Of course, no-one knows what would have happened if the army hadn't been sent in, but it isn't purely a hindsight game. There was an argument of principle to be had at the time, and it was had. For example, although Tones is right that many in the Bogside welcomed the troops, thinking they would protect them from the sectarian B Specials, a minority didn't, and didn't welcome them at all (Eamonn McCann and Bernadette Devlin the most publicly visible, neither of them supporters of the Provos, incidentally).

McCann in particular seemed to be acutely aware of what would follow, and wrote about it very presciently at the time, without the benefit of hindsight. Similar arguments are happening now in relation to Iraq, it's a shame they were so muted in the run-up to war.

-- Ian