Wilson sends in the commandos

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34046, 9 January 1976, Page 9

Wilson sends in the commandos

(NZ.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, January 8. In a controversial move to counter the growing anarchy in Northern Ireland, the British Prime Minister < Mr Harold Wilson) has ordered the army’s elite counter-insurgency commandos into County Armagh, where sectarian killing have claimed 15 victims since last week-end.

The deployment of the Special Air Services commandos represents a significant intensification of the attempt to “ontain the violence and follows the decision on Tuesday to send another I*loo troons into the border region. Both moves are believed to he prompted by the machinegun execution of 10 Protestants on Monday after the assassinations over the weekend of five Roman Catholics. The S.A.S. will be used for; patrolling and intelligence, i gathering. This is believed to be the: first time they have ever offi-! cially served in Britain pro-i per, although the Irish Repub-1 ilican Army has often alleged ; that they were used in Northern Ireland despite Govern'ment denials. Some press commentators idescribed Mr Wilson’s action as a calculated risk, with the only alternative to declare

f .martial law and seal off south J Armagh. The move was announced I after urgent consultations be--j tween Mr Wilson and leaders j-of the Conservative Opposi- . i tion in which Mr Wilson ! urged a widening of bipartII isanship over Northern IreI-; land to include smaller pars: liamentary parties as well. Mr Airey Neave, the Con[servatives’ Northern Ireland [spokesman, later praised the decision to deploy the S.A.S.: •“We have for months been - urging resolute and dramatic security measures in south [Armagh and we therefore "! welcome such action.” But one prominent Roman r i Catholic politician in Northfern Ireland, Mr Gerry Fitt, | said the S.A.S. would be as si popular as the C.I.A. and •'added he did not think they would be helpful in the situ--1 ation. ii In Dublin, a source close - to the Irish Government - feared the decision might inflame the Northern Ireland s situation and provoke the i Provisional I.R.A. into aban--3 doning a cease-fire declared 3 last February.