Provo Claus

Parents tell their children that Father Christmas exists.  We all know he doesn't but we like the see the shining faces of small children on Christmas morning when they open their presents and thank Santa Claus for his Yuletide munificence (they don't put it that way).  Here we have our own version of the Santa Claus legend, it's called 'IRA (supposed) decommissioning'.  We Unionists are pigeon-holed by slanted media as the children, who have to thank Provo terrorists for decommissioning their weapons, even though we haven't seen so much as a bullet being done away with.  The media, the government and their payroll lackeys are the parents, who have a vested interest in telling the children fibs about something that actually doesn't exist; and the IRA's actions are cast in the mantle of Santa Claus.

General John de Chastelain will this afternoon announce that ALL the weapons held by the Provisionals have been destroyed (at least that's how Auntie and others will present it).  He will have been led blindfolded around the Oirish countryside, carefully directed around pigs, bogs and derelict crofters cottages, to tiny holes in the ground where he will have been privy to nothing more than these terrorists - proficient in lies and deception - will want him to be.  There will be no cross-referencing with any intelligence reports on the quantity of arms vis-a-vis those 'put beyond use'; no photographic evidence of arms destroyed as part of this process.

Moreover, even taking such a shallow enterprise at its word, there is no IRA permanent disbandment or an end to a criminal empire that now has the potential to stretch from Connolly House to the shores of the Black Sea coast.  I'll let other, less enlightened websites, exude the air of ebullience and 'peace in our time'.  Neither David nor I are noted for gullibility.

Comments

[levee]

Andrew, I'm fairly sure de Chastelain isn't quite as retarded as you make him sound. He has a military career behind him which is adequate qualification in my book for the job he's doing.

The entire issue of decommissioning is claptrap, but claptrap which was pursued vigorously by...Unionist politicians. Oh yes, it was they who made this the BIG issue of the peace process. I suspect that if Ian Paisley had witnessed the acts with his own eyes, he'd still have found something to complain about.

The problems in Northern Ireland aren't going to go away overnight with these weapons. What we need are some strong politicians to rise who have no affiliation either way and work tirelessly to better the province for everybody. People should see just how little our politicians have done for us over the years. Death by obscurity to all Unionist and Nationalist politicians.

[Madradin Ruad]

He has a military career behind him

levee - as far as I know his military career is behind him because he made a total Horlicks of his last assignment - for which he was publicly rebuked by his government.

[levee]

Nobody's perfect, MR

[Madradin Ruad]

levee - the point of the matter is that according to those wishful thinkers de chastelaine is just that -whereas he made as a big a mess here as he did at home - by allowing the provos to bully him.

[Jo]

Such sniping at the General is rather distasteful, he was Chief of Defence Staff from 94-95 - not a position one associates with official disapproval - and now aged 68, he has been involved here since 95.
Ad hominem argument.

Essentially that he is here at all is a response to Unionist clamour for decommissioning, which on achievement (albeit much later than it should have been) is met with dissatisfaction, at best! I wouldnt be surprised to read somewhere that he (whisper whisper) has Irish Catholic relatives....

[Madradin Ruad]

he was Chief of Defence Staff from 94-95

Jo - The rebuke came in 1995 ..... and considering what it involved is entirely relevent to his activities here.

[Colm]

What was the rebuke?

[Madradin Ruad]

Have a read Colm.

http://tceplus.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0010382

[Colm]

MR

I read it, but still can't make out how exactly it is relevent to his ability to oversee decommissioning here.

[Jo]

...the Bloody Sunday murders werent exactly a matter for rebuke for the General in charge that day...

[David Vance]

Look,

I've conducted meetings with Sir John and with the best will in the world, he's a waster.

[Jo]

..but you think that of almost everyone, David! It loses its power after a while! ;)

[Nationalist]

Let me state right now what the reaction of Unionist politicians will be. There will be a few.

No matter how much weaponry has been decommissioned the question put forward will be how do we know that it is all of it. This is funny as the ability to manufacture bombs from everyday material is a knowledge that can die but never decomissioned.

Another reaction will be the shift of focus onto entities like the Real IRA (and their weapons) and tying them back to the Provisonal IRA making the point that there are still weapons out there.

All in all I expect a great deal of finger pointing and a lot of goal-post shifting in order to make the point that 'something' hasn't been done.

Personally I sincerely hope that the IRA has put all their weaponry out of use. As I have always said murder is not an option as a person myabe be killed but an idea cannot

[David Vance]

No it does not. De Chastelaine is a nice man, a civilised man with a keen sense of military history..but I repeat a total waster.

As for my contempt for political figures, well..I call it as I see it. I don't think they are all wasters --- there are some who are very competent operators and they are found in most parties.

You must appreciate that we are not all awe-struck my posturing pultroons and some of us will even say it out loud rather than just think it....

[Jo]

..I didnt say you were wrong, David!

[Colm]

"De Chastelaine is a nice man, a civilised man with a keen sense of military history..but I repeat a total waster."

Talk about a back-handed compliment!

[Madradin Ruad]

Colm - I was addressing the claim that de Chasteline is a competent and widely respected General. He messed up in his last big assignment. He caved in to the IRA early on in this one.

[David Vance]

Hey Colm,

Glad you liked it - I'm just getting warmed up!! Have I told you what I thought of Sir John's buddy Andrew (None)Sens?

[Dan]

To be frank, David and Andrew aren't noted for much of anything. You're really just Internet geeks.