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Fr. McManus on IRA Bombing

Washington, D.C., February 13, 1996 -- Because of business reasons Father Sean McManus, President of the Irish National Caucus, has been out of the office for a number of days and was therefore unavailable for comment on the IRA bombing in London on February 9, 1996.  He is now issuing the following statement:  "The bombing was an awful and terrible act and I condemn it absolutely. My heart goes out to those innocent people who were killed and injured.  I appeal to the IRA not to go back to war.  I urge the Irish Government, SDLP and Sinn Fein to redouble their efforts for peace.  Althought the IRA  must alone bear responsibility for the awful bombing, the London Government  and the Unionists must bear heavy responsibility for the dangerously stalled  peace-process.  I call on them to stop sabotaging the peace-process and to  begin all-party talks immediately.  And finally I call on President Clinton to make even greater efforts to save the peace-process.  Without him it would  not have happened in the first place and without him now the whole thing  might collapse.  Irish-Americans for our part must do everything possible to support the peace-process.  We must not let anyone take us back to war and we        must resolutely stay committed to nonviolence. "