US welcomes South Armagh Farmers and Residents
By Cari Zall
For the first time ever, the South Armagh Farmers and Residents
Committee (SAFRC) is touring the United States in an effort to
educate Americans about the ongoing British military occupation of
the border regions in the north of Ireland. On the East Coast, Toni
Carragher and Maria Caraher have met massive support from all
quarters of the American community.
The two SAFRC representatives spent their first four days in the New
York/New Jersey area. They held a lengthy meeting with Congressman
Peter King in his Long Island offices. Congressman King has already
been a major supporter of the Committee's campaign against the
militarisation of their area, and he encouraged them to continue
educating the public and pressing the governments for answers. He
also promised further help in bringing their issue to the forefront
of his own meetings with political leaders in Ireland and England.
During their meeting, Congressman King received a phone call from
President Clinton and was able to inform the President that he was
currently with the SAFRC. He received a positive response from the
President, who has vowed to continue this administration's
involvement in the peace process.
They also met with Congressman Joseph Crowley in Queens, who was very
enthusiastic about their campaign. He intends to visit Ireland this
coming summer and hopes to travel to South Armagh to see for himself
the conditions that continue to plague the residents there. A phone
conference with Congressman Ben Gillman's office also produced
positive results. The Committee discussed with him the upcoming April
hearings before Congress on policing abuses. All three Congressmen
were eager to have the Committee submit testimony to the record for
those hearings, especially with regard to the current and ongoing
abuses taking place in South Armagh.
Public meetings in Queens, the Bronx, northern New Jersey, as well as
in Richmond and Baltimore have all produced tremendous support from
Americans.
Meanwhile SAFRC Chair Declan Fearon has travelled to Dallas, Omaha
and Forth Worth where he has spoken to large audiences in several
venues.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)