Internal solution is best for crisis in Iraq

As our own history shows, chaos — or as the victors might call it, revolutionary restructuring and reeducation, often fills the vacuum left by a retreating imperial force.

Next month’s tragically predictable marching season standoffs in the North — little more than a public expression of an irrational, almost genetic hatred, together with the jockeying for position surrounding the planning — or even justification — of the 1916 centenary celebrations south of the border, are just two reminders of the difficult path travelled in the last century on this small island.

In other parts of the world, that vacuum offers opportunities to the most dangerous and destructive forces — especially when religious extremism and aggressive nationalism are thrown together.