SPANISH DEPUTY PM EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH OMAGH PEOPLE
Spanish deputy PM expresses solidarity with Omagh people
Senor Francisco Alvarez-Cascos, the Spanish Deputy Prime Minister, was accompanied by his country's ambassador to the U. K. and Northern Ireland Minister of Education and Health, Mr. John McFall, as he met Spanish victims of Saturday's bombing at Tyrone County Hospital on Monday afternoon.
Speaking through the ambassador, Senor Alberto Aza, who acted as interpreter, Sr. Alvarez-Cascos said he had come to express solidarity with the people of Northern Ireland, who had suffered for so long at the hands of terrorists.
"Terrorist activities all over the world have something in common - they are the activities of fanatical, mad people. There are always minority groups. They are savage and cowards."
Reflecting on his visit to the injured Spanish children, the Deputy PM went on: "After my visit to this hospital I can really appreciate the way the staff here, the surgeons, the local authority, and the British Government have been so helpful and so efficient.
"I want to underline the warm reaction of the people of this region in the face of this terrorist situation. There is no way by which one has any kind of explanation. There is no reason to it. We can have nothing but solidarity and work together in order to prevent it in the future."
Sr. Alvarez-Cascos said he had spoken to some of the victims' families back in Spain since flying into the Province earlier in the day.
He told the mother of one girl that he had heard her speak on the radio that morning.
"The mother was extremely happy and relieved to think that the girl must he extremely well," he explained, adding that he had also spoken in the wards to two Irish boys.
" They had been together with two Spanish girls and I just encouraged them. One was a Liverpool supporter, the other a Manchester United supporter and, as a Spanish football fan, I wanted to bring some support.
"There was no time to ask more details about how painful it was, or if they had pains or not, but rather to ' encourage them and bring them a positive attitude for the occasion they are now enduring."
Senor Francisco Alvarez-Cascos, the Spanish Deputy Prime Minister, was accompanied by his country's ambassador to the U. K. and Northern Ireland Minister of Education and Health, Mr. John McFall, as he met Spanish victims of Saturday's bombing at Tyrone County Hospital on Monday afternoon.
Speaking through the ambassador, Senor Alberto Aza, who acted as interpreter, Sr. Alvarez-Cascos said he had come to express solidarity with the people of Northern Ireland, who had suffered for so long at the hands of terrorists.
"Terrorist activities all over the world have something in common - they are the activities of fanatical, mad people. There are always minority groups. They are savage and cowards."
Reflecting on his visit to the injured Spanish children, the Deputy PM went on: "After my visit to this hospital I can really appreciate the way the staff here, the surgeons, the local authority, and the British Government have been so helpful and so efficient.
"I want to underline the warm reaction of the people of this region in the face of this terrorist situation. There is no way by which one has any kind of explanation. There is no reason to it. We can have nothing but solidarity and work together in order to prevent it in the future."
Sr. Alvarez-Cascos said he had spoken to some of the victims' families back in Spain since flying into the Province earlier in the day.
He told the mother of one girl that he had heard her speak on the radio that morning.
"The mother was extremely happy and relieved to think that the girl must he extremely well," he explained, adding that he had also spoken in the wards to two Irish boys.
" They had been together with two Spanish girls and I just encouraged them. One was a Liverpool supporter, the other a Manchester United supporter and, as a Spanish football fan, I wanted to bring some support.
"There was no time to ask more details about how painful it was, or if they had pains or not, but rather to ' encourage them and bring them a positive attitude for the occasion they are now enduring."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0009
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
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