Northern Ireland: Former enemies come face to face

A former British solider and a former IRA prisoner have united to warn that there cannot be a one-sided prosecutions amnesty in Northern Ireland.
Lee Lavis and Michael Culbert spoke to Sky News as the British Army prepared to mark 50 years since troops were first deployed to Belfast.
Operation Banner, which ran from 1969 until 2007, remains the longest continuous deployment for the British military.
Sky's David Blevins reports.
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[@haalstaag]

As a former British soldier who walked these streets 3 times during his service and lost a few comrades I believe that this is the only way forward. I have and feel no hate, and I hope that my opposition feel the same. Only by talking can we make sure future generations live Tobin peace. Only by talking can this happen. We are not that different.

[@joanneamu]

Amen to that xx

[@haalstaag]

@@circlemagazine yea right….so no one else got away with murder then?

[@MrSandalwood]

I'm the same I was in the Gloucester regiment and was in derry in 1987/8.. I am indifferent to my time there in all honesty but stand by my experience that the real battle was the drug dealing that hid behind a fake war...

[@mmmunick2996]

As a former murder

[@Cornell851]

@@mmmunick2996 Calm down cupcake 🧁

[@ConnorCorry]

Former enemies come face to face yet our politicians up at Stormont have had 2+ years of no government. It's going to be a few generations yet before real progress is made for the majority of people on all sides

[@MaximilienRobespierre1]

Blame corruption

[@jonsweeney3845]

​@@MaximilienRobespierre1Arlene Foster would know all about that.

[@simondunn5580]

Served with Lee , good lad , spoke very well, hopefully there be peace and no going back to the dark days

[@fionagallagher1084]

Lee is a fantastic, highly intelligent man, and someone I call my best friend. I lost a brother to the actions of a British soldier..myself and Lee in the normal run of things should be sworn enemies. But we are proof that talking and having brutally honest, uncomfortable conversations, can actually make a difference. He's a good fella.. glad I know him.

[@lexingtonlad5745]

Up to the loyalists now.

[@jasontimperley9199]

@@fionagallagher1084❤

[@Itsjustmyselfsoitis]

1:37 "An operation that kills five insurgents is counter-productive if collateral damage leads to the recruitment of fifty more insurgents." - US Army & Marines Counterinsurgency Field Manual "The Sine Qua Non of victory in modern warfare is the unconditional support of the population" - Roger Trinquier

[@rossmorebaz]

this is what the Israelis dont seem to get .. Free Palestine !

[@Itsjustmyselfsoitis]

"I couldn't concieve of America being wrong" said the Vietnam veteran. "Such was the fate of so many of the boys sent to win hearts and minds, who lost their own." - Michael Maclear 'Guerrila Nation'

[@jackietreehorn5561]

They severely underestimated the will of the Vietnamese and the fact they kicked out a superpower before them

[@vinz4066]

​@@jackietreehorn5561 And after them too. China got a taste of that as well

[@jackietreehorn5561]

@@vinz4066 and france

[@carlkelly711]

Fantastic too see the two former enemies shake hands

[@user-xd9yo3le7o]

Good to see this, it must have been very difficult for the former soldier. Only though mutual respect can things improve. The British have to understand the need to be careful and diplomatic, let's not allow the extremists and ultranationalism latitude to dominate the debate. Sort out Brexit and don't disregard Irish sensibilities. Also recognise that the terrorist acts at Lough island and Ballymurphy can't be put aside. Collusion has to be addressed.

[@user-xd9yo3le7o]

@jon tyler I'm talking about the British government not treating Irish people in a cack handed way, that seems to have been their behaviour up to now. Base the relationship on mutual respect and don't try to steam roll others. Any way I was talking about issues that have to be addressed today. Keep the GFA in place and don't let the men of violence win.

[@bicleadbitter6033]

As a British soldier who served 3 tours of Northern Ireland and lost comrades of these troubles I feel the tours where pointless and a waste of military and civilian lives a war that was never won by either side and yet it rages on ,but never reported on TV the war is not over a victory never to be won but many more lives lost and for what ??

[@1888gp]

freedom for ireland ?

[@frasermckevitt2417]

@@1888gpno he’s just saying that the conflict was pointless as the difference between Protestants and catholic’s is like the difference between salted butter and unsalted butter

[@TonyODonnell]

@@frasermckevitt2417 it may have been pointless, but he served in a state where everybody's grandparents were Irish, Born in Ireland and one day told they were british and it was no longer Ireland, same problem occurring across the middle east by the same architect, britain.

[@jackietreehorn5561]

@@TonyODonnell Israel actually fought the British post ww2 and their head of state was nicknamed Michael after Michael Collins.....out of all the 200 countries in the world UK has invaded all but 22 of them

[@briandoherty6891]

. dont send your sons on the the behalf of people who will never send theirs to fight a war that started over 800 years ago. By men who sent English sons to fight Irish sons....men who would have seen eye to eye and shook hands to build a future for their families but were thrown to war by regiment and by men who never knew peace..the salmon who swim our rivers dont care of the men who dictate their lives but yet the powers throw neighbours against one another.....sacrifice our men and sons but not theirs. I wont be told what king to bow before irish or another

[@Armed-Forever]

facts

[@jonsweeney3845]

​@@kassFCthe English were invited in to Ireland?😂😂😂

[@peaceformula5830]

Is that a poem? It's very nice

[@jackietreehorn5561]

Summed up every war in history

[@loyalloyal4442]

Oh my Culbert

[@hoopenhanger]

Well done to Sky News for acknowledging that the two sides in this conflict were the IRA and the British army.

[@Valencetheshireman927]

What about the loyalist paramilitaries? They were a third force.

[@ulsterinfidel9897]

The 2 sides was republicans and us Unionists the British Army was stuck in the middle trying to keep the peace.

[@Hangedman1999]

@@Valencetheshireman927 That's true but they did get help from the RUC and MI5.

[@stallthedigger2599]

@@Valencetheshireman927 The vast majority of loyalist victims were civilians so they weren't a huge player in the actual fighting.

[@Ollie121299OnPC]

@@ulsterinfidel9897 they didn’t try and keep the peace though lol

[@collyateoo7766]

Its just a pity life not like tis as far apart as ever . Sad but true 👍

[@SF-pq3sq]

Nice to see the troubles need to be confined to history and an open friendly dialogue between all parties. If former members of the IRA actually met British soldiers like this then people would realise that we're all very similer and hold much the same values. Hate never wins ir just kills.

[@jackietreehorn5561]

There is a documentary called facing the truth northern Ireland.....good documentary but a very hard watch

[@SF-pq3sq]

@@jackietreehorn5561 i will look it up thanks😊👍

[@ColGadarby]

Had a surreal moment as an ex-British soldier having served in N Ireland and found myself in the French Foreign Legion having a cup of tea with an ex-IRA terrorist in the desert during Desert Storm.

[@jackietreehorn5561]

Storm in the tea cup lol

[@irishdepartmentofagriculture]

What was an ex IRA man doing in the desert during desert storm?

[@jackietreehorn5561]

@@irishdepartmentofagriculture after a three course meal and dessert follows

[@az1758]

South Africa had a truth and reconciliation commission. Can Northern Ireland consider this?

[@jackietreehorn5561]

They did

[@Dan_1348]

All the terrorists were released...

[@michellemcgoran4873]

HELLO AM IN SHEFFIELD HERE

[@belfasta]

i am a protestant and want a united ireland as i am sick of being treated as a leper by british companies that refuse or charge abusive rates to deliver here even though we are supposed to be part of the uk pc world and ebuyer are examples

[@Krass.Estranged]

Yes, we'll just get rid of Northern Ireland because of PC World's shipping policy. Feck up will ye.

[@jakenconor]

A lot of History's most famous Republicans were Protestants. It's only common sense that Ireland should be an independent and united sovereign republic.

[@baintreachdhubh7327]

@jimmy stewart Then let's have a border poll and prove everyone wrong.

[@baintreachdhubh7327]

@jimmy stewart Fair play

[@Armed-Forever]

@@baintreachdhubh7327 unpopular but i yearn for a restoration of the union , have representatives from each country in westminster as a mandatory requirement, that is how the uk proves it’s commitment to valuing and respecting Irish patriots, i think an irish pm of the british isles would be something beautiful, but i understand if the irish wouldn’t even consider it

[@mufc20timesbitches36]

Would I be welcome to the rock bar in my Para t shirt? Or my sandy lid? I’d love a pint or twenty in there, just for the craic. Beautiful place, beautiful people on both sides of the divide, just spoilt by the tiny few on both sides.

[@jackietreehorn5561]

Don't be silly

[@Armed-Forever]

Oh man i wish we could restart over, what a mess, deep love for ireland, their fight is just more of a reason why i want the union restored, based on mutual respect not tyranny, imagine an irish pm of the uk, would be beautiful

[@kallumcoekin3401]

Idk about that one mate.

[@oliver69cork46]

Wouldn't be beautiful no. What'd be beautiful is peace and eventually a democratic decision on destiny be it reunion with the republic,or rest as northern Ireland.

[@kallumcoekin3401]

@@oliver69cork46 yes but the people of Northern Ireland don’t want that. At least the majority. Everyone seems to think that if they were to join it would be all sunshine and roses, when in actual fact the Protestant people would face large amounts of discrimination. It’s a main factor in why they don’t want to.

[@amyclarke41]

oh

[@kirstyhesketh1416]

❤

[@ronangaelicprince3239]

The problem was the English never really understood the conflict on my island sadly they played into the ira hands drove up recruitment amnesty is a terrible thing both sides should be held accountable

[@jackietreehorn5561]

Winston Churchill once said "the problem with the Irish is that they just refuse to be British, " how true that turned out

[@Armed-Forever]

@@jackietreehorn5561 sad because they are british in a sense, we are all islands of the british isles, problem is the uk gov sought to subjugate not respect ireland, unions must be based on mutual respect, i would have supported the union, but not by force, by respectful dialogue

[@stiofain88]

​@@Armed-Forever The British Isles is a made up term. When Ireland refer to England as Perfidious Albion it also has no legitimacy. If we were actually British then we wouldn't have been treated like dirt for those eight centuries.

[@jackietreehorn5561]

@@Armed-Forever true but history teaches us different

[@stoopOTB]

relatively unbiased sky report that didn’t just spout “ira bad british army good” i’m honestly impressed

[@invisibleman4827]

Shinnerbots are the other way round, expecting their enemies to see nuance while forgetting nuance for themselves

[@liamg1706]

​@invisibleman4827 well from the shinnerbots point of view we didn't ask a foreign tyrannical empire to take over our country. So the British were/are fundamentally wrong to begin with.

[@acloserlook6133]

The IRA also have a massive amount to apologise for. Lots of families who gave never had answers on both sides

[@jackietreehorn5561]

Nothing compared to the allies in recent times in illegal wars"

[@Luton-Mick]

And the British have 23% of Earths population to apologise for.

[@Stargreened]

The problem is most if not all IRA members were either shot dead by the British or sent to jail. However not one member of the British army has spent a day in the Maize prison.

[@willl7780]

@@Stargreened ya kinda weird...

[@jonsweeney3845]

​@@Stargreenedwell said.

[@johnkennedy972]

Don’t forget ballymurphy 11 and the new lodge six to name a few there’s many many more civilians killed by British bullets 🇮🇪32

[@jonsweeney3845]

And bloody Sunday in my home town.

[@liamg1706]

And all the collusion in murder of innocent people while attempting to label other people terrorists

[@belarus2024]

Freedom Ireland !

[@user-xd9yo3le7o]

1921 Referendum, GFA both of which were accepted by voters on a huge mandate. The war is over.

[@robertschweppenhauser9891]

British should have sorted it out around a table ....back in the 1920s....

[@КГБКолДжорджКостанца]

Yankee

[@КГБКолДжорджКостанца]

Britain still not a hero

[@TY-gh2yf]

Says the Russian. Nobody is claiming to be a hero, get your head out your arse.

[@alexwilliamson1486]

Says the man from the country that’s murdered millions before and during WW2.....

[@Dan-zc7ut]

Your country murdered 40M people because of stalin, nobody claims to be a hero here

[@philmcdermott7516]

🤣🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@Dheuedbv]

@@philmcdermott7516Nothing funny about war

[@disgruntledvet4849]

I will never brake bread with these people

[@michaelanderson7715]

...nor write grammatically...

[@Stargreened]

@@michaelanderson7715 😂

[@royaldragon1175]

Early ffs

[@jafco1650]

tiocfaidh ar la

[@maga8307]

Que?

[@markyinbelfastxx9088]

Hand in ur pocket, who's heads on it ? 😉

[@adambelfast1]

@@markyinbelfastxx9088 Lady Hibernia

[@markyinbelfastxx9088]

@@adambelfast1 yawn

[@kaalbhairav8700]

freedom for northern Ireland from the british after brexit.....

[@JessicaZane4realz]

It's really unfortunate that religion divides them.

[@karstenschuhmann8334]

It is more than religion, religion was boosted by nationalism and hardened by suffering.

[@banditcountry3232]

@KFC what border!? there is no border!! 32!!

[@bojojojo913]

Simple mathematic formula to explain: 26+6=1

[@dan-860]

Chief Thief No, the IRA is in the wrong since it murdered innocent civilians. Eg Kingsmill massacre, Enniskillen bombings and countless other war crimes committed on a smaller scale.

[@jakenconor]

Religion has very little to do with it. The British have no right to be in Ireland... It's as simple as that.

[@GreenCocanix]

The only tune that I could play was FTP and the IRA nanananaas naaa🇬🇧🇬🇧✋

[@jonsweeney3845]

Could we have that in English?

[@jackparkes4371]

Traitor in reality sorry to say

[@markyinbelfastxx9088]

Michael will answer for his actions

[@markyinbelfastxx9088]

@Colm O'Keeffe and?

[@markyinbelfastxx9088]

@Alex 28 lol muppet

[@metalfuk1]

Laughs in Good Friday agreement

[@markyinbelfastxx9088]

@Snarky Chuckles I think ul have to elaborate snarky lol

[@markyinbelfastxx9088]

@Snarky Chuckles lol explain why the anglo saxon race will suffer

[@jameslarkin8494]

Aal Brits were Targets

[@thebrick4357]

Bloody Sunday, the story untold.. Martins provos`s used innocent Catholics as cover.. he rotting