Corbyn and IRA

[TheGentleMoose]

AIBU to ask that someone please explain how he is allowed to lead a party after this?

"It can be disclosed that for seven years running, while the IRA “armed struggle” was at its height, Mr Corbyn attended and spoke at official republican commemorations to honour dead IRA terrorists, IRA “prisoners of war” and the active “soldiers of the IRA.”

The official programme for the 1988 event, held one week after the IRA murdered three British servicemen in the Netherlands, states that “force of arms is the only method capable of bringing about a free and united Socialist Ireland.” Mr Corbyn used the event to attack the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the precursor of the peace process."

Taken from a Telegraph article. I was unaware his support of the IRA was this involved until this morning.

Nelson Mandela was a terrorist who fought for a 'just cause' and was also a great statesman.

I do not condone terrorism or the sort of terrorism inflicted on Britain by the IRA.

Nor can I condone the way in which the Irish, and the Northern Irish Catholic minority, were treated by their British overlords.

Know thy history. Look to HRH Prince Charles for inspiration.

Am I missing something?

If the Conservatives use this for mudslinging, they WILL lose my vote indefinitely.

Mandela was not a terrorist. The ANC was considering a more violent approach just before he was arrested but I am not aware he was involved in terror.

If the Conservatives use this for mudslinging, they WILL lose my vote indefinitely.

Labour has lost many many votes indefinitely by having him as leader...

Why is it mudslinging?

The American settlers took part in an armed struggle too against colonial rule. Are they terrorists? The Telegraph is very selective not to accuse politicians of collusion for celebrating the 4th July.

Radishal you might want to dig a little deeper into Mandela's activities ... I doubt anyone would deny the excellent things he did later in life, but even just a look at the things he actually pleaded guilty to can be instructive

I live in Northern Ireland, from a broadly unionist background, and find this point about Corbyn and the IRA as moot as they come.

Objecting to his political standpoint back then but applying today's standards isn't reasonable or fair. It is absolutely a distraction from the issues that face the UK today. It is actually quite disgusting to me that Conservatives would dare to bring this up considering the damage they did to our country during the Thatcher years.

Jeremy Corbyn might not care about Northern Ireland. But with the exception of Tony Blair, no PM ever has, and Theresa May certainly won't. He does care about redirecting funding back into schools and the NHS, which will benefit all of us, whichever country in the U.K. we live in.

He was a terrorist.

thebackbencher.co.uk/3-things-you-didnt-want-to-know-about-nelson-mandela/

HTH

What the Black and Tans did alone, to the Irish, was abominable. Legitimised terrorism that was.

Objecting to his political standpoint back then but applying today's standards isn't reasonable or fair

Up to a point I can see where you're coming from, but even if we ignore his position on the IRA there's the inconvenient truth about his attitude towards Hamas, etc - and that's most certainly not in the long ago past

An ungenerous mind might even wonder if, when in Che Guevara mode, there's any terrorist cause he isn't keen to link himself with if it suits

Brought up with knowledge about Black and Tans - Irish Mum born in 30s. But this is not about all the disgusting things the British have done. - I live near Warrington : don't tell me the actions of the Black and Tans justifies putting a nail bomb in a bin to kill children.
This is about one U.K. politician making political capital out of terrorists
And then we are supposed to pretend it didn't happen or that he was some sort of Mandela figure or god knows what.

Where have I implied any justification for IRA brutality?

It does seem some forms of terrorism are conveniently overlooked in the 'history books'.

I know the old adage "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter ". Bollocks to that.

I know the old adage "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter ". Bollocks to that.

Yeah but that's not what Maggie was saying. She was talking about remembering what suits you - and ignoring what doesn't.

Corbyn was what they used to call a "useful idiot" or, at best a "fellow traveller". His judgement too poor to see he was being used by some pretty disgusting people. All the time. Not realpolitik because he's never been important enough. I wouldn't trust him to pick up a bag of chips for me on the way home. And I'm a lifelong Labour voter. Won't vote Tory.

Looking at the above posts. History does show the absolute depravity we can easily slip into if we aren't very careful.

Again, I just hope we have learned from these things and that we will guard carefully from allowing ourselves to degenerate to those levels again.

History is reported differently by different people and how we view it can change with time

But this isn't history of long ago this is still very recent

It isn't only the IRA issue it's sharing platforms with Islamic terrorist supporters and those who openly hold openly anti Semitic views which will also alarm many many people

No one no matter how good they are at leading an opposition party, no matter what policies they have, no matter how charismatic they are this would always stop someone becoming PM

You will never have the PM of a country that holds substantial influence regarding security and military interventions that has had such connections

What would he do at talks regarding the ME refuse to sit at the same table as senior politicians from Israel only talk to his friends from Hamas refuse to deal with Trump

Anyone thinking this isn't an issue is very much mistaken I wouldn't be surprised if the Tories printed much of the information (something along the lines of a page spread) asking the public to seriously think about what Corbyn stands for and he simply can't come back from that as it's not lies

refuse to deal with Trump

I am not sure about refusing. But I think any PM should be very, very careful when dealing with this person.

Precisely. This are the positions he has taken on matters of recent history or positions he takes now. The idea of compromise is alien to him. How problems in the Middle East or closer to home can be solved without compromise, I'm not sure. He has a track record of not being able to do it.

It was a point that Corbyn puts his principles before what is right in the political situation

I doubt anyone on this thread disagrees that we shouldn't be wary of Trump

Theresa May has no advantage over Jeremy Corbyn, when it comes to the question of moral integrity. Sorry!

She lost me at fox hunting, cuts to MH services and privatising education.

Amongst other things.

I doubt anyone on this thread disagrees that we shouldn't be wary of Trump

We have reached agreement!