War of Attrition

Prime Minister John Lynch last week carried through with his promise to crack down on Irish Republican Army terrorists in Eire. He ordered home the bulk of Ireland's 391-man military force from U.N. peace-keeping duties in Cyprus to bolster patrols trying to prevent the I.R.A. from slipping back and forth across the Ulster border. Irish police arrested three I.R.A. suspects, on charges of illegally possessing arms and ammunition, at their homes in Bundoran, a favorite frontier sanctuary of gunmen. One of them was Joseph O'Neill, a prominent I.R.A. political leader.

The response to the arrests was a series of fierce riots of I.R.A. sympathizers in Bundoran and nearby Ballyshannon. The protesters in Bundoran threw up barricades blocking traffic and attempted to break into the courthouse after the hearing. Gangs of youths in Ballyshannon stoned the gardai (police), and more than 100 additional police had to be brought in to deal with at least 500 protesters. With more arrests expected, the I.R.A. Provisionals charged that Lynch "has acted under British pressure" and warned that they would put up "strong resistance" to any further "collaboration."

Morale Boost. Last week Irish papers predicted that Britain was about to set up a new Cabinet-level Ministry for Northern Ireland that would transfer security power from Stormont (the seat of the Northern Ireland government) to Westminster. The plan was categorically denied by the London government. Downing Street, however, allowed that a wide range of policy alternatives have been considered by British Prime Minister Edward Heath, who made a surprise one-day trip to Ulster. It was the first visit by a British Prime Minister since 1964, and was apparently designed as a morale boost for the 14,000 British troops there. "I have come to thank you," said Heath to soldiers on duty at fortified positions in Londonderry, "for your high standard of service in trying to uphold law-and-order under very difficult circumstances."

In fact, the army has been winning its slow war of attrition against the terrorists and has curtailed the I.R.A.'s ability to attack military or police targets. Nonetheless, violence against "soft targets"--meaning stores, pubs and the like--has been on the increase. Christmas week turned out to be merely another grim episode in the I.R.A.'s attempt to force unity of the two Irelands through guerrilla warfare. On Monday morning alone, a dozen explosions ripped Belfast. Among the damaged targets were the city's best hotel (the Conway), a clothing factory, a furniture store, a supermarket, an antique shop, an insurance office, a railway station and a television-rental company. Next day bombs blasted two pubs, a laundry and a bicycle store.

In addition, four I.R.A. terrorists were killed: three of them were blown to pieces when a bomb they were transporting exploded in their car near the town of Magherafelt, northwest of Belfast.

Despite all the attacks, the I.R.A. could not live up to its threat to bring Belfast to a standstill by Christmas. And these days, Ulster is thankful for such small mercies.

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