An internal British army document examining its role in Northern Ireland during the Troubles concludes that while it did not defeat the IRA, it achieved an "end-state" which allowed a political process to be established.
The 98-page analysis of Operation Banner, the army's code name for its activities in the North, describes the Provisional IRA as "professional, dedicated, highly skilled and resilient" and one of the most effective terrorist organisations in history.
While the loyalist paramilitaries presented themselves as the protectors of the Protestant community, it said, they were in practice often little more than a "collection of gangsters".
But the study, which covers the period between 1968 and 2005, makes no mention of alleged British army collusion with loyalist paramilitaries.
It was obtained by the Derry-based Pat Finucane Centre under the Freedom of Information Act. It said that while some errors were made, the army "rarely over-reacted" and did not respond with tanks on the streets.
"It generally displayed humanity and humour, although during the early 1970s this was difficult to sustain and a desire to 'sort the Micks out' was often apparent," it said.
The analysis cites Bloody Sunday, however, where 13 innocent civilians were shot dead in 1972, as an example of poor military decision-making. It concludes simply that the manner in which the arrest operation was conducted, using vehicles to approach the crowd was with hindsight "heavy-handed".
The report, which was commissioned by then chief of staff, General Sir Mike Jackson, also describes the introduction of internment in the early 1970s as a "major mistake" which had a major impact on popular opinion across Ireland, in Europe and the US.
Significantly it suggests the republican movement were drawn into mainstream politics "almost by chance" following the election victory of Bobby Sands.
Overall, the study concludes that while there were some mistakes, its operations helped suppress the level of violence to a level which the population could live with, and with which the RUC and later the PSNI could cope.
"The violence was reduced to an extent which made it clear to the IRA that they would not win through violence," it said. "This is a major achievement, and one with which the security forces from all three services, with the army in the lead, should be entirely satisfied."
