Troubles in Northern Ireland from the IRA and British Government

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INTRODUCTION
Although much of the blame for the Troubles in Northern Ireland has fallen on the IRA as a terrorist group, the British government was responsible for numerous acts of state terrorism in the period. As a result of their frustration towards the situation in the North and their desperation to stop the IRA from wreaking havoc, the British Army and police acted in ways that one would not expect from the representatives of a world power in the late twentieth century. The British government refused to recognize the legitimacy of the IRA, and instead of combating them as a military enemy, often resorted to acts of terrorism of their own. These instances of state terrorism were often a result of pent up frustration and desperation as the situation in the North worsened in the early 1970s. It was the media’s fair coverage of these events that disseminated the facts in each case and channeled public opinion to work towards justice. Although the results of this process are only beginning to emerge, they are essential to the peace process in Northern Ireland and absolutely vital in maintaining the peace agreements and progress made so far.
This paper will argue that in the height of the Troubles, due to pent up frustration and extreme desperation with the situation in Northern Ireland, the British often responded with acts of terrorism. As the international community regarded this situation as an internal conflict within the United Kingdom, there was a lack of monitoring and accountability among the representatives of the state. This allowed for great atrocities, which were only brought to light through fair media coverage and investigation of the events. The media was responsible for disseminating the facts and channeling p...

... middle of paper ...

...orter terms on the basis of questionable forensic evidence.

CONCLUSION
This paper does not argue that the IRA should be excused for their acts of violence during the Troubles, but rather calls the reader to see both sides of the story. British representatives insisted on framing the IRA as a terrorist group in the international media and refused publicly negotiating with them. Their position as a world power gave them a great deal of freedom from monitoring and accountability when it came to the treatment of prisoners. In practicality, the IRA were treated neither as ordinary criminals nor political prisoners, which brought the British into unchartered waters. Desperation to find a way to stop the violence in the North, without any clear rules in this conflict, resulted in numerous instances in which innocent lives were irreparably damaged or taken altogether.

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