Republican News · Thursday 07 December 2000

[An Phoblacht]

Congressman protests

In Syracuse, New York, Congressman James T. Walsh, chair of the United States Congress Friends of Ireland grouping, called the decision by the British Ministry of Defense to reinstate Fisher and Wright ``an insult to the family and friends of Peter McBride and to the all the people of Northern Ireland''.

``The decision of the British Army late last week to reinstate two convicted murderers is a travesty,'' said Walsh. ``Though convicted, their release and lack of appropriate punishment was already a slap to the McBride Family and to all of Northern Ireland. The news of their reinstatement in the British Army is a deplorable outrage. In my view, the government officials who authorised their reinstatement are just as culpable as these two murderers.''

Walsh urged British government officials and the Army Board to reverse their decision and dismiss the soldiers. According to Walsh, failure to do so would undermine the already-fragile confidence in the rule of law and contravene the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement.

Peter McBride, 18, had twice participated in Central New York's Project Children programme, which brings dozens of Protestant and Catholic Irish children to Upstate New York each summer. After he was killed, the 1993 Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade was dedicated in his memory.


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