NORAID Chief angered by MP's call to "kill Catholics" Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source:cbhaird@nextek.net (Chris Ward) Oct 08 1997 Irish Northern Aid Committee National Office: 363 Seventh Avenue, Suite 405, New York, N.Y. 10001 212-736-1916 *1-800-IRELAND * 212-279-1916 (FAX) Press Release For Immediate Release Contact: Christy Ward National Press Relations Officer 614-344-9651 (day/eve) 614-344-2819 (FAX) cbhaird@nextek.net New York (Oct. 9) - The recent call for the killing of Catholic supporters of the Republican Movement in the north of Ireland by a member of the British Parliament has prompted an angry response from members of the Irish community in the U.S. Paul Doris, national chairperson of the Irish Northern Aid Committee, bitterly denounced Alan Clark, Tory MP for Kensington and Chelsea, calling him the "Butcher of Blackpool," and a "homicidal crackpot," and demanding his resignation from Parliament. Clark made his comments Tuesday at the annual Conservative Party conference in Blackpool, England. Responding to a journalist's question on how he would deal with supporters of the IRA, Clark said, "The only solution is to kill 600 people in one night, and then let the U.N. and Bill Clinton and everybody else make a scene." Press reports indicated that the audience applauded when Clark made the remarks. "Calls for the extermination of people because of their race, religion or political beliefs are simply not acceptable in a civilized world," said Doris. "Political figures, especially those who have responsibility within governments, as Clark did as Minister for Defense in the Major regime, must be aware that statements of this kind can lead to deaths. "This guy's a homicidal crackpot," said Doris, "and no different than those who called for the extermination of Jews during World War II. It's unconscionable that this Butcher of Blackpool could sit in a Parliament that calls itself democratic. He should resign immediately," said Doris. The NORAID chairperson pointed out that this is not the first time a member of the British Parliament called for the killing of innocent Catholics to further the hold on the Six Counties of northeast Ireland. "On February 12, 1989, Patrick Finucane, a Belfast lawyer, was murdered in front of his family as he ate dinner. He was gunned down by the UDA/UFF after Douglas Hogg, the under secretary of state for the Home Office, fingered him as being an "IRA lawyer," said Doris. "This is serious business. Loyalist death squads don't need a big push to start shooting. They've already murdered 13 members of Sinn Fein, and family members and political workers have been attacked and killed. Loyalists have murdered seven people since they called their phony ceasefire. Just this week, the RUC warned Republican families in the South Derry area that the Loyalist Volunteer Force was targeting them. Both Gerry Adams, himself a target of a loyalist death squad, and Martin McGuinness, have warned all Republicans to be extremely vigilant due to these threats. "This call for the extermination of Catholics borders on criminal, especially given that all parties to the Stormont negotiations have signed on to the non-violent precepts of the Mitchell Principles,"said Doris. -30- ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytire-10.09.97-04:44:20-11156