British subpoena IRA records from Boston College oral archive

It is right for the murders of innocent people to be brought to justice. The PIRA's war was not with the British Army but with the majority population of Northern Ireland that wanted to remain British irrespective of their being Protestant or Roman Catholic. It should be remembered that the PIRA orchestrated an assassination campaign against Roman Catholic members of the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) and the UDR (Ulster Defense Regiment) with the intention of marginalising Roman Catholic participation in the security forces. These people were murdered because of their Roman Catholic religion by the PIRA. PIRA then orchestrated a campaign of intimidation of witnesses which necessitated the creation of the Diplock Courts. So it was PIRA policy that created the Diplock Courts. All murders should face the full force of the Law. The American government has reduced the civil right of American nationals in an attempt to prevent a repeat of a terrorist attack similar to 911. The British government was in a similar state with terrorist murders and bombing being a daily occurrence. Unlike the US today who is being supported by the British governments, the American and Irish governments during the 'Troubles' paid lip service in their support with their politicians supporting terrorists.

This just goes to show with the Brits that 'the end justifies the means'. As you can plainly see they hold nothing sacred they'll even go as far as disregarding confidentiality of the press to try to pin a conviction on someone. They seem to put on the facade of being so high minded, so why do they neglect to supply the truth when it comes anything pertaining to N. Ireland, such as allowing troops to give testimony from behind a screen to veil their identity. Unfathomable!

Realist No you contradict yourself, previously you said of those who received a Diplock conviction, "received open and fair trials (featuring rights of appeal) in British courts." You have obviously done no research --perhaps if you google my name you might find I know Lord Diplock more intimately than I can stand.

REALIST - You have obviously done No research - DIPLOCK courts convicted Sands and all of those on the dirty protest! THese were not fair british courts - there was no jury there were minimal appeals and falsified police statements received more weight than 6 witnesses including members of the clergy (I know my cousin was convicted in one as a boy, not withstanding the fact he was in school at the time and the six teachers who taught him that day including 2 priests testified as to his being in school all day)All wars have victims but both sides should be punished and prosecuted! The British government labeled the IRA terrorists! Their actions broke their own laws, (much like modern USA) What differs government from terror organisations is the practice of following the laws we want others to follow.

Paras anyone? What a joke.

Realist Open and fair trials were not the practice of Diplock Courts and if one occured in was not intended. Recently former Hungerstriker Raymond McCartney was found innocent of the murder conviction for which he served 17 years. Lord Kerr in UK Supreme Court only last Wednesday declared that he should never have been prosecuted much less tried. Had Bobby Sands survived there is nothing to say that he too may have been framed.

English terrorists , Irish terrorists. There is no difference. Lets see everybodys dirty laundry. You think that will happen?

Get a life citizen69, read up on when, why, and how, it started, and no one knows better than one who has lived it.

Realist Lol..I never said she was a British spy. I have no idea if she was or not. There is no evidence that she was as far as I know.If there is no evidence then she was innocent as far as I'm concerned.Where did I say I agree with this killing?

The word on the Street is that the Monaghan and Dublin bombings were carried out by M15.If Boston College release their information to the Brits it will do irreperable harm to the College plus all the other Colleges that have an Irish Studies programme. I would like to know how Harvard feels about this?????

sirpeter: Lol...."You can't state Adams was in the PIRA until we have proof"? Yes, indeed. Perhaps then you could produce the proof that Jean McConville was a British spy? Remember, "Hearsay is not proof".

maireadinmelb: I'm glad to see you advocating prisoner rights and the rule of law. I'm also proud that Mr Sands and his other nine 'comrades' who, out of attention seeking faux victimhood chose to commit suicide slimming for Ireland in 1981, received open and fair trials (featuring rights of appeal) in British courts. I wonder what choices were afforded the IRA's victims. Innocent civilian and 26-year-old mother-of-three Yvonne Dunlop springs to mind. In 1976 she was burned to death in front of her own 5-year-old son by hunger striker and convicted terrorist killer Thomas McElwee. Kindly Mr McElwee burned down Mrs Dunlop's children’s clothes shop (with her still in it) to help make Ireland free. Now remind me, how many prisoners did the Provisional IRA take? Did Mrs McConville receive a fair trial from her IRA captors? Who was her lawyer? Did she have right of appeal against her sentence of death? Perhaps the trial notes for her case are amongst the Boston College archives?

Citizen 69 You reap what you sew! When did IRA numbers grow? after unjust and illegal acts of oppression were carried out on a people ~ similarly to the Palestinians today! Further ` IF the British wish to continue to push this line that they (the ira) are terrorists committing crimes and so justice should be done, it needs to go both ways!!! Where do you get your figures as to "majority killed by the IRA"? Add up the numbers killed by british forces including the state supported citizens groups like the b specials and UVF? No British soldier/police man has served time in prison for their illegal acts including torture, bullying and MURDER!! Ask Majella O'Hare's parents! IT has to work both ways! Considering that the British state still uses DIPLOCK _NON JURY courts they cannot demand that others follow their so called democratic laws when even they do not acknowledge that one is innocent until proven guilty! As Bobby Sands lay dying in the prison hospital - for political status, other republicans in british mainland prisons had full political status because they were in England. Same actions with the same organisations and funnily enough at that time the same parliament making the laws!!

@mamaginnty: The nationalist (catholic) people didn't need help from the likes of the IRA. Remember the IRA killed more catholic nationalists than the British or the loyalists! What did the IRA achieve for the nationalist people? The IRA escalated the violence and sent many working class protestants into the ranks of loyalist paramilitaries. Look at Scotland today, they are much closer to having independence if they want it (although i dont think they will want it) because their debate on independence hasn't been sectarianized & polarized by terrorism. Peace or the unification of Northern Ireland with the Republic will never be achieved by terror. If you believe that then you must believe that the Taliban & Al-Quaeda are justified in their use of terror also.

@maireadinmelb: Are the fourteen innocents shot in Derry more important than the countless other innocents killed during the troubles, the majority of which were murdered by the IRA? There have been, and there are ongoing inquiries into the deaths of those killed by the British & Loyalist side but to my knowledge none into the killings by the IRA. No inquiries into who ordered or took part in the many IRA atrocities. Is that fair? Some of these people are very likely now in government as part of Sinn Fein. If the IRA wont co-operate then it means only one side will eventually get truth & closure.