The Belfast Agreement - The Rescue Bid
David Craig
The British and Irish Prime Ministers met all the pro - Agreement
Parties; then some of the pro - Agreement Parties; then all of the
pro- Agreement parties for two days in a country mansion last week.
The meeting was a last, last, last, last ditch to save the Belfast
Agreement. The two days became three, then four, then five.
Nothing was resolved, mainly because Sinn Fein/IRA refused to honour
their committments made in April 1998; May 2000 and June 2001. Mr
Blair and Mr Ahern were not prepaed to insist on these promises being
made.
However they (Messrs Blair and Ahern) are going to produce a
non-negotiable package which will be offered to the Parties on a "take
ot or leave it" basis. I love it when Tony talks tough. Just a pity he
hasnt the balls to act tough.
So Tony went to Shropshire to deAl with the decommissioning crisis,
and finished by poromising a package dealing with everything BUT
decommissioning. Meanwhile the Anglican Optimist Lord Eames urged
everyone to "grasp the opportunity". What opportunity?
CONCERNED ULSTERMAN