BY MARCELLA FITZGERALD

LONDON - As the Conservative Party conference opened in Bournemouth, England, October 7 two bombs exploded inside the British Army's headquarters in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, wounding 31 people - including 21 British soldiers. There was no warning before the blasts. The next day someone called RTE, the Irish state broadcaster, saying the Irish Republican Army (IRA) took responsibility for the bombing.

"The target was personnel connected with the Thiepval barracks," that is, directed against London's occupying army, the caller reportedly said. "We regret any injuries caused to civilians. The resolution of the conflict demands an inclusive negotiated settlement."

This was the first operation in Northern Ireland the IRA has taken responsibility for since it called a cease-fire in September 1994. The IRA ended the 18-month cease-fire last February as London continued to refuse including Sinn Fein - the main Irish nationalist party - in talks over the future of Northern Ireland. Since then, IRA attacks have been confined in Britain.

Leaders of pro-British paramilitary groups announced they are contemplating assaults of their own. "Anything can happen," said David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party, which has ties to the rightist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force.

Sinn Fein has continued to press its political campaign for inclusion in peace talks without preconditions. British government figures at the annual conference of the Conservative Party admitted that the process of peace talks going on in Belfast since June without Sinn Fein is "fast becoming untenable," according to London's Financial Times. London claims that Sinn Fein may join the talks only if the IRA renews its cease-fire, despite refusing inclusion of Sinn Fein over the 18 months of actual cease-fire.

Prior to the Lisburn bombing, a number of protests took place in Britain and Northern Ireland over the September 23 killing of Diarmuid O'Neill by British police in London.

Chanting "Diarmuid's murderers: Try them now!" 80 people joined a picket here October 6 at John Major's residence in London. They were demanding a public inquiry into O'Neill's killing. Initial media reports had claimed there was a gunfight between O'Neill and the police as they sought to arrest him in a raid - allegedly aimed to prevent an IRA bombing in London. Two days later the police admitted O'Neill was unarmed.

The police claim of busting an IRA unit was dealt a further blow when they released Diarmuid's brother, Shane O'Neill, after four days detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Shane was arrested along with four others the morning of his brother's killing. His parents issued a statement about the events saying, "Diarmuid was never arrested; he can never be tried, nor can he be acquitted or convicted other than by the press, who have not waited to have a full and proper picture before judging him. Instead those who accused him took the law into their own hands and killed him."

The police now claim that O'Neill was shot because when he partly opened his door, they could not see his hands. Their nervousness about the killing is reflected by the decision to place the cop responsible on leave, and withdraw his firearms certificate. In addition, a police inquiry has been established. Amnesty International condemned the decision for an internal investigation. "The police investigation is being carried out by a senior officer of the Metropolitan police, the same police force that was involved in the incident," a statement by the group said. Amnesty called for a "truly independent and impartial investigation."

As the story of the killing has unfolded, the big-business media has pointed to organizations opposed to the British occupation of Northern Ireland as possible recruiting grounds for the IRA. A feature on the main morning BBC radio news program "Today" also targeted the Militant Labor Forum, saying that a leaflet issued for its Friday night meeting on O'Neill's killing referred to the police in "defamatory terms."

Pete Clifford, the speaker at the forum, responded to the BBC news program accusation that the holding of the forum and distribution of literature supporting the Irish freedom struggle from the Pathfinder Bookshop here was "irresponsible." Organizing the forum "was the most responsible way to act," Clifford said. "The real problem in this country is that there isn't enough discussion and debate about what's happening in Ireland." Speaking at the forum, Clifford added, "This summary execution takes place in the context of nationalists taking the high ground during the summer months. Telling the truth about Ireland is something the rulers here deeply fear."  
 
 
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