British Prime Minister Tony Blair faced new pressure tonight to discharge two convicted murderers from the British Army.
SDLP leader Mr Mark Durkan has urged every political leader in Ireland to back his bid to terminate the careers of the Scots Guards who shot dead Belfast teenager Peter McBride.
After meeting the 18-year-old victim's mother Jean, Mr Durkan hit out at the Prime Minister for dismissing his campaign.
He vowed: "I will be writing again to Tony Blair highlighting the injustice done to the McBride family.
"I will be writing to the leaders of all the political parties on this island asking them to do likewise."
Mr McBride was killed by Guardsmen Mark Wright and James Fisher close to his home in the nationalist New Lodge area of north Belfast in September 1992.
The soldiers opened fire on the father-of-two after he ran away from a patrol unit who had stopped and searched him.
They were convicted of murder after the trial judge rejected claims that the men thought Mr McBride was carrying a coffee jar bomb. But in September 1998 they were given early prison release and allowed back into the military two months later.
Although the McBride family launched a legal fight to overturn the Army Board's decision, their latest judicial review application was rejected by the High Court in April.
Mr Durkan has pressed Mr Blair to step in, claiming the soldiers' retention was an outrage to basic human rights. But after the Prime Minister wrote back to say the exceptional reason behind the decision was a private matter between the Army and Guardsmen, the SDLP leader has launched a new offensive.
Accusing Mr Blair of ignoring his appeals to meet the McBride family, he claimed: "His response has been dismissive as he has tried to defend the indefensible.
"Nowhere else in Europe would murderers be found fit to serve in an Army. Murder is murder.
"Tony Blair needs to know that this case will not go away."
PA