• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=5/20/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249611
TITLE=NORTHERN IRELAND (L ONLY)
BYLINE=LAURIE KASSMAN
DATELINE=LONDON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  THE NORTHERN IRELAND PEACE PROCESS IS STUCK. AND THERE 
ARE FEW SIGNS THAT EITHER SIDE IS READY FOR COMPROMISE TO END THE
DEADLOCK OVER WEAPONS DECOMMISSIONING.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT 
LAURIE KASSMAN REPORTS FROM LONDON.
TEXT:  LAST WEEKEND, PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR GAVE THE 
PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC NEGOTIATORS UNTIL THE END OF JUNE TO 
RESOLVE THEIR DISPUTES AND GET NORTHERN IRELAND'S PEACE PROCESS 
BACK ON TRACK. 
BUT PROSPECTS FOR A BREAKTHROUGH APPEARED LESS LIKELY AFTER 
NORTHERN IRELAND'S PROTESTANT FIRST MINISTER DAVID TRIMBLE 
REFUSED TO ATTEND TALKS WITH PRIME MINISTER BLAIR THIS WEEK IN 
LONDON.  HE TOLD CATHOLIC NEGOTIATORS THEY COULD FIND HIM IN 
BELFAST.
THE DISPUTE CENTERS ON THE TIMING OF WEAPONS DECOMMISSIONING.  
MR. TRIMBLE SAYS THE POLITICAL WING OF THE IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY,
SINN FEIN,  CANNOT  JOIN THE NORTHERN IRELAND CABINET UNTIL THE 
I-R-A STARTS HANDING OVER ITS WEAPONS.  SINN FEIN LEADER GERRY 
ADAMS SAYS THE GOOD FRIDAY PEACE AGREEMENT SIGNED LAST YEAR HAS  
NO  SUCH PRE-CONDITION TO ITS PARTICIPATION IN THE GOVERNMENT.
                     ///  ADAMS ACT ONE  ///
         THAT AGREEMENT IS STAGNANT AND BOGGED DOWN AND 
         INCREASINGLY I THINK EVEN TODAY IN SOME DEGREE OF 
         DISREPUTE.
                        ///  END ACT  ///
AFTER HIS MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER BLAIR THURSDAY, MR. ADAMS 
SOUNDED PESSIMISTIC ABOUT RESOLVING THE DISPUTE AND BLAMED THE 
OTHER SIDE FOR THE DEADLOCK.
                     ///  ADAMS ACT TWO  ///
         WE CAME HERE TO TRY AND DO BUSINESS.  WE WILL CONTINUE 
         TO TRY AND DO BUSINESS.  AND I'M SURE IT'S VERY CLEAR TO
         EVERYONE WHO IS  NOT  TRYING TO DO BUSINESS.
                        ///  END ACT  ///
BUT  PROTESTANT LEADER DAVID TRIMBLE HAS ASKED MR .ADAMS AND 
OTHER CATHOLIC POLITICAL LEADERS TO MEET LATER ON THURSDAY IN 
BELFAST. 
SO FAR, BOTH SIDES HAVE REJECTED COMPROMISE PROPOSALS PUT FORTH 
BY PRIME MINISTER BLAIR AND HIS IRISH COUNTERPART.  BRITAIN WAS 
TO TRANSFER HOME RULE POWERS IN MARCH BUT HAS HAD TO POSTPONE IT 
BECAUSE THE BELFAST POLITICIANS HAVE  NOT  YET NAMED THEIR 
POWER-SHARING GOVERNMENT. (SIGNED)
NEB/LMK/JWH
20-May-99 9:46 AM EDT (1346 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.