At the time of the issue of this statement, no section of the resistance movement in Ireland has accepted responsibility for the bombs which were placed in London on Thursday, March 8th. It would therefore not be correct to enter into speculation about who carried out this action. The possibility remains open that it was a provocation carried out by British Imperialism, or Orange reaction, and our attitude to these bombings will be determined by the nature of the organisation which carried them out. But we defend unconditionally any action carried out by the organisations fighting to free Ireland from British Imperialism, our responsibility is to struggle for lf-determination for Ireland, and to force the British Government to withdraw its Troops, not to instruct the Irish people on how to carry out their fight. There is no qualitative difference, from this standpoint, between actions carried out in Ireland or Britain, and we scom those who run for cover when there is any suggestion that the war in Ireland could be exported to the streets of London. We refuse to condemn any action carried out in Britain by the IRA or any other force fighting on behalf of the Irish people; including the Aldershot explosion, and the recent London bombings, if they were the work of such a group.
It would not be in the least surprising if the situation in the North of Ireland were to result in such actions. Whitelaw's policy of the carrot and the big stick" combines concessions to the Southern bourgeoisie, and the Northern catholics middle-class politicians, with the most ferocious repression in the catholic ghettoes. A statement made by Ivan Cooper of the SDLP, and reported in the Belfast review Fortnight (2.3.73) gives some idea of the Situation:* _ Mr. Whitelaw was still "leaning' on the catholic population. He stated that in the 7-week period ending Jan. 3lst, 551 catholics were arrested, and 60 protestants. 2,600 Ibs, of explosives was discovered in searches of protestant areas compared with 1,200 Ibs. in catholic areas. In spite of this only one-ninth of all searches took place in protestant areas where 13,700 out of a total of 19,000 rounds of ammunibion had been found."
The latest issue of the NICRA puper Civil Rights (10.3.73), mports a recent upsurge in the incidence of brutality and wanton shootings by the British Army. One example given is that of the death of 12 year old Kevin Heatly in the Derrybeg housing estate, Newry. Kevin was shot by a British soldier, part of a group reported to be running wild through the area. The British Army claimed that troops had been returning fire, but a tape recording taken at the time recorded only one shot - the one that meant death for Kevin Heatly.
This upsurge of Army brutality follows the worst period in the campaign of sectarian murders by The sectarian Border Referendum gave a seal of approval to the status quo, and a denial of any concessions or way out for the catholic minority. If therefore a section of the oppressed minority choose to take action in Britain, in an attempt to force some let-up in this repression, the responsibility is entirely that of the British Government, which has chosen to escalate the repression.
and therefore the counter-violence.
The London bombings will be used to stir up anti-Irish feelings, and to import Police State techniques from the North of Ireland. Whitelaw's recent statement, linking Irish resistance fighters and British industrial militants, shows that they do not distinguish between the forces engaged in either struggle.
The AlL points out the serious situation precipitated by Police action over these bombings. No-one not blinded by Press-induced chauvinism can fail to speculate about the serious inade quacy of Police warnings; and the treatment meted out to the 10 people arrested at neatnrow, nas snown once again that the principle of innocence until guilt is proved has little meaning for the British Police or Press.
The AlL is taking action to ensure that defence of these prisoners is-co-ordinated, and will continue our work of raising the Irish question in Britain, trying to win support trom te brusa working class.
and exposing the root cause of the violence in Ireland and Britain - British Imperialism.
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