Thatcher Vows Hunt for ‘Evil Monsters’ in Marine Bombing

DEAL, England — British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher today visited a military base devastated by an Irish Republican Army bomb and said the guerrillas who killed 10 military bandsmen there were evil monsters.

“They will not succeed. They are very evil people, absolute monsters,” she said after visiting the Royal Marines band college and hospitals at Deal on England’s south coast where 11 soldiers injured by last week’s bombing were being treated.

“The hunt for the bombers will be pursued with all possible speed, vigor and dedication,” she added.

Armed guards maintained strict security at the base, where a bomb exploded early Friday morning, destroying one of three main barracks buildings. Thatcher arrived by helicopter to view the scene of the bombing and talk to senior officers.