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DATE=2/28/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=NORTHERN IRELAND (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259637
BYLINE=LAURIE KASSMAN
DATELINE=LONDON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO:  Britain's top official for Northern Ireland 
has met with Unionist and Republican leaders in an 
attempt to revive the peace process.  The effort 
follows suspension of Northern Ireland's home rule 
assembly.  Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from 
London that the mood is far from optimistic.
TEXT:  Unionist leader David Trimble insists the home-
rule institutions cannot be re-established until the 
Irish Republican Army (I-R-A) makes a move toward 
handing in its weapons.
The head of the I-R-A's political wing says the peace 
process is in tatters.  Sinn Fein President Gerry 
Adams told his party supporters Sunday it is time to 
shift the focus from repairing the peace process to 
building the party's electoral strength.
That does not bode well for Britain's efforts to get 
the peace process back on track.  Britain's top 
official for Northern Ireland, Peter Mandelson, met 
with Mr. Trimble and Mr. Adams to see how that can be 
done.  There was no indication after the Belfast 
meetings that he had made any progress.
It was Mr. Mandelson's first meeting with Gerry Adams 
since last month's suspension of the home-rule 
assembly in Belfast.  Mr. Adams had tried to prevent 
the suspension with a last-minute proposal from the I-
R-A on weapons disarmament. 
But Mr. Mandelson said the I-R-A offer needed 
clarification.  His order to suspend the two-month-old 
home-rule assembly put Northern Ireland once again 
under direct rule from London.
At the time, Mr. Adams accused Mr. Mandelson of caving 
in to Unionist leader David Trimble, who had 
threatened to resign from the home-rule assembly if 
the I-R-A did not start handing over its weapons.  
Sinn Fein argues the 1998 Good Friday Peace Agreement 
only sets next May as the deadline for disarming both 
loyalist and republican para-militaries.  
Shortly after the suspension of home-rule powers, the 
I-R-A stopped talking to the special commission 
supervising the disarmament process.   (SIGNED) 
NEB/LMK/GE/RAE
28-Feb-2000 11:37 AM EDT (28-Feb-2000 1637 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.