[T Fearon]

Tyrone won it,but only by playing puke football

[AQMP]

Dishonourable draw.

[Tonto]

"War"?  What "war"?  The British authorities NEVER referred it to as a war because by doing so they would've had to acknowledge the republicans as a legitimate combatant and then abide by the UN conventions.  That is why it was called a "terrorist campaign".  Maybe they are seeing the light after all!

I'm not sure the hypocrisy with this regard is entirely one-sided. The relatives of the terrorists who were shot in Gibraltar or Loughgall don't seem too keen on calling it a war.  Nor would republicans who shot people who were unarmed ("combatants" or not) and refused to keep prisoners of the so-called war.  If "war" rules were applied there'd be plenty on the republican side of the fence would have had a free visit to The Hague.

[orangeman]

Very few conflicts end in a draw.

If the IRA won, then the Brits lost ?. That would be hard to argue.

The biggest boast is that the Brits couldn't defeat the IRA which counts as a win.

Although the Brits would beg to differ.

[dec]

The IRA's goal was a British withdrawal and a united Ireland.

The goal of the Brits was to keep NI as part of the UK.

I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to decide who won.

[orangeman]

The IRA's goal was a British withdrawal and a united Ireland.

The goal of the Brits was to keep NI as part of the UK.

I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to decide who won.

Aye but it's not over yet. Just another phase. During this phase, the money gets thrown around.

[Maguire01]

The IRA's goal was a British withdrawal and a united Ireland.

The goal of the Brits was to keep NI as part of the UK.

I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to decide who won.

Aye but it's not over yet. Just another phase. During this phase, the money gets thrown around.

Surely the 'war' is over?

[Jell 0 Biafra]

Politics is war by other means.

[barryqwalsh]

Look at Scotland, 45% voted for independence and no violence. There is a lesson in that for Gerry and his "hard men".