Violence in Belfast is driven by the few who feel ignored
I remember in the late 1990s driving around the "bad lands" of south Armagh. The border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic was porous. I had read enough about the gun-running and the terrorist groups operating in the area, but what struck me most were the houses, the cars and the satellite dishes.
Back in Belfast, a UK government minister explained. Part of the tactic over the years, he said, was to make the warring sides more comfortable. The more they had to lose personally, the less they would be prone to fight.
Many around the world cite Northern Ireland as the model attempt at conflict resolution.… Seguir leyendo »