Irish peace deal dies over DUP demands for humiliation + IRA statement

>DEAL FALLS OVER DUP DEMAND FOR DECOMMISSIONING PHOTOS
>12/08/04 12:34 EST
>
>The IRA gave the Irish and British governments a commitment
>to undertake complete decommissioning and follow peaceful
>means in a landmark deal to revive power sharing in Northern
>Ireland.
>
>
>The deal failed when the DUP insisted on photographic
>evidence of IRA weapons decommissioning. Sinn Féin's Mr
>Gerry Adams said the IRA would not submit to the
>"humiliation" demanded by Rev Ian Paisley.
>
>
>The Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister held at a press
>conference at Belfast's Waterfront Hall this afternoon at
>which they released the 23-page formula they were working on
>to revive the Stormont Executive and Assembly until hopes of
>a deal were dashed.
>
>
>They outlined the committments made to them by the various
>parties and released the statements they expected the IRA,
>DUP and International Independent Commission on
>Decommissioning would have made in the event of a deal being
>secured.
>
>
>Mr Tony Blair said that despite the failure of the deal,
>"considerable progress" had been made.
>
>
>He said he had received a commitment from IRA to end
>paramilitarism fully and that the IRA had agreed with the
>two governments that the "causes of conflict" would have
>ended once fundamentals of Belfast Agreement were in place.
>
>
>He said there was a commitment by the IRA to fully
>decommission by Christmas. There was also a period between
>the end of decommissioning and the setting up of the
>Executive, which would have been in March next year.
>
>
>There had been consensus that there should be power-sharing
>and on amendments of certain elements of the Belfast
>Agreement that would allow this to resume. There was also an
>agreement on resolving the policing issue.
>
>
>The Prime Minister said that the issue of transparency of
>decommissing was a stumbling block. It had been agreed by
>all parties that independent verification of the putting of
>IRA weapons out of action was necessary. However, the
>requirement by the DUP that the decommissioning be
>photographed was not agreed to.
>
>
>He pledged to continue efforts to secure agreement between
>parties, despite the setbacks. "I may be weary as a
>traveller, but I'm not downhearted. There is a certain
>inevitability in this process."
>
>
>Mr Ahern described the government proposals as "landmark"
>and "comprehensive". He too promised to maintain contacts
>with all parties "to ensure peace and political stability in
>Northern Ireland."
>
>
>"Our work must continue to secure agreement and closure on
>what by any standards is a hugely impressive, and indeed a
>landmark package."
>
>
>"The forms of transparency that are proposed in the
>government's proposals as recalled by the Prime Minister
>have nothing to do with surrender or humiliation," Mr Ahern
>said. "Certainty and clarity are two way streets and let us
>remember that. They apply equally to partnership politics as
>they do to the process of arms decommissioning."
>
>
>The two governments published statements Mr Blair said they
>"expected" to be released by the IRA and the DUP had the
>proposals been accepted.
>
>
>According to a draft statement from the international
>disarmament body, had a deal been struck there would have
>been two acts of disarmament this month destroying the IRA's
>entire stockpile of weapons.
>
>
>One Catholic and one Protestant clergyman, acting as
>independent observers, would have witnessed IRA disarmament.
>They would have been able to make public statements about
>what they had seen.
>
>
>A photograph would also have been taken by the IICD, which
>would have been shown to political parties at Stormont and
>the governments once decommissioning was completed. It would
>have been published when power sharing was restored in March.
>
>
>Moves to transfer policing and justice powers to the
>Stormont Executive would also have begun within months. Sinn
>Féin president Mr Gerry Adams was also set to recommended
>his party ends its boycott of the PSNI as soon as the new
>laws were passed.
>
>
>Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP speaking at a press
>conference in Belfast this evening said that this was a good
>deal which reflected accurately the fundamentals of the Good
>Friday Agreement, including its power-sharing, all-Ireland
>and equality provisions.
>
>
>He said that the only obstacle which we face is the DUP's
>unrealisable demand for the humiliation of Irish republicans.
>
>Mr. Adams said: "Firstly, let me begin by repeating Sinn
>Féin's response to the comprehensive agreement as presented
>to us by the the governments This is a good deal which
>reflects accurately the fundamentals of the Good Friday
>Agreement, including its power-sharing, all-Ireland and
>equality provisions. We have, in addition, made progress
>across a range of other important issues."
>
>
>"In relation to the issues which the IRA is responsible for,
>we made it clear throughout the recent discussions that
>these were a matter for the IRA. However, I am confident
>that in the context of a comprehensive agreement that the
>IRA leadership will resolve these issues. This is a huge
>contribution which should liberate the entire process. All
>of the issues of substance have been resolved."
>
>
>"I have listened to the remarks of the Taoiseach and the
>British Prime Minister this afternoon. I believe that their
>comments have caused some confusion. Let me clarify them.
>The issue of photographs was first raised in the week before
>Leeds Castle. We were told by two governments that this was
>a DUP demand. We told the two governments that in our view
>this was not achievable. We were shocked on November 17th
>when this demand appeared in their joint proposals. We made
>clear from the beginning that this was not a runner."
>
>
>"The only obstacle which we face is the DUP's unrealisable
>demand for the humiliation of Irish republicans."
>
>
>"I welcome the assertion from Tony Blair that the DUP has
>agreed to this package, although I have not heard him saying
>this publicly."
>
>
>"No one should be in any doubt that a mighty piece of work
>has been done. We must not lose this," Adams concluded.
>
>
>DUP leader Ian Paisley has confirmed that a deal to restore
>devolution will not be signed. And he contradicted Mr.
>Blair's remarks with regard to IRA decommissioning.
>
>
>Speaking after the meeting decommissioning body chief
>General de Chastelain today, Mr Paisley said: "It is quite
>clear that the IRA are not going to decommission. Nothing on
>decommissioning was agreed with them. Not only photographs,
>but nothing was discussed or settled about the independent
>witnesses, inventory and all the things that we were
>interested in."
>
>
>
>"The situation is this: that the IRA are dead set on keeping
>their arms and going on with IRA/Sinn Fein's twofold policy
>of democracy and terrorism, " he said.
>
>
>Mr Paisley said they wanted the IRA to supply not one
>photograph but "a complete, total, clear survey in
>photographs" of decommissioning.
>__________________________________________________________
>
>The Irish American Information Service is a non-profit organization
>providing up-to-the-minute political news from Ireland to the world.
>The IAIS is funded entirely by your contributions. Please send your
>tax-deductable contributions to IAIS at the 907 F st NE, Washington
>DC 20002. You can visit us on the Web at http://www.iais.org
>


>IRA ISSUES STATEMENT DETAILING POSITION
>12/08/04 20:25 EST
>
>The IRA has issued a statement following the failure to
>revive the powersharing assembly in Northern Ireland.
>
>
>The statement outlines what was on offer from the IRA in the
>context of an overall political settlement. It confirms
>that the IRA was prepared to decommission all weapons by
>December of this year and, in effect, stand down the army in
>return for a comprehensive settlement within the terms of
>the Good Friday Agreement.
>
>
>The IRA lays the blame for today's proposals falling through
>squarely on the the shoulders of Ian Paisley's DUP for
>attempting to subject republicans "to a process of humiliation".
>
>
>The statement also calls on the British government and
>unionist leaders to "rise to the challenge" of finding a
>just and lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
>
>
>Full text of IRA Statement:
>
>
>"More than ten years ago, an IRA cessation publicly heralded
>the onset of the Irish peace process. Since then, the IRA
>has, time and again, demonstrated its commitment to
>sustaining and developing that process through a series of
>very significant and substantive initiatives.
>
>
>"In the context of the work to conclude a comprehensive
>agreement, the leadership of Óglaigh na hÉireannn decided:
>
>
>:: to support a comprehensive agreement by moving into a new
>mode which reflects our determination to see the transition
>to a totally peaceful society;
>
>
>:: all IRA Volunteers be given specific instructions not to
>engage in any activity which might thereby endanger that new
>agreement;
>
>
>:: the IRA leadership also decided that we will, in this
>context, conclude the process to completely and verifiably
>put all our arms beyond use;
>
>
>:: we instructed our representative to agree with the IICD
>the completion of this process, speedily, and if possible by
>the end of December;
>
>
>:: to further enhance public confidence we agreed to the
>presence of two clergymen as observers during this process.
>
>
>"The IRA leadership decided to contribute in this way to a
>comprehensive agreement to resolve all outstanding issues,
>including those of concern within unionism. For his part,
>Ian Paisley demanded that our contribution be photographed,
>and reduced to an act of humiliation.
>
>
>"This was never possible. Knowing this, he made this demand
>publicly as the excuse for his rejection of an overall
>agreement to create a political context with the potential
>to remove the causes of conflict. As the IRA leadership has
>said before, this is a context in which Irish republicans
>and unionists can, as equals, pursue our respective
>political objectives peacefully.
>
>
>"We restate our commitment to the peace process. But we will
>not submit to a process of humiliation.
>
>
>"We commend our Volunteers and the wider republican base for
>their patience and discipline in these testing times. Our
>commitment, like theirs, to our republican objectives is
>undiminished.
>
>
>"We thank those who have made genuine contributions to the
>efforts to find solutions to ongoing problems. While
>acknowledging these efforts, we reiterate our view that
>progress cannot be made by pandering to the demands of those
>who are against change.
>
>
>"The search for a just and lasting peace is a challenging
>one. The IRA leadership has risen to that challenge. The
>British Government and the leaders of unionism must do
>likewise."
>
>
>P O'Neill
>Irish Republican Publicity Bureau
>Dublin
>
>ENDS
>__________________________________________________________
>
>The Irish American Information Service is a non-profit organization
>providing up-to-the-minute political news from Ireland to the world.
>The IAIS is funded entirely by your contributions. Please send your
>tax-deductable contributions to IAIS at the 907 F st NE, Washington
>DC 20002. You can visit us on the Web at http://www.iais.org

I've posted this in LBN thread

:hi:

This story is hard to understand without knowing what 'DUP' means ...

Derry Unionist Party ? ...

Don't let the name fool ya!

Paisley: IRA not committed to peace

But Mr Paisley hit back at the Provisionals, declaring the organisation was simply not ready for peace.

He said: "The IRA had never any intention of decommissioning or being honest and honourable by allowing the people who have been humiliated by decades of IRA violence to see that their weapons are destroyed once and for all.

"The IRA celebrated their violence in the most public way possible. It is only right that those once terrorised are satisfied in a convincing way that terrorism by the IRA is no more.

"Another secret act of decommissioning will not satisfy the public to any degree acceptable.

"I believe the IRA's reaction is proof that they cannot and will not be honest about the matter of decommissioning, and are therefore not ready for the democratic process. Neither are they committed to peace."

Mr Paisley urged Prime Minister Tony Blair to press ahead with pledges to form a new power-sharing administration in Northern Ireland containing parties committed to peace.

more
http://icsolihull.icnetwork.co.uk/news/national/tm_objectid=14961206&method=full&siteid=91411&headline=paisley--ira-not-committed-to-peace-name_page.html