W could not possibly act against the massed forces of the protestants. To have done so would have destroyed their base in the North. The army would have become one of occupation, pure and simple.
'IMPARTIAL' ARMY?
Five bitter years have shattered forever the belief of the catholics of the North of Ireland in the peace-keeping' role of the army they once welcomed, The impartial army Is a myth reserved for the population on this side of the irish Sea.
The troops were not sent in to protect the catholics, but to prevent a massive upheaval in Irelandhome of so many British interests, North and South. The army 1s there to ensure, as far as possible, that these British interests are safeguarded.
For fire years the vast, bulk of the repression has been directed at the catholics. To have acted in such a way against the protestants would have risked losing everything. But the political and military schemes have failed in their attempts to forced the minority into the role British imperialism has selected for them. Up to 21,000 troops, with 300 technical innovations, have not yet smashed the struggle for their demands.
Since Sunningdale Britain has made repeated concessions to the loyalists. It is clear that a new You say you wish to withdraw troops immediately. Wouldn't this lead to a Hoodbath?
Firt of all we must be clear about who would launch a bloodbath. It would be the protestants attacking the antholics. We hear a lot ahout the rimed activity of the Irish Republi can Army, but never have they launchad assaults against the pootestants Periodically the protestants, how ever, do launch pogroms against the tholes This is not because the pro estants are a nasty breed of people. •1 & because discrimination against the catholics in all spheres of life is built into the very existence of lic Six County state.
The protestants use such attacks as a way of solving some of their problems So a bloodbath would be initimed by the loyalists in an effort to Keep their privileges, tiny as they are, aguinst the catholics. Our task is to do everything possible to restrain the assaults of the protestants. This is the best way to prevent a bloodhath.
But surely the protestant response is justified given that the catholics are demanding things in the first place at the expense of the protestants? What we want is a united strug gle of the working class.
The Six County Orange state was built on the defeat of the 1916 rexolution in Ireland. It was a way of preventing the majority of the Irish nation from having control over its own economy and territory, And the same methods continue.
A whole layer of the working class are given certain privileges-the best jobs, the best education, the best housing-and these privileges are backed -up by the force of the sectarian statelet which supports only the protestant section of the community. A united strugzie of the working class will only occur when that state of affairs can no longer go on.
Anything which goes to weaken that State can only help in forg ing a united struggle of the working class. The British troops are there to back up the very existence of the They should therefore be Temoved immediately Wouldn't that leave the catholics at the mercy of the Loyalists? It sounds very revolutionary to say get out now. But when looked at from the point o, view of the catholics, it's a very reactionary position. What we should demand is that the troops be withdrawn to barracks and only be used to stop sectarian fighting.
We have only to look carefully at the role of the troops over the pust five years to see that they have never operated as a peace keeping' force. The catholics in Belfast and Derry learned within the space of weeks what the troops were all about.
The idea that they are there to protect the catholics or to protect the Irish from cach other' is purely for consumption on this side of the Irish Sca. They were sent in to put down the nationalist insurgency which started in 1969 and they have played that role ever since.
protestant ascendancy is on the cards. The army is now carrying out intense harassment of the catholic arcas, while the loyalists ite being armed to the teeth to take over when the troops leave.
The longer the troops stay, the greater the risk of civil war. Now as always, it is clear that the army not only does not keep the peace, but actually mailins the root cause of the vialence- British imperialism!
The time has come for all workers in Britain to say: Get the troops out? and ger them out now! worse it will be for the catholics In a sense the Labour Goverament has already given a statement of intent to leave Ireland: when the situation has sufficently developed to allow the Loyalists to deal with the situation themselves. No. troops must be got out before Uisterisation.
So you are in favour of a blood Not at all. All we have done is to point out the way things are develop ing. The catbolics are nor defeatedTar from it. They have suffered some demoralisation due to a lack of pers