BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Army ending its operation in NI

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vspace="0" hspace="0"></td> <td width="629" valign="top"> <table width="629" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="629"><a name="startcontent"></a><span class="ds"><span class="lu">Last Updated: </span>Tuesday, 31 July 2007, 12:58 GMT 13:58 UK</span> <img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="2" height="2" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"> <div class="mvb"> <img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/dot_629.gif" width="629" height="1" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"> </div> <div class="mvtb"> <table cellspacing="0" width="416" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="213"><a class="epl" onclick="popUpPage('http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6923342.stm','status=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=370,height=445','Mailer')" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6923342.stm" target="Mailer"> <img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/email.gif" align="left" width="17" height="11" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="3"> E-mail this to a friend </a></td> <td width="203"><a class="epl" onclick="popUpPage('http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6923342.stm','status=no,scrollbars=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,menubar=yes,width=600,height=445','Printer')" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6923342.stm" target="Printer"> <img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/print.gif" align="left" width="17" height="11" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="3"> Printable version </a></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="629" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <div class="mxb"> <div class="sh"> Army ending its operation in NI </div> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="416"><font size="2">   <table border="0" cellspacing="0" align="right" width="203" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td> <div><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44027000/jpg/_44027499_belfast203ap.jpg" width="203" height="152" alt="A soldier clears up after a loyalist riot" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"> <div class="cap"> Soldiers have spent the last 38 years in action in Northern Ireland </div> </div></td> </tr> </tbody> </table>  <b>The British army's operation in Northern Ireland will come to an end at midnight on Tuesday after 38 years.</b> <p>Operation Banner - the Army's support role for the police - has been its longest continuous campaign, with more than 300,000 personnel taking part.</p><p>A garrison of 5,000 troops will remain but security will be entirely the responsibility of the police.</p><p>British troops were sent to Northern Ireland in 1969 after violent clashes between Catholics and Protestants. </p><p>When the first soldiers were deployed in August 1969, commanders believed they would be in Northern Ireland for just a few weeks.</p><p></p><p></p> <table cellspacing="0" align="right" width="208" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="5"><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="5" height="1" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></td> <td class="sibtbg"> <div class="o"><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44027000/jpg/_44027488_soldiers_pa203b.jpg" width="203" height="152" alt="Soldiers in Northern Ireland" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"> </div> <div> <div class="mva"><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif" width="24" height="13" alt="" border="0"> <b>The Army melted away, rather than marched away </b> <img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif" align="right" width="23" height="13" alt="" border="0" vspace="0"><br clear="all"> </div> </div> <div class="mva"> <div> Kevin Connolly, <br> BBC Ireland correspondent </div> </div> <div class="o"><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/inline_dashed_line.gif" width="203" height="1" alt="" border="0" vspace="2" hspace="0"><br> </div> <div class="miiib"> <div class="arr"><a class="" href="https://news-bbc-co-uk.translate.goog/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6923421.stm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_sch=http"><b>No fanfare for Banner</b></a> </div>  <div class="arr"><a class="" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID%3D7024%26edition%3D2"><b>Send us your comments</b></a> </div> </div></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>But the Army quickly became involved in what came to be known as Operation Banner.</p><p>A total of 763 military personnel were killed during the campaign.</p><p>At the height of the Troubles, there were about 27,000 soldiers in Northern Ireland. From Wednesday, there will be no more than 5,000.</p><p>The head of the Army in Northern Ireland, General Nick Parker, said the operation helped create the conditions for a political solution.</p><p>"What I believe the military have done here is make a significant contribution to the security in Northern Ireland that has allowed other people to make the difference through politics, social programmes and economics," he said.</p><p>Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP, paid tribute to the Army.</p><p>"If they had not been here to hold the line against terrorism, I don't think we would have made the progress that we have made," he said.</p><p>"I think that we owe them a great debt of gratitude for a huge sacrifice that they have paid to help make this possible."</p><p>Gerry Kelly, Sinn Fein, said it was the government who made decisions concerning the Army.</p><p>"Was there a honeymoon period when people were relieved that they weren't the heavily armed RUC? Of course there was," he said.</p><p>"That was short lived. The reason why is because they are an Army, a blunt instrument, it was the British government who made the decision to use them against republicans, nationalists and Catholics."</p><p>In future, soldiers based in Northern Ireland will be involved in training and will be available for deployment in foreign trouble spots, not on local streets.</p><p></p></font><p><font size="2"> </font> <br><br clear="all"></p> <div class="mvtb"> <table cellspacing="0" width="416" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="213"><a class="epl" onclick="popUpPage('http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6923342.stm','status=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=370,height=445','Mailer')" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6923342.stm" target="Mailer"> <img 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valign="top"><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="10" height="1" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></td> <td width="203" valign="top"> <div class="av1h"> VIDEO AND AUDIO NEWS </div><a href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6920000/newsid_6923300?redirect%3D6923331.stm%26news%3D1%26nbwm%3D1%26nbram%3D1%26bbwm%3D1%26bbram%3D1" onclick="javascript:newsi.utils.av.launch({el:this});return false;"> <b> The Army's operation to support the police in NI ends </b> <br clear="all"><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/icons/video_text.gif" width="57" height="13" alt="" border="0" vspace="5" hspace="0"> </a> <br><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/line_av.gif" width="203" height="2" alt="" border="0" vspace="2"><br><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="10" alt=""><br> <div class="seeAlsoH"> SEE ALSO </div> <div class="arr"><a href="https://news-bbc-co-uk.translate.goog/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6923421.stm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_sch=http"> No fanfare for Operation Banner </a> <br><span class="sad"> 31 Jul 07 |  Northern Ireland </span> </div> <div class="arr"><a href="https://news-bbc-co-uk.translate.goog/2/hi/in_pictures/6921955.stm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_sch=http"> In pictures: Operation Banner </a> <br><span class="sad"> 31 Jul 07 |  In Pictures </span> </div> <div class="arr"><a href="https://news-bbc-co-uk.translate.goog/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6235514.stm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_sch=http"> Last troops pull out of Bessbrook </a> <br><span class="sad"> 25 Jun 07 |  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class="nlp"> FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS </div> </div> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="446"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="126"> <div class="promobottombg"> <div class="mvb"><a href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17390729"><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/59123000/jpg/_59123716_125673327_ordos_horses_afp_144.jpg" align="" width="126" height="70" alt="Horses sculpture in memory of Genghis Khan, Ordos, Inner Mongolia" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></a> <a class="shl" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17390729">Ghost town</a> <br> </div> <div class="o"> Has China's housing bubble burst? </div> </div></td> <td valign="top" class="gpromo" width="34"><img 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src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" width="34" height="1" alt="" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></td> <td valign="top" width="126"> <div class="promobottombg"> <div class="mvb"><a href="https://news-bbc-co-uk.translate.goog/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/9705123.stm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_sch=http"><img src="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/59091000/jpg/_59091876_bbcsergeilook.jpg" align="" width="126" height="71" alt="Sergei Polunin" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></a> <a class="shl" href="https://news-bbc-co-uk.translate.goog/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/9705123.stm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_sch=http">Walking away</a> <br> </div> <div class="o"> Why Royal Ballet principal Sergei Polunin quit </div> </div></td> </tr> </tbody> </table></td> <td valign="top" class="gpromo" width="10"><img 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