23 JANUARY 1975 ernment and its "Irish Secretary" Merlyn Rees.
and Tories greeted his statement with acclaim!
Britain's leading voice of reaction, the Daily Telegraph, summed up the feeling of all these elements when it reported that "the firmness and modcration of Mr. Rees" reply turned him overnight from politician to statesman'. And this from the same people who only recently were calling for his resignation for being soft' on the IRA! Rarely has it been more clearly demonstrated on which side the Labour Government stands.
In response to the cease fire Rees released a mere 25 detainces -five of them loyalists. Rees" policy on interament is simple, if brutal: once the minority gives in, then internment will end.
The threatened resumption of hostilities by the Provisionals is only one indication of the continuing combativity of the Catholics in the face of such a threat. The fight against internment can only be seen as part of a fight against British imperialist domination of Ireland. Internment will only be brought to an end when British troops are kicked out.
This is the problem with the proposed National Union of Students' campaign against internment. Of course such a decision to wage a campaign can only he welcomed. but by not linking the demand for the end of internment to a call for the immediare withdrawal of troops they have no effective reply to the WEEKLY No 85 PRICE 8p The responsibility for the breakdown of the ceasefire in Ireland rests fairly and squarely on the shoulders of the Labour GovThroughout the whole charade, Rees' only concern was to appcase the reactionary loyalist forces. Rees" Parliamentary reply to the Provisionals" ceasefire not only refused even the most miserly concessions to the beleaguered minority, but threatened the return of the sectarian RUC police to the ghettos. No wonder the loyalists Brian Grogan right-wing, who try to label internees as "terrorists" who must be dealt All the indications are that Merlyn Rees will now quickly call his proposed Constitutional Convention. Here he hopes to turn his flirtations with the loyalists unto a more permanent bond.
Such a British imposed solution has to be fought. The workers' move. ment in this country must not tolerate a peace won over the broken spirit of the oppressed minority in the North.
The situation in Ireland is at a crossroads, and the Labour Government has clearly nailed its flag to the loyalist mast.
The Ulster Defence Association -the main paramilitary group-of loyalist thugs- has spelt out what This means: "We have now reached the point of survival or extinction.
We intend to survive; we intend to destroy the enemy and all those who support it' Il is forces like chese which the British army is protecting It is forces like these which the Labour Governnsent is cuddling up to:
The workers movement still has time to smash such a policy: we must mobilise to demand - troops out now and suppress the minority. The only answer is to demand their immediate withdrawal THE MEDICAL COMMITTEE AgINSIDE -Into the abyss? 4-page dossier on the crisis British troops being stoned in Belfast by Republican youths. They recognise that the role of the troops is to protect the Loyalists