The Sun
Pascoe Watson and Antonella Lazzeri
TOPIC: IRA BOMBING
PRIME Minister John Major last night called the bombing ``an appalling outrage,'' but insisted the search for peace was not dead.
He said: ``My first thoughts are with the casualties. We will pursue relentlessly those responsible.
``This atrocity confirms again the urgent need to remove illegal arms from the equation. I remain committed to the search for peace in Northern Ireland and will not be distracted by terrorism.''
Speaking at his home in Huntingdon, the PM added: ``I call on the leadership of Sinn Fein and the IRA to condemn those who planted this bomb and any suggestion that the ceasefire is over.''
In Washington, U.S. President Bill Clinton issued a statement saying he was ``deeply concerned.''
He said the attack ``underscores the urgent need for all sides to join in the fight against terrorism and to press forward in that search.''
Labour leader Tony Blair said: ``I call on everyone, including Sinn Fein, to condemn this appalling act. ``All parties must at once return to the peace process.''
In Northern Ireland, Ulster Secretary Sir Patrick Mayhew ordered an immediate security clampdown.
Weapons
Ulster Unionist MP Ken Maginnis expressed ``great sympathy'' for victims but said he was not surprised by the renewed violence. He told Sky News: ``The ceasefire was to try to gain some political advantage.''
Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith, a former Scots Guards officer who served in Ulster, said: ``The IRA never wanted to go down the road of peace. ``That is why they wouldn't hand over their weapons.''
But Democratic Unionist MP Peter Robinson, the Rev Ian Paisley's deputy, said: ``Let's not panic. ``This may be a tactical move by the IRA - not the total end of the ceasefire, but a shot across the British Government's bows.''
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