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The 9 at 9 Nine things to know this morning…

EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you need to know with your morning coffee…

1. #BUDGET: As much as €700million will be cut from the Department of Social Protection in next month’s budget – almost a third of the total Government spending reduction, Harry McGee reports in the Irish Times. However, Minister Joan Burton has this morning rejected the report, saying she is “very confident we’re not talking about a figure like that”.

2. #ITALY: Embattled Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has confirmed he will not run in the country’s next general election, after yesterday promising to resign. We’ve been looking at what comes next for Italy as it struggles to avert a financial crisis which could spell danger for the eurozone.

3. #ACCOUNTING ERROR: Taoiseach Enda Kenny has defended senior civil servant Kevin Cardiff’s nomination to the European Court of Auditors, insisting Cardiff is “very well qualified”, according to the Irish Daily Mail. The Irish Independent reports that several Irish MEPs have joined voices criticising the move, which comes after Cardiff’s department miscounted €3.6billion.

4. #GUM: Scientists at University College Cork have developed a non-sticky chewing gum that could save councils and schools thousands of euro in cleaning costs. The gum made from biodegradable proteins is chewy enough to blow bubbles – but disintegrates after 45 minutes in the mouth, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

5. #IMF: IMF director Christine Lagarde has warned the world economy faces a “lost decade” unless swift and united action is taken. She told an audience in Beijing that richer economies have a “special responsibility” to boost economic confidence, Bloomberg reports.

6. #ALCOHOL: The number of young people treated for alcohol abuse in Ireland has more than doubled since 2005, increasing by 145 per cent according to a new report from the Health Research Board. The study also shows that overall cases rose by 42 per cent in the same period, the Irish Times reports.

7. #EQUALITY: The owners of an off licence in Draperstown, Co Derry have promised not to discriminate among their customers, the Irish News reports. Regional Wines was contacted by the North’s Equality Commission over a sign saying “Due to theft foreign nationals must produce ID”.

8. #MISSION TO MARS: A Russian space mission which it was hoped would send an unmanned probe to one of Mars’s moons has failed just minutes after its launch. The Phobos-Grunt craft was designed to send soil samples from the planet back to Earth, but its engines never fired, the AP reports.

9. #WHAT’S IN A NAME: There has been a rise in people changing their name this year, Sandra Murphy reports in the the Irish Daily Mail, with more than 400 people paying €32 to officially change their identity in court. The names picked included Moon Grace, Pixie and Ulysses.

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    Mute Emilio
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 9:28 AM

    Execution of those responsible for that massacre would be too good for them.

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    Mute Harry the Cat
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 9:39 AM

    Seems very soon to be doing so though, have the defendants all had due process?
    Not suggesting that those involved shouldn’t be punished but a week later is pretty
    quick. It doesn’t leave much time for gleaning useful information from them either.
    A crime against humanity.

    66
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    Mute Boganity
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:07 AM

    These 500 hundred weren’t involved, they’ve been in jail for years for other crimes

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:12 AM

    Boganity, they’ve been in prison for other terror-related crimes or for being members of militant organisations like the Taliban.

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    Mute Gearóid Ó Murchadha
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:14 AM

    They said the 500 to be executed have exhausted all their appeals so sounds fair enough.

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    Mute Boganity
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:14 AM

    Yes, but they did not commit the crime they’re about to be executed for

    55
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    Mute Emilio
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:17 AM

    By the way, look at my comment, it says ‘those responsible’. The question of how to prove who are responsible is another story altogether and yes it involves due process, access to a lawyer etc.

    When I posted my comment, the article was about that one school massacre, not about those 500. Obviously they are not responsible for the recent attack.

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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:18 AM

    fack them let them have it .

    101
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    Mute Gearóid Ó Murchadha
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:18 AM

    They’re being executed for the crimes they committed. This particular attack happens to be what drove the government to lift the moratorium on the death penalty for terrorist offences and those 500 were convicted of terrorism related offences. Personally I’m against the death penalty but I’m not gonna feel too bad for these guys.

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    Mute Emilio
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:19 AM

    Boganity, they committed other crimes for which the death penalty was warranted, in that country, with their law. I disagree with the death penalty, and with many of that country’s laws, but they are not going to be executed for that attack.

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    Mute Boganity
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:20 AM

    Yeh sure…and you still believe in Santa

    15
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    Mute Frank
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:45 AM

    I actually side with Boganity on this one, this is nothing more than a large scale witch hunt.

    Scape goating of epic proportion because it would look good on a main stream media news spread.

    36
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    Mute Boganity
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:03 AM

    I know it’s rare Frank but I’ve agreed with yourself on rare occasions:
    “There are no certain answers and no time to understand
    The rules are set to paradox, coercion and blind faith
    The goal’s a changing paradise, a moment out of date
    The dream is righteous grandeur fit to flood the universe
    Fact is more than meets the eye but less than runs the earth”

    10
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    Mute Frank
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:13 AM

    Jason Culligan, Are these terrorists any different to the moderate head hacking terrorists that the West continuously entertains in Syria?

    There seems to be a little bit of double standards here, Wasn’t it US backed moderate Syrian rebels that blasted that primary school apart in Homs on October 1st killing 42 Children?

    Why isn’t the good old west rounding up these terrorists for execution? No because it suits them.

    17
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 12:26 PM

    Frank, you’ve yet to prove that the extremists in Syria were being supplied by the West. It is well known that groups like ISIS are being assisted by Saudi Arabia and, to a lesser extent, Turkey but you have never proven that the US or Europe is actively supporting them. It’s a bit ridiculous to supply people you’re bombing, wouldn’t you agree?

    Secondly, you’re lopping Pakistan into your definition of the West which is laughable at best. Pakistan is incredibly hostile to the US government. I don’t think anyone in the West would actively support the mass execution of 500 people.

    25
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    Mute Dog Standard
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 12:49 PM

    The US sold 60 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia in 2010.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8000747/US-secures-record-60-billion-arms-sale-to-Saudi-Arabia.html

    If Saudi Arabia are supporting ISIS the US is supporting Saudi Arabia. How does that work? The US sells weapons Saudi and Saudi arms ISIS. The logic is flawed.

    10
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    Mute Frank
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 12:55 PM

    Jason Culligan; There is plenty of evidence to prove that the West entertains head hacking militants in Syria. Apart from Senator McCain’s famous photo shoot with leading ISIS officers is’s all over the MSM FFS.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11203825/Syrian-rebels-armed-and-trained-by-US-surrender-to-al-Qaeda.html

    Secondly I would not be at all surprised if the West was involved in this latest school atrocity in Pakistan, anything to drum up a PROBLEM – REACTION – SOLUTION to ratchet up the Global police state.

    “Ordo Ab Chao”, certainly comes to mind, a Latin phrase meaning ‘Order Out Of Chaos’ a motto of the 33rd degree of Freemasonry

    The puppet masters create “dis order” so the people will demand “order” The price of “order” always entails a handing over of control and loss of freedom on the part of the citizenry. Out of “chaos” comes “order” – THEIR order – their Fascist new WORLD order.

    Figures from Wikipedia do specify 132 Schoolchildren 132 = 33+33+33+33

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    Mute Rian Lynch
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 1:13 PM

    Is 33 a number of particular significance ? Are you implying that the terrorists massacred only 132 people because some mystic number crap meant they weren’t allowed kill more ?

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    Mute Frank
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 2:11 PM

    Rian Lynch. The number 132 or 33 seems to stick out like dogs balls in quite a number of these high profile mainstream media spectaculars.

    Only a week ago “MAN HARON MONIS” in English Gematria = 924 = 7 x 132 (33+33+33+33)
    http://www.gematrix.org/?word=Man+Haron+Monis

    The Date distance between MH370 and MH17 was 132 days (33+33+33+33)

    http://helpfreetheearth.com/news565_numbers.html

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    Mute Arthur Deeny
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 9:35 AM

    How does the death penalty deter suicide bombers exactly???

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    Mute skin flint
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 9:58 AM

    My understanding, and i could be totally wrong, was that they needed to die during their war or their attack in order for them to sit with allah and the 40 virgins…. Nonsense!

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    Mute michael fennessy
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:14 AM

    They need to die in part of there glorious attack some bull like that

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    Mute Gearóid Ó Murchadha
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:15 AM

    It will deter the people that facilitate them and fund them. Also, not all terrorist attacks are suicide attacks.

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    Mute Tom Red
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:16 AM

    What’s the point of having 40 virgins waiting for you, if your meat and 2 veg was blown to Kingdom come in the blast….

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    Mute Seán A Haon
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:20 AM

    It doesn’t state if the virgins are male or female. Sickened!!!

    49
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    Mute Emilio
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:21 AM

    Not sure it does. They should be condemned to eat pork every day. I’d line their cells with pork stuff.

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    Mute Boganity
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:32 AM

    This type of hawkish response never works, that’s why Israel has been at war for 68 years to date.

    21
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    Mute William Grogan
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:32 AM

    72 Virgins actually. The Muslim women who die get just one man and “they should be happy with that” says the Koran. Mormon do well, they get a planet to populate and rule over if they are high up Morons, sorry Mormons. Small point, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all based on the Old Testament or to put it another way the Jewish Torah. Those “modern” religions are virtually the same religion, same god. Half the world’s people believe in this shitz.

    33
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    Mute Boganity
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:53 AM

    Rupert Murdoch has a lot to answer for with that one, least of all how a complete myth can prove that even after a third level education a person can still be an ignorant fool unable to think for themselves…an opinion devoid of facts in just an opinion, it’s never an argument, and it’s never a fact…in spite of, and because of, what Rupert’s legion of angry old white males tell us in the longest suicide note in history, AKA know as the death of the print media.

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    Mute Liam carlin
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 9:59 AM

    Does anyone else think that mass executions would probably stir things up a bit more ?

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    Mute Frank
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:01 AM

    That’s exactly what they want.

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    Mute codered
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:01 AM

    Blanket counter-insurgency operation is what is required here. Flood Waziristan with thousands of army units so that there is no room for Taliban to operate. Close and man the border with Afghanistan. Co-operate with the Afghan authorities on counter-terrorism. Abolish the ISI. Stop focusing on India and Kaismir as the country’s biggest threat. That is what is required. That will never happen in Pakistan. People will continue to be killed in their droves…

    33
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    Mute Colin C
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:04 AM

    Ending alliance with Afghan taliban would help as well.

    31
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    Mute jack frost
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 9:57 AM

    Make sure it’s the right 500

    33
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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 12:33 PM

    The one cure for Religion is Education, the fanatics know this and this is why they are now attacking schools.

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    Mute William Boyd
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:31 AM

    Pakistanis marching holding up banners saying no more terror because this terrorist attack was too close to the bone but if this type of terrorist attack had happened in say America they would be out in their droves on the street celebrating, chanting while burning American flags and maybe slaughter a few Christians for good measure.

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    Mute Alan
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:29 AM

    And around in circles we go!

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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:08 AM

    I’d say that’ll mean no further such incidents..Oh wait, that kind of evidently DOESN’T work as a deterrent

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:16 AM

    It’s more of a public order exercise rather than a deterrent. The Pakistani government is doing this to make it look like they’re tackling extreme militants without investing the thousands of troops required to actually stamp out the organisations themselves.

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    Mute K Lawlor
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:51 AM

    This is revenge killing plain and simple. An emotional response. Not surprising in a country suffering from war like Pakistan, but its still wrong. Its a bloodthirsty act that wont make anybody feel better.

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:34 AM

    Of course it will make hundreds of millions feel much better. Carry the terror to your enemy. Fight fire with fire, an eye for an eye. Ramen.

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    Mute Bill
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 10:23 AM

    This in the week when a 14 year old alleged killer who died in the electric chair was finally pardoned in the USA 70 years too late

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:41 AM

    I read a small bit on that. The trial in 1944 was very quick but I don’t think he was found not guilty now because they knew he didn’t do it. According to the cops who arrested him he talked about the murder and admittedd clearly he did it, as they said “There was no doubt he did it.” He was the last person who saw the two murdered children. The cops said he led them to the murder weapon. in 1944, 14 was the age when you could be tried as an adult.

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    Mute Shocklodge
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:20 AM

    Answering barbarism with barbarism and turning extremists into martyrs. Sounds like a great idea and not at all counterproductive.

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    Mute Brendan Greene
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 12:03 PM

    I’m not sure if posters here are aware that some of those awaiting execution are women found guilty of adultery under the Sharia laws that the state enforces alongside the civil code.

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    Mute Karl O Neill
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 12:45 PM

    This tit for tat execution policy happened here during the civil war and brought nothing but bitterness and the greatest cruelty. Not all 500 of those Taliban were involved nor could all of them be guilty of heinous crime. Mass execution will simply strengthen the resolve of their associates and bitterness will drive others to join them.

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    Mute robert breen
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:11 AM

    They want to die anyway

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    Mute John Mcloughlin
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 11:53 AM

    Then give them a painful life!

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    Mute robert breen
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 12:14 PM

    … you mean at the mother in law’s?

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    Mute Conor Cartch Quigley
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 1:01 PM

    Permitting the death penalty for the sole purpose revenge is backwards, reactionary and savage.

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    Mute Joe Bergin
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 1:45 PM

    I oppose the death penalty but in a civil war there is always a cycle of atrocity followed by atrocious response. If, in the end, the Pakistani State gets over it’s love affair with these terrorists, if this time it is on for real ( as opposed to the nod & wink towards the Mumbai murderers) then expect much, much more of this kind of response. To really be a member of the normal nations of the world this nuclear power must extend its authority over its whole territory. The Pashtun must be tamed at whatever cost or, ultimately, Pakistan needs to be held responsible.

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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 5:50 PM

    As we in Ireland rightfully condemn the massacre of children in Pakistan, just consider that in 1976 in our own country the Glenanne gang, made up of members of the Northern Ireland security forces,(managed by British intelligence, Robert Nairac, etc. who had recently bombed Dublin and Monaghan and murdered many northern nationalists) planned to attack Catholic schools in South Armagh and Newry and shoot all the teachers and pupils. The prime mover was a full-time member of the UDR and his colleagues later admitted that they were being “actively encouraged” by British Intelligence, who apparently wanted to spark a civil war where they could justify taking a more aggressive line against republicans. For those who doubt, check out “Lethal Allies: British collusion in Ireland” by Anne Cadwallader. Its all there, names and all, and also how little the Fine Gael-Labour coalition of that time did to defend Irish people.

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    Mute Paul Freeman
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 5:29 PM

    Their country their laws,we need to stop interfering.

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    Mute Danger Moose
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    Dec 22nd 2014, 9:07 PM

    Comma missing on those protester placards.

    No, more terrorism now. Pakistan needs to be hit with one of those end game asteroids really. Or else give them the 2028 world cup

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