out and destroy the military capability of the Provisional IRA marks the start of a new confrontation policy against the nationalist people of the Six Counties.
What became known after direct rule as the "Whitelaw policy"- the policy of containment and conciliation - has now been replaced by one of suppression.
Twice since the present struggle commenced, this confrontation policy has been tried and failed. This time the British government has prepared the ground on the political, military, and propaganda fronts.
DIVIDE AND RULE The mistakes of the "Faulkner period' have been learned. Faulkner engaged'in a battle so obsessed with the need for maintaining Orange unity that he took on the Catholic community as a whole. While attempting to avoid an Orange backlash, Whitelaw will not allow his "destroy the IRA' policy to be hindered, as it was in Faulkner's day, by the fear of a break up of Orange unity which would result in the Orange backlash. Faulkner's obsession with maintaining Orange unity necessitated drawing the battle lines in such a way as to force all tendencies in the Catholic community into opposition.
Whitelaw's policy is to take advantage of the British engineered casualties resulting from the IRA bombing blitz on Belfast to try to isolate the IRA from the Catholic community, and then destroy the IRA.
The SLP decision to enter into talks with Whitelaw, in breach of their previous pledge of 'no talks while internment lasts" shows that this policy is having at least short term success.
ONE HOUR WARNING.
As the Sunday Times reported on July 23,the Provisionals gave one hour's warning for each of the bombs. In the case of the Oxford street bus depot, where four were killed, the Provisionals stated that they heard on the British army radio the warning being discussed a good 35 minutes' before the bomb went off The Telephone Samaritans, a mutinly Protestant organisation in Belfast, has stated that it received and passed on the warning 55 to 60 minutes before the blast. Above: British machine-gun crew moves into action in Belfast In its haste to provoke revulsion at the casualties, the British Army counter insurgency-public relations experts exaggerated the casually count, claiming 11 dead. In fact they have since been forced to admit that the civilian fatalities were seven.
Further evidence of 'negligence' is that many survivors of the blast stated that when they entered the Oxford St bus depot, in some cases to get out of the area of other expected in Ireland explosions, they found members of the RUC lying under buses with weapons drawn. The bombing served the Provos' cause; the casualties served the British.
PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE Taking advantage of the casualties, Whitelaw then launched his psychological warfare blitz, to panic all other Republican, nationalist and socialist tendencies into condemnation of the Provisionals. least neutrality, while Whitelaw destroys the IRA's capability'. From recent statements from the Official Republican movement, Whitelaw has reason to be hopeful on this score.
No one must fall for this. A defeat for the Provos would not be a defeat for the Provos alone. If Whitelaw succeeds against the Provos he will take on all other tendencies one by one.
UNITED FRONT.
In entering this new phase we must realise that this will in many ways be the most dangerous phase of the national liberation struggle. Before we have had to face either the carrot or the stick. In the coming period the policy will be the carrot and the stick, thus increasing the tendency to division within the anti-imperialist ranks, both in Britain and Ireland.
In Britain the basis for such united front solidarity action already exists in the Anti-Internment League. The divisions which existed when internment was introduced, between those who saw the need for a principled solidarity position and those who were confused on this issue, have now been resolved, as far as the majority of forces around the AlL are concerned.
The need for explicit solidarity with the IRA can and will continue to be discussed, but this must not detract from united front action under the banner of the AlL. The Anti-Internment League has a number of events planned in the London area: August 9th, the anniversary of the introduction of internment, public meeting at the Conway Hall, Red Lion Square (Holborn tube) at 7.30 pm. On the following Saturday, August 13th, the AlL urges all branches and affiliated or sympathising organisations to organise as many pickets on British Army recruit ment offices in as many places as possible. On September 3rd, there will be a demonstration initially intended for supporters in the Greater London area.
For further details contact John Gray, Basement flat, 139 Holland Road, London W14. Tel: 01-603 3085. Gery Lawless ANTI-INTERNMENT LEAGUE Public Meeting IRELAND: WHAT HAS TO BE DONE?
Speakers: Frank McManus, M.P.