A disputed province, sectarian religious violence amongst people who are ostensibly of the same religion, terrorism funded as part of a larger proxy war--Afghanistan? Iraq? Kosovo?
No, Northern Ireland.
I noticed this article about the recent decision of the parties involved to work together as part of a longer peace process, a process that has now been going on for ten years, which followed a much longer time of periodic warfare between Catholics Protestants that has gone on with varying intensity since at least 1609 and the creation of the plantation of Ulster.
As always, you have to use a lot of caution when you attempt to compare one thing to another, especially when it comes to armed conflicts, but it is interesting to see just how difficult it can be to quell turmoil of this sort, even when the people involved share a common language, land, and history. And it's worth noting, too, that no matter how long and bitter the conflict, there is hope that it actually can be resolved.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at May 8, 2007 10:22 AM