[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RECENT VIOLENCE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 26, 2002

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to condemn the recent 
sectarian violence, that has occurred in Northern Ireland over the past 
several weeks. It is quite obvious to me that the parties who are 
organizing these attacks are hoping that they can derail the 1998 Good 
Friday Peace Accord.
  Mr. Speaker, as you may know, for the first time since January, an 
individual was killed in Belfast due to sectarian violence. This murder 
was one of several coordinated acts of violence which occurred Monday 
evening. At different points throughout the night, several young men 
were shot at in Catholic neighborhoods. All acts were credited to the 
Ulster Defense Association, also know as the Red Hand Defenders.
  Late Monday evening, Gerald Lawler, a Catholic teenager was walking 
home from a local Belfast pub, when he was suddenly shot to death in a 
drive-by attack. His crime: he was a 19 year-old Catholic walking home 
from a predominately Catholic bar, in a predominately Catholic 
neighborhood. He was killed solely because of his religion. According 
to news reports he wasn't even active politically.
  This attack occurred only days after the Irish Republic Army (IRA) 
issued an unprecedented public apology for civilian deaths which 
occurred over the more than 30 year conflict. This surprise gesture was 
an obvious sign that the IRA and other Catholic groups want to work to 
ensure the survival of the new government of Northern Ireland. By 
apologizing the IRA takes a significant step in showing the world that 
they are ready to obey the guidelines of the '98 accords. 
Unfortunately, extremist groups on the other side of the conflict do 
not feel the same way.
  The murder of Gerald Lawler Monday night by the UDA confirms that 
loyalist groups refuse to give equality to Catholics, called for in the 
Good Friday Accords. These extremist groups feel that by once again 
escalating the conflict they can destroy the accords and the power-
sharing government thus reverting back to sectarian Protestant control.
  Yesterday (Wednesday), Prime Minister Blair called for an end of the 
violence in Northern Ireland and vowed to toughen its enforcement of 
paramilitary cease-fires. To enforce these cease-fires, Blair plans to 
deploy hundreds of extra police and soldiers to spearhead a campaign to 
keep the peace.
  While I am encouraged by Prime Minister Blair's comments, I am 
worried that an increase in British police and military personnel will 
do little to stem the violence. In the past, when the offenders of 
cease-fires were groups which are loyal to the crown, the police 
frequently turned a blind eye to the violence, refusing to arrest and 
prosecute offenses against Catholics. This only caused the conflict to 
escalate rather than encourage peace.
  I call on Prime Minister Blair and First Minister David Trimble, the 
Protestant government leader, to take real steps to stop the violence. 
They need to find all the perpetrators of the violence in the North, 
especially those which occurred most recently, and take appropriate 
legal action against them. For the Good Friday accord to be successful 
all parties in Northern Ireland must stop the sectarian violence.
  The conflict in Ireland between Catholic and Protestants is centuries 
old. However, for the first time a real solution, which is equitable to 
all sides, has been reached and is in the early stages of working. Now 
both sides need to come together and stop any and all sectarian 
violence and allow for true democracy to work.

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