Solidarity Campaign Upsurge

/t is well known that Lord Carrington, the Defence Minister, has no confidence in the success of the present policy.

He believes that it will eventually be necessary to impose a military solution, and for this reason was not willing to have the truth about Bloody Sunday known, for fear of the effect it would have on the morale of the troops that he will eventually need to impose a solution.

Carrington realises that you cannot order soldiers to shoot civilians, then have Widgery condemn them, and later on expect the same troops to shoot some more civilians.

What the Widgery report means is that a section of the ruling class, and particularly the military establishment, is preparing for an attack on the no-go areas.

As the delegates assembledforthe second conference of the Irish Solidarity Campaign in Oxford, it soon became evident that the Campaign had grown in size, and spread geographically in a dramatic way during the months since last summer. The conference reflected the concrete experiences of the delegates in building a solidarity movement, and in this sense too the conference was a big advance on the first.

These.experiences were drawn on during the discussion on the manifesto ‘Why Irish Solidarity?’ which was published in the last issue of Jrish Citizen. Updating amendments were submitted which analysed the situation since the manifesto was written, including the question of the implications of direct rule. Most of the discussion was on the problems of a strategy for building the solidarity movement, including the question of gaining influence within the British labour movement, and the role of Irish exiles in this. for the military struggle of the IRA.

### BOB PURDIE

The most controversial discussion was on the proposal to change the slogan “Victory to the IRA’ to ‘Unconditional support for the military struggle of the IRA against British imperialism and the forces of reaction in Ireland’.

On.the one side it was argued that there was no need to change this slogan, that the Campaign was gaining more and more support on the basis of it, and that there was not a sufficient argument for a change because of the opposition to it, on the grounds that it could be mis-interpreted as meaning a general support for the political stance of the two sections of the Republican movement, rather than supportOn the other side it was argued that if there was misinterpretation the ISC had nothing to lose and everything to gain, by removying any ambiguity, and that developments in the AIL meant that a clearer, and more precise formulation would put the ISC on a firmer basis for winning support for a principled solidarity programme within the AIL.

The manifesto was accepted in its general outline, while being referred to the new Executive Council for re-drafting for issue as a pamphlet. The voting on the slogan revealed fairly general support for amending ISC’s programme to include the new stogan, while an amendment to change the fourth slogan of the manifesto to.the new formulation ‘was won by‘4 much narrower margin.

The other ,main discussion was on perspectives, with the Scottish delegates successfully pressing the conference to adopt a proposal to organise an all-British demonstration in Glasgow, :

‘Cont. Back Page col.4

Any reader in the habit of dining out in London might care to note down the following restaurants to avoid:- La Carosse in S.W.3, The Garden and the Grange in Covent Garden, Part-owner of all three is erstwhile disc jockey, estwhile graphic novelist, and ertwhile Unionist Minister of Development, Roy Bradford.

REE IRAte Tito British imperialism, and the British Army received a hammering in the international media after Bloody Sunday in Derry. But they were not without their defenders; apart from their faithful allies, aid came from one unexpected quarter—Tito’s Yugoslavia. Belgrade radio commented; “It is an indisputable fact that hardly anywhere in the world do the army and police show such a degree of patience, constraint and self-discipline as in the British Isles.”

Metre Black and Tan The two Ministers of State appointed to run the Northern Ireland Office of the British government are Lord Windlesham and Mr. Paul Channon. Windlesham is a member of __ the Hennessy brandy family, and Channon is ~ from the Guinness brewery family. The mixss ++eee Safety First On Thursday April 6th, artillery cadets im the _Free State Army had an unexpected “treat”. They were allowed to fire 320 projectiles from a 3.7 howitzer:— the total amount of ammuniweapons, ‘type of guerrilla warfare going on in the Six Counties that “Union-Jack”’ Lynch, being unable to trust the Free State Army to prevent it falling into the hands of the IRA, has taken the precaution of using up all the ammunition.

4H Department of the Army The recent promotion of Colonel E. Edward “double eejit” Shortall as Assistant Chief of Staff of the Free State Army was not unexpected. During the days of the Arms Crisis, Shortall, 2 former Director of Intelligence, was actively sounding out opinions in the army, and reporting directly to Lynch.

nald. McDonald has been doing Trojan work his promotion, were it not for the loss of two FN automatic rifles & one 38 radio set during the recent borage of you.

Last Post Cause.

liars. tish Army snipers.

Scenario ure collapses.

CHECKMATE worried about the high IRA supporters in Monaghan.

But keep trying Tom. Mrs. Lynch thinks well +e ARH In a confidential memo. addressed to the Manager and Managing Director of the Daily Yelegraph, that paper's leader writer, T. E. “Peter” Utley, describes the great tributes paid by Faulkner to the Daily Telegraph for their consistent championing of the Stormont In recognition of this service, the memo. continues, Utley and his wife were invited to stand on the balcony of Stormont Castle when Faulkner reviewed the Vanguard rally.

* ERK Most people have become so cynical about British Army claims to have shot so many gunmen that they consider the British Army Press Office to be staffed by unmitigated It is. But the lies are not always conscious. For example, the Provos in Derry have devised a brilliant scheme for flushing out BriBritish sniper/sentry spots figure lurking behind wall/ditch/hedge. Brit opens fire. FigBritish Army Press Office claims another “gunman shot dead”. Then the Provos drag away one of the half dozen tailor’s dummies which they have been using for this purpose.

Latest secret weapon of the British Army in Ireland—Czech bomb disposal experts. The British Army, convinced that the IRA is using Czech or Russian Bombs, has imported some Czech defectors to cope with them. At least that’s what they say.

Other cynics might think that the a _ - ee /RISH CITIZEN.

Hut 22 Cage 3 Long Kesh Concentration Camp Dear Editor, i have read some of your articles on N.L. and they are quite good. Now i’m asking you to go a step further and give us some of your space to support our demand for an end to internment. There is a lot of nonsense written and spoken about us in the British Press and on TV. We are not murderers, terrorists, and gunnmen as propaganda would have you believe. We are here as a result of a gigantic boob by the Westminster government and our very own Special Branch, and because Faulkner doesn’t like people who don’t support his repressive regime. One of the things that angers me most about the situation is the British Press’ attempt to do the biggest Whitewash Job in British history, and it is refreshing to read the truth in your paper. What I’m asking you to do is to join the thousands of people all over the world who have condemned internment. Already there is a broadWhat we want i DeODIC LO. OF demanding an ond to internment. We any Foup

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in the border areas preparing for the clamp- have expected a reward. He would have got

based organisation in existence known : centration Camp”. It’s aim “to force it to end internment now.