THE Enniskillen bombing evidently weakened the fight to get Britain out of Ireland. But two months later it is now clear that the government's cynical efforts to exploit Enniskillen, to discredit the growing view that Britain has no progressive role to play in Ireland have failed.
IT was an attempt reverse me entire political process which began in 1981, Ireland with the sie incurious he Fein during hunger strikes, and in Britain with the election of Ken Livingstone as leader of the GLC. The goals of •British governmenl ever have been to isolate destroy Sinn Fein, in reverse the growth of the withdrawal current in The Enniskillen bombing provided pretext for Britain's propaganda machine swung into action for these enas. In southern Ireland this was effective: extradiWaN massive security operation "search for volving 7,000 police was launched and the cross border security co-ope longer ste the sup co-operation stepped mission Dublin British demands with no reforms at all in Northern ireland will create major political problems for the Fianna Fail government.
But, as leader John Hume's meeting with Gerry Adams in January showed, attempt all with ouLlaw Sinn The Irish main "The two • private talks ween Hume alic be welcomed. respecSinn Fein, the can come hopefully SUCT changes will LICE the munity Northern Sinn of the large settlement and in the shaping of which population of counties Sinn them.
In Britain the post Enniskillen witch hunt focusKer Livingstone simply public MOSL the view This is 1974.
SUNC the judicial frame-ups une Guildford Maguire cases.
ment was completely wals 0O E until the strikes electoral • WILi DOoDy elecAfter the situation difGulle ferent. COI being isolated • VYCEN minority MPs • Grour . withLabour Party (PLP) was forced to hold its first full discussion on Ireland for many years. At the PLP discussion it was the left which was on the offensive which effectively highlighted the key flaw in Labour's policy its acIs now rooted minority the been to the contradicted by accepstrip searching, bullets, the PTA of recently the for The Napolicy British policies on Ireland and revived in the Irish Birmingham Six and Guildford Four.
Notwithstanding Neil •ridiculous statements setting himsel on Irish as all cl history and explaining that the population of Northern Ireland is British. the Labour Party is no longer unionist position. On the contrary it now nangs it position on the 'unity by consent' line of the Dublin government Ine SDLP the sectarian minimal elimination of the catholics employment The by the succeed in derailing the employment the have been LWO delegations led by US Ireland this senatos adds to the movement.
conterence ANNIVERSARY OF BLOODY defeated by the votes of unions which organise in Northern cover discrimination. This is not a tenable position as the situation in the north of got the open The first meeting of the Committee on 1988 set IlaN itself the goals of winning a maiority against employ ment discrimination at this and is planning a year of action culminating in a national march and festival for British withdrawal RALLY AT ISLINGTON TOWN HALL 1989 on the twentieth anniversary of British troops being sent to the six counwili register a qualitative believes that this expansion withdrawal movement Backfired Overall, whilst, of course the bombing at Enniskillen damaged the Cent irelandel out it didn't derail it and the Thatcher government's attempts to UDE discredit the withdrawal position, seem even to have backfired.
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