jmm@bonnie.UUCP (Joe Mcghee) (10/10/84)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I mentioned in the end of Part 1, Christine Crawley, English member of the European Parliament will soon introduce a bill for the complete withdrawal of Britain from Northern Ireland while Tony Benn, a leader of the British Labour Party is preparing an almost identical bill to be introduced in the British Parliament. In the U.S. Congress inquiries and legislation with respect to Ireland are in the capable hands of Congressman Mario Biaggi (D-NY), who is the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs. This committee now claims well over 100 congressmen on its rolls. Congressman Biaggi, who was a highly decorated member of the New York City Police Department before coming to congress and who was wounded numerous times in shootouts with criminals, is naturally a strong supporter of law and order while being a strong opponent of laws without justice. In 1972 immediately after the Bloody Sunday Massacre in which 14 unarmed innocent civilians were killed by the British Army, Mario Biaggi flew to Ireland and was quickly on the scene to conduct his own personal investigation. Since that time Congressman Biaggi has been a strong advocate of British withdrawal from Ireland. Congressman Biaggi's daughter also came under loyalist gunfire while caring for displaced persons who had been burned out of their homes in Northern Ireland. This shooting incident occurred when loyalists attacked the church building in which refugees had gathered for food and shelter. Police societies are well represented among organizations seeking an end to British rule in Ireland as are prominent criminologists such as the internationally famous Professor Eoin J. MacNamara who regularly writes crime articles for New York newspapers. In July, 1982 the chairman of the Police committee of Derbyshire, England, Mr. Ronald Decker ordered that plastic bullets would be banned in Derbyshire and said: "The use of these bullets has resulted in innocent people being maimed and in some cases killed". At the same time the Police committee of West Yorkshire, England banned the use of plastic bullets in that region. Alan Speck of that committee cited the deaths of children in Northern Ireland in explanation of the ban. Later the British Home Secretary banned the use of plastic bullets throughout Great Britain stating that "people might be killed". Note carefully the distinction made by the British government that Northern Ireland is not part of "Great Britain" and is not governed by the same laws. Northern Ireland is considered external or foreign, no matter what their statements are to the contrary. In June, 1981 Meurig Parri, an ex-lieutenant of the British Army became one of the leaders of "Northern Ireland Veterans Against the War". He described his duty with an elite army unit as follows: "The house searches, which usually occur between 2 AM and 6 AM, consist of smashing the door panels after rapping on the door three times with a rifle butt. The soldiers then proceed to rip up the floor boards, break down ceilings and tear open furniture and mattresses. After the search, the occupant of the house is required to sign a release saying that the soldiers are not responsible for any damages. A refusal to sign is like an admission of nationalist sympathies and the person would then be subject to further house searches or worse." Parri also spoke of the abuse of plastic bullets used by the British troops to control the crowds without (theoretically) harming them. "We'd fire at the ground when journalists were around but otherwise we'd get as close as we could and aim for the genitals or the face." According to Parri, the soldiers also imbed metal bottle caps in the end of the large cylindrical bullets which are 4 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter and weigh 1/4 lb to cause even more damage. "To the British, the brutality on the part of the soldiers is totally irrelevant. It's a necessity." There is also an implicit understanding, according to Parri, originating from loyalist politicians between the British soldiers and the paramilitary organizations like the UDA (Ulster Defense Association). In effect, these groups can do whatever they like and the Army will not interfere. "One day, myself and another soldier were given a lift by a loyalist and he was waving a regulation pistol around like John Wayne. We looked at each other and just told him to put the gun away." Parri states further that from 1969 to 1981 at least 1000 soldiers have deserted the Army. Northern Ireland Veterans Against the War has about 100 active members. "Our aims are quite simple. We don't support the IRA. We believe that the British troops should leave Ireland and that until they do leave, there is no chance of ending the war. Unfortunately, we haven't received much publicity from the British press. It's like a conspiracy of silence." bonnie!jmm J. M. McGhee "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson "Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God." Thomas Jefferson "Those who make peaceful evolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable." John F. Kennedy