Only one episode AS KEN Livingstone knows, and will explain to anyone willing to pogroms and oppression did not start and end with Hitler, any more than the Irish question started in 1969. But his main point remains valid.
Ireland is the onv country population has fallen since the days of Napoleon. This can only be explained by enforced emigration, massacres and starvation. The blight killed the potato crop, but the British government was responsible for and a half through starvation and one and a half million people were driven out of their homes and country.
The Sunday Times says that Britain may have acted slightly 'callously', treating Ireland as 'an ourpost to de secured rather than a people to be reconciled'. But they say this ended in 1969, and since then their policy has been one of altruism.
Britain has always treated Ireland as an outpost to be secured. The only reconciliation they have ever wanted was that of security. This is the real history of Ireland — 800 years of pitiless repression and slaughter, met by the resistance of an oppressed people. episode.
As the RUC combs the jails of the North with offers of fabulous riches to bribe new informers, the armies shoot-to-kill policy continues to claim nationalist lives. The refusal of the authorities to hold an enquiry or take any perpetrators of these murders does not square too well with the spirit of 'altruism' and 'reconciliation' attributed to the government.
HARD LINE loyalist groups will no doubt be grieving at one death in particular from the South Korean flight over Soviet air space last week. Congressman Laurence McDonald was perhaps their best friend in the US Concommunist group the John Birch society, is on record several times attacking the Soviet inspired IRA'. A speech McDonald made for the Congressional record in 1981 was later quoted extensively in Combat, the Ulster Volunteer Force magazine.
He referred to the murder of thousands of peace loving protestants by the IRA' phasised his belief that 'the communist inspired IRA was part of a Soviet and Gaddaffi-led plot aimed at the violent destabilisation of the North.' political figures responsible for getting the Rev Ian Paisley invited to the inauguration of President Reagan in 1980. He has helped gain visas for many Loyalist figures visiting the United States.
'It is a terrible tragedy that such a fine Christian gentleman should have been lost in this way' commented a grief stricken Mr Paisley.
listen, anti-semitic years of British occupation has meant in Europe whose deals he last Jo. vears is but one action against the THE WESTERN press has maintained a discreet silence about Turkey for the past three years. On 12 September 1980, Turkey's armed forces (the second largest in NATO power. Since the coup repression has reached levels rarely seen in countries which are not actually fascist dictatorships: 48 youths hanged, tens of thousands of political prisoners, numerous deaths in custody, widespread torture - and all in a NATO member and associate of the EEC.
MP for Islington South and Finsbury who was recently in Turkey what his impressions were.
My overwhelming impression is that the normal standards OI and human rights are being flouted Turkey: with 500,000 members) seized Socialist Action asked CHRIS SMITH, Labour Alex Lyon) insisted that we neither reveal their identities nor repeat the conversations. They were terrified to talk to us. What about the mass trials?
Mass show trials of Kurds, socialists, across the breadth of Turkey junta's chosen vehicle for crushing unc opposition. The most common charge 142 of the Turkish Penal Code (directly borrowed Mussolini's) which prohibit "advocating the domination OT SOCIA class over other SOCIE In the early days of the coup the Generals made gestures of evenhandedness in the direc tion of Western Europe by arresting both right and left wingers, more recently made confident by American support the junta has dropped any such pretence. were opened against university law overturning the autonomy of educational institutions was passed also against the Turkish Peace Association whose 'crime' War lavi avocated peace. An estimated fifty lawycis are standing tria as a result of their defence Photo: TURKEY SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN visited showed made us feel very Ene no natev we were that two ned madne Kurds. wilal was gulle on li lt Dares one non Before the coup. The slogan reads 'Fascist governor, the towns of Unye, Aybasti, Ordu and Golkoy will call you to account.' In craven in their support Iol . IOr wherevel BM Box 5965, London WCIN
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In the face of farcical charges legal ceedings, the dignity they