"Northern Ireland's peace agreement, which put an end to IRA aggression, has been widely admired as a model of conflict resolution ... Many now believe that intelligence agencies should follow the lessons of Ulster in their efforts at brokering peace. Yet two difficult questions remain: has history provided us with a clear picture of Northern Ireland's peace process, and does the 'talking cure' work with all democracies? The authors present a history of Northern Ireland's transition from aggression to peace, but also demonstrates how these events developed quite differently than many proponents of the Northern Ireland model believe. They then contrast their findings against incidents in Spain's Basque country during the same period. The authors point to a range of variables at play in the Ulster negotiations, such as the selection of state representatives, the information provided by intelligence agencies, the wielding of hard power, and the wider democratic process. Above all, they draw a line between talking to terrorists who believe their strategy is succeeding and making overtures to those who realize their aims are no longer attainable through violent means"--From publisher description.

Introduction -- [Pt. 1.] The British state in Northern Ireland : between democracy and terrorism -- 1. Intervention and oscillation : British policy, 1968-1974 -- 2. The long war, 1975-1990 -- 3. The peace process -- [Pt. 2.] ETA in Spain and the Basque country : rise, decline and the politics of surrender -- 4. Birth, resistance and the assault on liberty -- 5. Talking to ETA -- Conclusion.