SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS
Slaughter of the innocents
THE TRAGIC bombing in Market Street, Omagh, the single most terrible tragedy in 30 years for the troubled North, has cast a blight over the people of this island, and sent shockwaves round the world. At a time of delicately balance, even fragile hope for the future of the Good Friday Agreement, a savage and deeply irresponsible act by the worst enemies any society can have has once again delivered to the people of Northern Ireland a cruel and painful message.
It is an incoherent one, brutally delivered. At its savage heart is the terrifying threat of further violence, despite the widespread agreement reached by the parties in the North and their endorsement of a democratic approach in the future.
The supposedly mishandled warning is a further twist of the knife of violence. Any group planting a bomb of such size in a crowded town-centre has murderous intent. Violence and death were in the hearts and minds of those responsible, and every possible effort must be made, North and South of the Border, to bring them to justice.
Despite the obvious purposes of the terrorists the overwhelming majority of people North and South, remain committed to their democratic choice in favour of the agreement, and to sustaining the Peace Process. Respect for this decision must be the overriding reaction. The event should not be regarded as either actually or potentially damaging to the agreement. It will only be so if indignation and anger feed recrimination, and lead to the breakdown of trust in the future, precarious though this may be.
The continuing stability of the Good Friday Agreement, as well as what it should mean in particular to the people of the North, was widely and consistently voiced over the past 36 hours. Notably, there was a new breakthrough coming from Sinn Fein, with the statement by Gerry Adams condemning outright the bomb, and with the remarks by Martin McGuinness, reaffirming the new order to which Sinn Fein has subscribed, and which now governs the party's approach to the agreement and to political action in the future.
Another new dimension is the refusal of the Taoiseach to rule out the introduction of internment. The circumstances in which internment has worked in the past are those where the threat on society is exerted by a very small body of people who clearly lack support on the ground, and whose effective removal would meet with universal approval.
Those circumstances prevail in respect of the Real IRA. The practicalities are daunting; but the fullest possible consideration should be given to this course of action, which would have wide public support.
It was always foreseen that terrorist acts by splinter groups such as this one, dissatisfied with the commitment to peace which the agreement demanded, would continue to trouble us all.
What is also clearly required, in addition to reviewing the practicalities of internment, is a fresh consideration of a critical aspect of the agreement the need for decommissioning. The climate of violence, over 30 years, has led to the stockpiling of arsenals of murder. No comprehensive clearout of such explosives is possible. But this difficulty has resulted in a loose and relaxed attitude among far too many politicians and political leaders about the continued existence of the materials of war used so viciously on Saturday. That event will help to concentrate minds on the immediate practicalities of making the agreement work. And if these include a fresh look at internment, and a more pro-active consideration of the ways and means of speeding up the decommissioning of weapons and all types of explosives, so much the better.
THE TRAGIC bombing in Market Street, Omagh, the single most terrible tragedy in 30 years for the troubled North, has cast a blight over the people of this island, and sent shockwaves round the world. At a time of delicately balance, even fragile hope for the future of the Good Friday Agreement, a savage and deeply irresponsible act by the worst enemies any society can have has once again delivered to the people of Northern Ireland a cruel and painful message.
It is an incoherent one, brutally delivered. At its savage heart is the terrifying threat of further violence, despite the widespread agreement reached by the parties in the North and their endorsement of a democratic approach in the future.
The supposedly mishandled warning is a further twist of the knife of violence. Any group planting a bomb of such size in a crowded town-centre has murderous intent. Violence and death were in the hearts and minds of those responsible, and every possible effort must be made, North and South of the Border, to bring them to justice.
Despite the obvious purposes of the terrorists the overwhelming majority of people North and South, remain committed to their democratic choice in favour of the agreement, and to sustaining the Peace Process. Respect for this decision must be the overriding reaction. The event should not be regarded as either actually or potentially damaging to the agreement. It will only be so if indignation and anger feed recrimination, and lead to the breakdown of trust in the future, precarious though this may be.
The continuing stability of the Good Friday Agreement, as well as what it should mean in particular to the people of the North, was widely and consistently voiced over the past 36 hours. Notably, there was a new breakthrough coming from Sinn Fein, with the statement by Gerry Adams condemning outright the bomb, and with the remarks by Martin McGuinness, reaffirming the new order to which Sinn Fein has subscribed, and which now governs the party's approach to the agreement and to political action in the future.
Another new dimension is the refusal of the Taoiseach to rule out the introduction of internment. The circumstances in which internment has worked in the past are those where the threat on society is exerted by a very small body of people who clearly lack support on the ground, and whose effective removal would meet with universal approval.
Those circumstances prevail in respect of the Real IRA. The practicalities are daunting; but the fullest possible consideration should be given to this course of action, which would have wide public support.
It was always foreseen that terrorist acts by splinter groups such as this one, dissatisfied with the commitment to peace which the agreement demanded, would continue to trouble us all.
What is also clearly required, in addition to reviewing the practicalities of internment, is a fresh consideration of a critical aspect of the agreement the need for decommissioning. The climate of violence, over 30 years, has led to the stockpiling of arsenals of murder. No comprehensive clearout of such explosives is possible. But this difficulty has resulted in a loose and relaxed attitude among far too many politicians and political leaders about the continued existence of the materials of war used so viciously on Saturday. That event will help to concentrate minds on the immediate practicalities of making the agreement work. And if these include a fresh look at internment, and a more pro-active consideration of the ways and means of speeding up the decommissioning of weapons and all types of explosives, so much the better.
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/026
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.