Eamon Phoenix has changed his tune!

Irish News 30 Nov : At that time this divided republican opinion in the north and the scheme was eventually blocked by the old unionist minister of home affairs who was in charge of policing, Sir Dawson Bates.

Irish News 10 Nov : Dan Dempsey was appointed by Michael Collins to the 'Belfast Catholic Recruiting Committee', set up under the Craig-Collins Pact of March 1922 to attract Belfast Catholics into the B Specials. The pact soon collapsed in face of escalating violence, north and south.

Is it possible that both accounts were true, at the same time?

As in each article the collapse of the accord is 'blamed' on only one reason, then both accounts are seriously flawed. Today's article makes it look as if a Unionist Bogeyman ( which by all accounts he was )was entirely responsible.

What I found interesting when I looked at the pact earlier in the month is that it was agreed that there would be non-jury Courts, and that the British Army would act in support of the police where necessary.

(4) A Court to be constituted for the trial without jury of persons charged with serious crime, the Court to consist of the Lord Chief Justice and one of the Lord Justices of Appeal of Northern Ireland. Any person committed for trial for a serious crime to be tried by that court:
a. If he so requests, or
b. If the Attorney-General for Northern Ireland so directs.
Serious crime should be taken to mean any offence punishable with death, penal servitude, or imprisonment for a term exceeding six months. The Government of Northern Ireland will take steps for passing the legislation necessary to give effect to this Article.

and

5. Any search for arms to be carried out by police forces composed half of Catholics and half of Protestants, the military rendering any necessary assistance.

5. Any search for arms to be carried out by police forces composed half of Catholics and half of Protestants, the military rendering any necessary assistance.

Weren't we ever so full of good intentions, but ever so crap at following through. cf 74 executive etc.

The GFA effectively trumps the sectarian veto of any one party so lets be prepared to leave someone ( I don't care who) behind and move on. This 'inclusive' sectarian settlement left many of us behind long ago. Whose votes never count when sectarian grandstanding and murder hollow out the middle ground. Whats the alternative, a Bosnified economy of cigarette smuggling, sexual exploitation, extortion, feral children, drugs and macho murder. Come to think of it, that sounds like some streets near you. All those years of excusing our own anti-social political behaviour have wrought their own magic.