More Violence Expected in Northern Ireland

Getso cites the lingering problem of violence between splinter groups of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) & Unionists in the wake of the Good Friday Agreement. Accounts of disarmament following the 1994 IRA ceasefire are given from the perspective of the British. Prejudice & inconsistency within British interpretations of the conflict include quotes by Margaret Thatcher. A larger view of Northern Irish warfare dates from 1969 & includes data on segmentation, violence, population composition, property ownership, roles played by the two major Protestant parties, & delineation of Protestant terrorist groups. Catholic views of their "underdog" status are supported by figures on unemployment & British attacks. The peace-promoting roles of Sinn Fein, the Social Democratic & Labour Party, & the US are examined. An assessment of the jagged path of peacemaking acknowledges improvements while naming ongoing obstacles. M. C. Leary