IRELAND: Thatcher admits "It's war"
The Accord has brought no let-up In repression THIS NOVEMBER sees the third anniversary of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Accord. For Britain the main expectation was that the Agreement would ensure the decline, il not outright defeat of the republican movement.
It was stise hoped that it would initiate 4 process whereby the Unionists wook agree to. some minanal power sharing with constitutimal Inch nationalists in a devolved parliament in the month of Ireland. Finally. it was hoped. the deal would further silence the nationalist rhetone of the Dublin govemmet
Only in respect to this third aim has Britain made any progress. hur even that victory has its qualiticabons for the British government and its loyal Lahour opposition whosupported the Agreement For if the Dublin goverment is tied more to the apron strings of Britain than evcr, then it is also the case that this collaboration is more obe VIOLIS.
Whenthe Haughey government extradited the political prisoner extradited the Robert Russell to the British at the end of August there were riots in Belfast the first time in twenty vears there Has heen such a response to actions in Dublin.
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As far as the other two aims of the Accord are concerned, Britain has been even less successful. The Linsonust intransegence remars, and Irish republicanism is an even more obdurate enemy of British imperialise than it was three years ago. So much is clear from the late August IRA attacks and the new British search for a military solution", Responding to that search, Margaret Thatcher, in an Interview with the Daily Express. said the British Armv 's rules of engagement for lhe North of Ircland were the same as those for the Falklands War. That was an interesting ship-of-the tongue. Thatcher - applying Falklands' rules
It seems that the British prime minister is at last prepared to ac knowledge that what is going on in Ireland is not a police action, nota campaign against godfathers or 'criminals?, but a plain und simple war. This, of course. is what Irish republicans have been saying fora very long time.
It is aiso obvious that the IRA bave the capability and determinaton to be involved in this war for a further long time. Like all such struggles there are ebbs and Rows, advances and serbacks: but Thatcher's boast that she is going to wipe out the IRA is as much a fantasy as her claim at the time of the hunger strikes that The IRA has played its last card
British policy: incluiling the Anglo-irish Accunt, has failed ever to bifer working class Catholics any evidence that the traditional British imperialist leopard has changed its spots Even the minimal reforms offered by the supporters of the Accord reform of the juryless courts. changes in the UDK. relcase of the Irish political hostages, the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four - have failed to materialise.
Instead, once morc the talk in British policy circles is what fur1hет тертиььус mensures иго necessary. The discussion that has Taken placc on the reintroduction of interment cctres simply on whether or not it would he elfeeTive.
There have heen many attempl to reform the North of Ireland state. to make British presence there more acceptable to the Catholic working class. There have heen just as many failures to do cither.
And usually these failures produce another round of represson. This will continue to be the pattern until Britain lcaves and Irish national nights are, at tast. sccured.
Geoffrey Bell