An Overview of the Current Situation (Ron Peace) 6 - 7

An Examination of U.S. Involvement (Gary Hanna) 7 - ?

What the United States has to Gain or Lose (Opinion) (John Gasparovich) ?

Historical Perspective of the Conflict

The conflict in Northern Ireland has its roots in centuries of strife and civil unrest. Not unlike the struggles of the blacks in America, Irish Catholics have been persecuted for simply who they are and what they believe. The hatred between the Catholics and Protestants on the island has been passed down for generations with much of the country being split into segregated neighborhoods. These neighborhoods have been the focus of ism on both sides of the religious coin and persist, in some part, even today.

The seed of unrest that nurtured the Irish conflict started in the late 1100’s and was prompted by Britains attempted colonization of the island. Over the next five hundred years subsequent English rulers aggressively battled to incre

What the United States has to Gain or Lose (Opinion)

When former Senator George Mitchell drafted “The Mitchell Principles” in 1996, it was a new start towards resolving this old conflict between those that would reunify Ireland as one country again and those that wish to have Northern Ireland remain a part of the British union. Many people believe it is a conflict between two Christian groups. When actually the two groups have aligned so that the Catholics support the separation of Northern Ireland from British rule and reunification of Ireland as one country. The Protestants support the cause of maintaining the “status quo” of keeping Northern Ireland as a British state.

Unfortunately, while the backers of the Good Friday Agreement have gone on to have a controlling majority in within the governing body, had once again erupted. In August of 1998, just a few short months after signing the agreement, ists detonated a car outside of a shopping area in Omaha, twenty-eight people. A splinter group called the “Real IRA” had taken credit for the act that was considered to be the worst case of ism since that of the “Troubles” in the late 1960’s. The ing has been a tremendous set back for many of the original backers of the peace treaty, who had hoped and prayed for an end to the that had claimed the lives of thirty-four hundred of their country men over the past thirty years. Then again in March of 1999, long time human rights lawyer, Rosemary Nelson was killed in another car incident. Since this time there continue to be small pockets of within the region, and continual diplomatic pressure for both sides to work out a lasting peace.

Some topics in this essay:
Northern Ireland, Mitchell Principles”, Catholics Protestants, England Protestants, Army IRA, Street Declaration”, Catholics Ireland, Ireland British, Catholic IRA, Senator Mitchell, northern ireland, lasting peace, peace northern, “the mitchell, mitchell principles”, “the mitchell principles”, peace northern ireland, peace talks, senator george mitchell, george mitchell, ireland british, senator george, current situation, northern ireland british, gain lose opinion,