Newly-released State Papers from 1981 claim that Bobby Sands offered to suspend his hunger strike just a week before his death. According to the documents released this morning under the 30-year rule, the offer was conveyed to the British Government by the Pope's Secretary, John Magee. 30 years on, and Government archives in Dublin, Belfast and London are opened today, giving new insights into the events of 1981. The year was dominated by the H-Block hunger strikes in Northern Ireland, in which ten men died, starting with Bobby Sands. The papers contain the claim that just a week before his death, Sands offered to suspend his strike for five days, when he met John Magee, then Secretary to the Pope, who later became Bishop of Cloyne. Father Magee told Northern Secretary Humphrey Atkins that Sands said he would suspend his strike in return for discussions with a British government official, in the presence of two priests and three other prisoners as witnesses. The British rejected the offer out of hand, claiming it was an attempt to open negotiations.
We did though. We negotiated with the IRA. We negotiated with Gaddafi. And we negotiated with the Taliban.
When the IRA started targeting financial institutions and costing millions in damage (like Manchester) the Government couldn't get them round the table quick enough. Hitting civilian targets gets you nowhere.
A great man who will be sadly missed. By his wife and kids and all of Geordieland. No **** else gives a **** about him.
British soldiers are expendable too. It was only when the IRA perfected the big smokies, which cost next to nothing to construct but cause hundreds of millions of pounds that the Brits wanted to do business.
I like British people. I have a very well founded healthy mistrust for their government and security services though. So should you btw.
