SOMETIMES A SINGLE event is so stark that it immediately exposes the true character of a society. The massacre of the nine young Irishmen IRA volunteers Loughgall RUC barracks on Friday 8 May was just such 'an event.
It was claimed the civilian 'crossfire'. But as Gerry Aris suell of Sinn Fein, pointed out: 'It's obvious that there was a killzone around the barracks whether IRA volunteer or passing civilian, was to be killed.
went on: 'What happened al Loughgall very highest level of the British aulllilislidtion. The godfather of the British colonial adacciaea Inal had to punished, decided that this struggle had to be ended.' The IRA was outnumbered and outgunned in a carefully planned SAS ambush. There is no doubt at all that the volunteers could have been arrested.
- eight civilian outside But there was no intention lake prisonels the outset the decision was IRA volunteers who escaped the ambush are reported you ground after capturn ground after capture. Ate bodes were otte! with bullets. But, in addihad also OCCI haradully shot through the In the aftermath, Fleet Street crowed with delight and in their glee some were more frank than WISC Take the Independent's editorial: "It is even implea inal ll was somehow ungentlemanly to encourage IRA men to walk into an overwhem. ingly effective trap. Such al kullCHILs misplaced they blur distinction be ween-methods appropriate for dealing with sophisticated and ruthless paramilitary terrorist force, those that obviousiy intolerable in a democratic society.' Perhaps the 'democrats' writing the Indeserters leaders have not been informed: cicior was ned on an a.Ireland basis in 1918. In that whelming majority voted for independence and Irish unity. Nonetheless Britain imposed partition on Ireland without a vote and by force of arms. It has been maintained by force ot British arms ever since.
Six years this month, in May 1981, Bobby Sands, put the demands prisoners for political status 1o the test of the polis.
Westminster with 10,000