“In recent weeks we have seen the Fianna Fail…”

In recent weeks we have seen the Fianna Fail government begin to use the notorious Offences against the State Act. The Aldershot explosion The responsibility for the bomb attack on the officers’ headquarters at Aldershot has heen accepted by the Official WFLA. It wos anoct of military retaliation for the cold-blooded murder of thirteen unarmed civiliang in Derry on Bloody Sunday, Tragically five women workers were inndyertanthy killed. This tragedy has been cynically seized wpon by the Tory pov and Union Juck Lynch te whip up a Haueating show of hypocrisy. With the hysteria induced there is great danger that the real issoes will be obscured, The explosion has to be seen againat the background of Derry, There the British army calloudly opened fire ono large crowd of peaceful civilians killing thirteen of them. After the incidents both the British government and its army remain both unrepentant ated self-righteous. Aldershot was an attack ong malttery forec, a specific omeat that: the quarters of the officer corps of the Parachute reginsent. After the attack, the IRA regretted the deaths of the civilians and is supposed to be the excuse.

A political analysis of the incident is therefore necessary:

led to a tragic mistake. specialiac. made it clear that it was a-specific act of retaliation and aol w prelude tea mass bombing campaign. A technical error. the bomb exploding at the wrong time— Every socialist and republican sincerely regrets the death of the five women cleaners. The concer and the “recret™ of the British government stands in sharp onnitrast tote actual record. It is a goveniinent with centuries of blood on itt hands not only in Ireland, but also in Cypris, Adem, Africa and numerous parts of Agia. It hos oe regrets abot its oan pist orabout its present behaviour in the Six Counties. It has oe concer for the social conditions under which the women cleaners have to work or for the campaigns the women cleaners have waged throughout Htitain to better their living conditions. Their sympathy la simply cant, which the British ruling class has perfected to the level of a fine artand in which they Equally hypocritical is the sympathy of Union Jack Lynch. For him it was simply Inappertunity to harges republicans—a campaign on which he bod embarked at the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis before the Alderahot explosion.

The Repoblican movement may stirs at the crossroads. Aa the mass defense of the Nationalist communilies it is the only force standing between them and military rep ression. Its foture, the course if now takes and the (uture of the Irish Revolution are fundamentally linked. By its choice of target itshows early that it knows who the enemy of the Lrish people is: mot (he British working class, not even the mixguided and bigoted British soldiers, but the British ruling class ane its fiver caste, Inthe past, it has. aloe iteclf capable of making a bolnoee sheet of its military strugeles. Lit can do so again, io Forward!

to Republicasism, Instead of a enous ana lyaas and fraternal dialopue they preter denouncalions and nome calling, Pn the long rus thie are the heat albes which the relor The Fourth International Many readers have asked of fo explain whal