Northern Ireland closer to civil war

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32966, 12 July 1972, Page 17

Northern Ireland closer to civil war

f.V.Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) BELFAST. July 11. Civil war moved closer to Northern Ireland today as militant I rotestants declared that they would take the offensive against Irish Republican Army “terrorists” if the British administrator, Mr William yVhitelaw, failed to do so. If the security forces and Mr Whitelaw do not take and keep up offensive action against the terrorists, the Ulster Defence Association will become the Ulster offensive association and will take steps to eliminate terrorists,” a U.D.A. statement early today said.

And in a strong denunciation of a meeting Mr Whitelaw had last week with I.R.A. leaders, the statement accused him of “betraying the trust of the loyalist people” who would now treat him warily as a man with two tongues. "We think Mr Whitelaw has certainly earned the title of ‘Mr Whitewash’ because he has gone back on the promise, publicly made many times, that he would never speak to the 1.R.A.,” the statement said. The U.D.A. declaration, after a day of shootings and bombings which came after the termination on Sunday night of a 13-day I.RA. cease-fire, lent strong force to increasing fears that civil war in the battle-wracked British province was not far off. 232 shootings The Army said this morning that there had been 232 shooting incidents reported in Belfast since 8 a.m. yesterday. A man in his early twenties was found shot dead in Belfast early today. There were also numerous car bombings. Five persons suffered minor injuries when a 1001 b bomb exploded in a car in Lombard Street in central Belfast. Dozens of shops were destroyed. Another went off in

IMagherafelt in County | Londonderry, wrecking a : shop, but causing no injuries. In Armagh, 30 miles away, a bomb wrecked the electricity showrooms and damaged several cars, but caused :no casualties. I The U.D.A. statement to[day also said that the {loyalists would be willing to [accept martial law. Northern [lreland should possibly be [ ruled “by martial minds [rather than political brains,” [it said. This, the statement said, would give Roman Catholics as well as Protestants the opportunity to decide the future of Northern Ireland [ without intimidation and bullying from the I.R.A. I "We want to emphasise that we want the Catholic community to participate in the future of Northern Ireland,” it said. The Whitelaw-I.R.A. meeting the statement referred to was disclosed in the House of Commons yesterday where the British administrator said that he had agreed to the talks after consultation with the Prime Minister (Mr Edward Heath) and other Government leaders. I.R.A. demands He said that during the meeting last Friday the I.R.A. representatives had made demands—described by one newspaper today as amounting to unilateral surrender by Britain—that he could not accept, although he told them he would consider them. He said that the I.R.A. made their demands after complaining that he had given them nothing after their cessation of hostilities two weeks ago. Mr Whitelaw, who addressed a hushed Commons after an emergency three-hour visit to Belfast yesterday, got some disapproval from Right-wing Conservatives for the meeting, but it was generally greeted favourably and the Opposition Leader (Mr Harold Wilson) said that he approved it Despite the I.R.A. demands and the end of the cease-fire, however, the Government intended to press on with its policy of reconciliation in Northern Ireland, Mr Whitelaw added. Suspension of the I.R.A.

■cease-fire came after shooting between troops and Roman j Catholics at a west Belfast housing estate on Sunday. It erupted after troops moved in to block 2000 Roman Catholics who wanted to install 16 families in empty houses in the predominantly Protestant estate. The I.R.A. accused the Army of violating the ceasefire while the Army replied that it had shot only after being fired on by snipers. Announcement that the truce was over came from : Dublin and immediately an ■ Army post in Belfast came under fire. Shooting and bombings continued throughout the province for the rest of Sunday and resumed on Monday until early today. A gang of gunmen fired about 120 rounds this morning at a police station in Coalisland, about 30 miles west of Belfast. There were no injuries to security forces. Child hurt Troops said that they had hit nine gunmen in shooting in Belfast during yesterday, and police reported that five civilians were wounded by gunfire in west Belfast, including a 3S-year-old girl. Her condition was not serious but two other persons were reported in serious condition. Breakdown of the truce brought fresh peace appeals from Roman Catholics. Mr John Hume, a leader of the predominantly Roman Catholic Social Democratic and Labour Party in the suspended Northern Ireland Parliament, called on the Provisionals to allow discussions on the differences,that led to the break-down. About 600 Royal Marines were flown to Northern Ireland on Sunday night and within hours they had come under fire from Republican gunmen. Their arrival brought total Army strength to about 15,500. British military headquarters announced that another 1100 soldiers were being sent A Chicago lawyer, acting for 188 Roman Catholic detainees in Northern Ireland, today brought a SNZ4O.3 million suit against Britain for ‘alleged human rights viola[tions. Mr Luis Kutner, chairman

of the International Commission for Due Process of Law, brought his request in a series of complaints he filed with the Council of Europe’s Commission on Human Rights. Mr Kutner charged that Britain violated several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights in its treatment of the detainees, including those banning torture and degrading or inhuman treatment. The European Commission on Human Rights will hold a closed meeting in Strasbourg ori September 25 to consider previous parallel complaints filed by Irish authorities and Mr Kutner’s requests of today could be considered at the same time, informed sources said. Mr Kutner also charged that he personally had been the subject of harassment by British troops during his visits to Northern Ireland.