You've hit the nail on the head there in your second sentence. For many of the terrorist groups in Ulster, it's not even about a "cause" any more - it's about who controls the communities, who controls the guns and who controls the drugs money. They're just a bunch of criminals half the time (well, they're a bunch of criminals ALL the time, but not even criminals with soemsort of spurious cause half the time). It's also a self-fullfilling prophecy because the gangs attract young kids with no prospects and no self-respect but half the reason why the kids have no prospects is because there are no jobs and half the reason why there are no jobs is the terrorism. Outside investment in Ulster is practically non-existant BECAUSE of the terrorism. Why is anybody going to open up a factory there if they know the first day they open they are going to have people from three or four different terrorist organisations turning up to demand protection money and favours and jobs for their gang members (they almost always pay the IRA in the end by the way, for reasons I can't be arsed to go into)? It's a fairly similar situation to a lot of what goes on in the Arab world actually. Unfortunately, I can't see it ending because even without a "cause" the terror groups on both sides have a vested interest in clinging onto the power within their communities.

it's kind of Ironic, Bush invites Gerry adams to the whitehouse,, and helps him in Fundraising, Gerry adams goes home, Money from the US then supports Sinn Fein members going to Columbia to help the locals become bettert at killing americans. Guess thats just the circle of life.