Shack - I'd love to see former senior members of the IRA stand trial but you have to face up to it - it's not going to happen.
To bring about an end to the fighting and killing we had to cut a deal with men and women who had blood up to their elbows. Morally it is repugnant but practically it was the only way. We've done it before (Kenya, Israel, Cyprus.....) and others have done it elsewhere (think Columbia).
You can go for the complete and total amnesty route as they did in Chile but then a lot of people such as victims famillies on both sides are left very upset and you still finish up in the courts.