Consultative Group On The Past in Northern Ireland
In mid 2007 he was appointed co-chairman, along with Denis Bradley, of the Consultative Group on the Past in Northern Ireland. This aimed to work out how to deal with the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, especially as it affects the victims of the Troubles and their relatives. This is a very thorny subject, as "One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist".
Sources close to the Group created controversy in early 2008 by suggesting that the Troubles could be officially classified as a "war". Relatives of security force victims argued that this would demean the sacrifice of their relatives during the darkest days of the Troubles. Their relatives were often shot when off duty and unable to defend themselves; their opponents were not obeying the rules of war as commonly understood.
The Group issued its report in January 2009.
Read more about this topic: Robin Eames
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