Should Britain Be Charged with War Crimes again the Irish?

Question

specifically during Ireland's war for independence,most the known world knows about ireland's fight,like the forming of the IRA and they killing they did,but what isnt widely known is the war crimes Britain committed again the irish,such as forming the Black and Tans and giving them protection to carry out murder,etc,etc.

Answer 1

You're talking about something that happened 80+ years ago, with a very different British government and a different type of relationship between the two countries.

Having said that, my Great Grandmother, who died some years after I was born and originally from Bandon in Co. Cork, had some nasty experiences with the Black and Tans. She was forcibly taken out of her house by these thugs to be questioned, and she was completely innocent. My family, like many other innocents, had no interest in any paramilitary organisations yet were treated like terrorists.

An apology would be appreciated, but how long did it take Tony Blair to apologise for Britains part in the slave trade?
I wouldn't hold my breath on that one!

It's safe to say that Ireland doesn't have fond memories of the Black and Tans. My family certainly didn't.

Answer 2

Ireland goes back to beyond Cromwell, yes over the years despicable things have been done on ALL sides in the name of religion, but yes if you want to charge the British gov. for war crimes because of the actions of the 'Black & Tans' and the protection they received, then consider the protection & support given to the 'Official IRA' by the Irish government in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

This is from someone who has lost and has friends on either side. I can appreciate BOTH sides........

Answer 3

It is incredible how politicial correctness is now anti- Irish nationalism.
It becomes irelevent if Britian should stand war crimes any more than Kissinger etc standing trial for Vietnnam Cambodia etc
as every one knows that Victors don't get tried - no matter how badly they've acted.

Since the secret forces of the New World Order are also responsible for much of the crimes of the British Empire including Ireland, Palestine and South Africa etc are now even more powerful than they were then thanks to globalization . The western power class put their enemies on trial while they themselves know that they will enjoy total impunity.

There is no real justice ihn the NWO- - just power disguised .

Answer 4

I think that history will recall the horrors perpetrated on both sides, and quite rightly.
As for charging people with war crimes though, how would that help?
Northern Ireland's war for independance is all but over now, and there's a new spirit of reconcilliation, which has acheived in a very short time far far more than decades of murder, hate and recrimination.- If we can, we should all just let it go.

Answer 5

I think that is something that the new Irish government should decide, but will probably never bring up. I hope it all goes well and people like yourself should let things go and be happy there is no longer violence at such a scale there used to be. Therefore my answer would be no.

Answer 6

it is an extraordinary act of self deception that the British can say,with a straight face,'who do think you are kidding,mr hitler?' when twenty years before that they allowed the Black and Tans,the scum of British jails,into Ireland to rape the country as retribution for the irish daring to ask them to leave-it is a clear case of when we do it it's ok but it's terrorism when others do it and the other answers to this question which range from hostility to sarcasm betray this inability to see their own faults
i wish i could say that the british had learned their lesson from 800 years of attempted genocide and mercantilism in eire but,no, they are up to their old tricks in iraq with their 'we are right and everyone else is wrong' approach;admittedly they are probablly trying to do the right thing now as are some of the americans but the brits are not bullying a little nation that they outnumber fifty to one this time;notice that they caved into the chinese who outnumber them by the same margin in 97 and of course they cannot resort to gunboat diplomacy any more as they got the whole arab world up in arms and those boys are not famed for their cool heads
but the most amazing thing is they genuinely believe they are smarter than everyone else;it is intellectual arrogance that under pins this ;bad mistake this time,boys

Answer 7

i think the past is the past. i was born & live in the UK, but my mum is from Co. Armagh and my father is from "the Free State" or the Republic. they both believe and think its the past.
a guy further up was on about the IRA, yes the IRA, did some terrible things, so did the UVF, they was as bad as each other. so britain be charged for " war Crimes" No!, it was war!. my cousin in the republic wont agree with me, i am going to print this out and send it to him, to see what he thinks

Answer 8

No. All is fair in love and war.

They operated under different legal constraints to that which
applies nowadays.

In those days Britain was top dog and as such were acting legally. Much the same as the USA is today. Who can stop them from doing what they want to do?

It is only the politically correct that want to drag such historical events into today's different legal constraints..

Answer 9

Lookit, if you're going to get into all that, then you might as well take in the whole lot, which is 800 years of history ... there's no point anymore.

Yes, there have been atrocities by both sides against both sides, but the point is that we have decided to learn from history, and not let old historical grudges dictate our common future.

Answer 10

I'm 49 and I've lived in Belfast all my life ,can I sue the IRA for war crimes against us children who had to walk past car oh sorry ! ! Run past cars in case they were bombs , stay indoors because I wasnt allowed out in case I got shot , saw my friend at 9pm and at 11pm he was dead ( shot by the ira ) he was walking with his g/f. Need I go on No !!! the past is history let it go and get a life ffs ,Iearn to love where you are now instead of simmering over the past Belfast is a great wee city dont forget that !.