|
|
Post by mattyd2 on Nov 18, 2020 14:42:46 GMT
Obviously folks, be very careful what we say, but an interesting development today, a 65 year old arrested in Belfast.
No mention as to whether or not he's a new suspect, or one of the original so called Birmingham 6.
|
|
|
|
Post by felonious on Nov 18, 2020 15:27:17 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by mickmillslovechild on Nov 18, 2020 16:18:48 GMT
Not one of the original "Birmingham 6" if he's 65.
They're all either dead or in their late seventies/eighties nowadays
|
|
|
|
Post by salopstick on Nov 18, 2020 16:30:35 GMT
A tricky one.
So much water under the bridge. GFA tries to draw a line under it but they still persue 75 year old cancer ridden ex squaddies for alleged crimes in the province.
A part of me says draw a fucking line under the whole thing. Not that that will bring comfort to relatives. The person arrested was 19 at the time and rightly or wrongly people involved in the troubles considered it a war.
It will likely be a generation when all on both sides are passed before there can ever be a true peace and that’s without both sides potentially indoctrinating their kids
|
|
|
|
Post by mattyd2 on Nov 18, 2020 16:51:05 GMT
Not one of the original "Birmingham 6" if he's 65. They're all either dead or in their late seventies/eighties nowadays Thats true, but having said that this new suspect could have been involved as a 19 year old... And as a side, only one is dead, the others are still alive. |
|
|
|
Post by franklin on Nov 18, 2020 16:53:39 GMT
A tricky one. So much water under the bridge. GFA tries to draw a line under it but they still persue 75 year old cancer ridden ex squaddies for alleged crimes in the province. A part of me says draw a fucking line under the whole thing. Not that that will bring comfort to relatives. The person arrested was 19 at the time and rightly or wrongly people involved in the troubles considered it a war. It will likely be a generation when all on both sides are passed before there can ever be a true peace and that’s without both sides potentially indoctrinating their kids If only that were true and people would draw a line under it. However there will still be protests for decades because that's how some people make a living or justify their existence in raking up the past and try and beat folk with it, we're only scratching the surface on the terminally offended rallies and demo's. |
|
|
|
Post by muggleton on Nov 18, 2020 19:15:26 GMT
Obviously folks, be very careful what we say, but an interesting development today, a 65 year old arrested in Belfast. No mention as to whether or not he's a new suspect, or one of the original so called Birmingham 6. The names of those involved in planting those bombs are in the public domain and have been known to the authorities since the 70s. They also knew that the Birmingham 6 were innocent, but kept them in jail for political expediency. That has been the biggest barrier to the families getting justice, as a trial of the perpetrators (all but 2 now dead) would have shone light on areas the state has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep secret. Hundreds of files relating to the case remain embargoed from being released to the National Archive. These files cant be released as they detail how the men responsible for 21 murders were let go despite police knowing they did it, and 6 stooges were jailed in the name of political expediency. It's heartbreaking to see the impact on the families and I hope whatever outcome brings them comfort, but I wouldn't have high hopes of this reaching trial. If it does, the question will be begged as to why this couldn't have been done in the 46 years the police have known who did it. |
|
|
|
Post by woodstein on Nov 18, 2020 21:13:03 GMT
A tricky one. So much water under the bridge. GFA tries to draw a line under it but they still persue 75 year old cancer ridden ex squaddies for alleged crimes in the province. A part of me says draw a fucking line under the whole thing. Not that that will bring comfort to relatives. The person arrested was 19 at the time and rightly or wrongly people involved in the troubles considered it a war. It will likely be a generation when all on both sides are passed before there can ever be a true peace and that’s without both sides potentially indoctrinating their kids If they considered it war they should have faced up to the army, not blow innocent folk up in a pub in an area away from the hostilities. Cowards. |
|
|
|
Post by muggleton on Nov 18, 2020 22:16:54 GMT
A tricky one. So much water under the bridge. GFA tries to draw a line under it but they still persue 75 year old cancer ridden ex squaddies for alleged crimes in the province. A part of me says draw a fucking line under the whole thing. Not that that will bring comfort to relatives. The person arrested was 19 at the time and rightly or wrongly people involved in the troubles considered it a war. It will likely be a generation when all on both sides are passed before there can ever be a true peace and that’s without both sides potentially indoctrinating their kids If they considered it war they should have faced up to the army, not blow innocent folk up in a pub in an area away from the hostilities. Cowards. Birmingham was a particularly bad atrocity alright, which makes the lengths that the state went to avoid prosecuting those who did it all the more galling. One of the murkiest episodes of the entire Troubles. |
|
|
|
Post by vokeswagen on Nov 18, 2020 22:46:23 GMT
A tricky one. So much water under the bridge. GFA tries to draw a line under it but they still persue 75 year old cancer ridden ex squaddies for alleged crimes in the province. A part of me says draw a fucking line under the whole thing. Not that that will bring comfort to relatives. The person arrested was 19 at the time and rightly or wrongly people involved in the troubles considered it a war. It will likely be a generation when all on both sides are passed before there can ever be a true peace and that’s without both sides potentially indoctrinating their kids If only that were true and people would draw a line under it. However there will still be protests for decades because that's how some people make a living or justify their existence in raking up the past and try and beat folk with it, we're only scratching the surface on the terminally offended rallies and demo's. There’ll likely be protests because as muggleton points out so elegantly above, there was a huge miscarriage of justice and a state cover up. It’s easy for you to accuse people of being “terminally offended” but I don’t imagine you’d say that if one of your loved ones had been in one of those pubs that night. You’re an absolute stain  |
|
|
|
Post by somersetstokie on Nov 19, 2020 11:57:52 GMT
Without going into a political tirade people forget what it was like in the 70's and the IRA's mainland bombing campaign. I was in Birmingham City Centre that night, November 21st 1974, and though I avoided the bombs, not all of my friends did. It is not something you ever forget. Its a pity that at the time there wasn't a Guantanamo Bay type approach to terrorism, and anyone under suspicion of being connected to the bombs could be detained. Extreme view perhaps but we were far too soft politically and let the situation continue for years without deterrent. I also knew military personnel at the time who had to face the front line of hostilities in Ulster, so I probably have a prejudiced view of things.
The strange thing about life is its realities and extremes. On November 20th, Stoke had signed goalkeeper Peter Shilton, and when I got back to Stoke on the Friday, there were more people talking about that than there were talking about the bombing.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rednwhitenblue on Nov 19, 2020 14:58:39 GMT
Obviously folks, be very careful what we say, but an interesting development today, a 65 year old arrested in Belfast. No mention as to whether or not he's a new suspect, or one of the original so called Birmingham 6. The names of those involved in planting those bombs are in the public domain and have been known to the authorities since the 70s. They also knew that the Birmingham 6 were innocent, but kept them in jail for political expediency. That has been the biggest barrier to the families getting justice, as a trial of the perpetrators (all but 2 now dead) would have shone light on areas the state has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep secret. Hundreds of files relating to the case remain embargoed from being released to the National Archive. These files cant be released as they detail how the men responsible for 21 murders were let go despite police knowing they did it, and 6 stooges were jailed in the name of political expediency. It's heartbreaking to see the impact on the families and I hope whatever outcome brings them comfort, but I wouldn't have high hopes of this reaching trial. If it does, the question will be begged as to why this couldn't have been done in the 46 years the police have known who did it. Spot on. I do think our police force has got better in this respect generally in recent years, but for some decades around the 60s, 70s and 80s when the Troubles were at their height, they were woefully behind the curve, both in terms of dealing with terrorism and their general approach to detecting and resolving crime. There are so many examples of people being fitted up for crimes they simply didn't commit and the converse of genuine criminals (the Yorkshire Ripper springs to mind) being allowed to roam free for years in some cases as a result of police corruption and incompetence. Older posters will remember the scandal of the West Mids Serious Crime Squad and a similar level of uselessness and corruption in Yorkshire. It seems like the force was stuck in a post-war "come along quietly, now" type approach, while the rest of the world had moved on, especially the bad guys. To make up for their inadequacies, anyone who 'fitted the bill' was in the frame, regardless of their actual guilt, simply to make it look like bad guys were getting nicked. Scandalous, really. Thankfully, the police appear to have moved on substantially from those days. Certainly the response to terrorism is vastly improved. |
|
|
|
Post by raythesailor on Nov 20, 2020 10:13:27 GMT
Heard this morning that the Belfast man arrested has now been released. ! ?
|
|
