Irish Republican News and Information, 24. January 2003,
http://irlnet.com/rmlist/
BLAIR, AHERN CONSIDER PEACE RESCUE PLAN
The talks on the future of the peace process in the North of
Ireland are to shift into a higher gear over the next few weeks
following a crucial summit in London on Thursday between the
Irish Prime Minister, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the British
Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
With pressure from an impending war with Iraq and a looming
election deadline, the peace process is facing a turbulent few
weeks. There will be stark choices for all of the political
leaders if the Agreement is to survive much longer that its fifth
anniversary on April 10.
Mr Ahern, who also met Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble
today, said they had "charted out a work programme for the next
few weeks for ourselves".
He added: "We never thought the Good Friday Agreement was going
to be easy but we would like to finish this five-year period with
the outstanding issues (dealt with).
"Whatever discussions we have with the parties will be on the
basis of the work that we have done today and work that we will
do directly from here on in."
However, a detailed explanation of how the two governments intend
to complete the implementation of the Agreement has still not
been forthcoming. Republicans believe such a plan could set the
stage for an "imaginative' response to Blair's call for an "act
of completion" by the IRA.
Despite some pessimistic comments from Ulster Unionist leader
David Trimble, a deal which would satisfy republican demands
could also set the stage for Trimble's return to a restored
devolved government in the Six Counties.
Sinn Fein leaders have pointed up the possibility of a historic
trade-off to end the years of crises and on-off devolution. Party
President Gerry Adams said republicans would be under obligation
to clearly show they are committed to peaceful political means if
Tony Blair moves to implement the Good Friday agreement in full.
Speaking at Westminster, the MP for West Belfast said: "Clearly
if a British government is serious about completing its
obligations then it puts a huge onus on republicans to be
imaginative."
Mr Adams said his party welcomed the movement into more intense
discussions, but awaited a substantive response to the "detailed
menu" which he said his party has presented to the governments.
"We have been calling for this since last October," he said. "For
our part we have given a detailed menu to both Dublin and London
and we would expect them to come forward with a plan for the
full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.
He said the Downing Street summit would be judged by his party on
whether the basis for such a plan was agreed.
"It is crucial that the substance, timeframe and management of
this phase of the process is got right," he said. "Essentially
what London has to do -- in line with Mr Blair's speech in
Belfast last October -- is come forward with an act of completion
for the Good Friday Agreement."
Among the issues which must be resolved in the talks are the
British government's repeated suspension of the Belfast Assembly
and power-sharing executive which have been collapsed on four
occasions over the past five years.
Republicans also want Britain to implement the Patten
recommendations on police reforms in full. This would involve
handing greater powers to the devolved police board and improving
policing accountability. Britain must also wind down its
military presence -- most notably by removing spy-towers and
British Army bases -- as well as implementing outstanding
elements of the equality and human rights agendas and resolving
the legal status of 'on-the-run' Volunteers.
DEMANDS ON IRA
Speaking at a debate in Dublin, the Taoiseach Mr Ahern last night
suggested what would be required of republicans in return.
While acknowledging the "very substantial contribution made by
the IRA ceasefires and acts of decommissioning", he said the
"continued operation" of the IRA "created a crisis of confidence
which must be addressed".
The IRA would have to "complete the transition to democratic and
peaceful means," he said, calling for an end to activities such
as "intelligence gathering, targeting, training, arms
procurement, punishment attacks and other criminal activities".
Mr Ahern said he was confident the North's institutions would be
restored in time to allow Assembly elections to go ahead in May.
"One thing is clear, there must be no turning back on the agenda
for positive change, which the Agreement represents.
He added: "We have that opportunity in the next few months and,
despite the inevitable electoral pressures and internal political
constraints, need to seize it by regaining the sense of hope,
optimism and courage that gave us the Good Friday Agreement in
the first place."
Mr Trimble, who met Mr Ahern at the Irish embassy before his
lunchtime meeting in Downing Street, said the Taoiseach had
indicated to him that a "saleable deal" was not yet in sight. The
UUP leader added that Sinn Fein would have to act first, claiming
that he had been let down after "jumping first" in the past.
"We emphasise the need for there to be genuine acts of
completion," the former First Minister said.
"In our experience in the last four and a half years there is no
credibility, there is no trust to build on, there has to be
action.
"There have been times when we jumped first. That`s not going to
happen again.
"They (republicans) will have to create whatever confidence one
wishes to rely on. We will respond to that."
Addressing party members in County Down, the UUP leader added:
"The bottom line is that unionists must have certainty that
republicans have become purely political and not remain
paramilitary," he added.
Mr Adams tonight questioned Mr Trimble's claim that his party had
"jumped first" at critical stages in the peace process in the
past.
"In any negotiation in which I was involved in the UUP were
carefully cushioned, with choreographed moves for them," the Sinn
Fein leader responded.
"Now if he is saying he is not going to be bounced into anything,
I can understand that, but he has to be able to assure people his
party is going to be part of the institutions and going to be a
sustainable part.
"He has to assure people there will be an end to the hokey-cokey
style first ministership we have seen."
BRITAIN HOLDS KEY
But Mr Adams suggested unionism could ultimately be convinced to
jump on board if the British government first created the right
conditions for an IRA move.
"If the British government is wanting the IRA to do big things,
then the British government, I think, will have to do big things
to create the conditions where there's a potential to get the IRA
to move. And if that's done, if it is possible to get a deal,
which involved the two governments and the republicans, then the
third segment comes into play. That is to get the unionists
involved and to keep them involved."
But the Sinn Fein leader warned that demands for the IRA to make
a unilateral gesture were unrealistic.
"When people decide to do things they will find ways of doing
it," he said. "The demand on the IRA at the moment to disband,
you might as well howl at the moon."
"I think that we are in fairly profound difficulties. The longer
it goes on, the deeper those difficulties become."