Obama aides and Congress reps hear Ballymurphy Massacre Committee

MEMBERS of the Ballymurphy Massacre Committee have returned from a successful trip to America and a lobby of the Obama administration, the US Congress and Irish-American organisations for an international independent investigation and a Congressional hearing into the Parachute Regiment rampage in August 1971 in which 11 people were shot dead.

In the three days following the introduction of internment without trial by the Stormont regime on August 9^th 1971, 11 people – ten men, including a local priest, and a mother of eight children  – were gunned down by the British Army’s Parachute Regiment in the Ballymurphy area of west Belfast

The Ballymurphy Massacre Committee represents the 51 children whose parents were murdered.

The delegation to the USA shared with their American audiences how they have unearthed over 150 eye-witnesses and key documents revealing the brutality of the events, the culpability of state forces and ways in which the British Government covered up these events.

At a meeting on Capitol Hill hosted by Congressman Richard Neal, Chair of the Friends of Ireland Committee, the Ballymurphy families  met with Congressman Tim Murphy, Congresswoman Caroyln McCarthy and senior staff from the offices of Congressmen Chris Smith and Peter King.

They also met with Fr Seán McManus of the Irish National Caucus.

The families additionally held information sessions in New York and Washington which were well-attended by members of  the Irish-American organisations, some of whom had driven hundreds of miles.

They also held meetings with the offices of Senators Chris Dodd and Leahy.

A meeting at the State Department also provided the opportunity to raise the Ballymurphy Massacre Committee’s concerns with the Obama administration.

US Congressman Richard Neal (third from left) with Ballymurphy relatives Briege Foyle, Alice Harper and John Teggart