SINN FEIN'S CONDEMNATION WATERSHED IN PEACE PROCESS
Sinn Fein's condemnation 'watershed' in peace process
By DOMINIC CUNNINGHAM and BRIAN DOWLING
SINN FEIN president Gerry Adams said he was horrified by the bomb attack which he condemned without equivocation. It was the strongest criticism ever delivered against an outrage by a senior republican.
Yesterday in Omagh Mr Adams repeated that he absolutely condemned the atrocity, and Sinn Fein chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin, who visited the town, said he was shocked to the core by what he had witnessed and called on the culprits to accept responsibility.
The unprecedented condemnation of the Omagh bombing by Sinn Fein marks a watershed in the peace process and the party's integration into mainstream democratic politics.
Mr Adams called on the people behind the Omagh bombing to stop their violent campaign at once and to admit responsibility for planting the massive device.
He also called on the North's First Minister David Trimble and Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon to immediately hold a meeting of leaders of all political parties to discuss a way out of this crisis.
Visiting Omagh with fellow MP Martin McGuinness, Mr Adams said: We are here to show solidarity with the families of the bereaved here in this town.
He said that all the participants in the peace process realised there were going to be difficulties. He did not want to minimise the awfulness of what happened and recognised the need to appreciate that at a human level, but also saw the need at a political level to keep building, keep moving forward and not to give up hope.
He did not want to speculate on who was behind the bombings, but said they should stop now and have the courage to admit their responsibility.
Sinn Fein TD Caoimhghin O Caolain appealed to the bombers to desist from their campaign. It is incumbent on those of us who condemn their actions, as we do, to also appeal to them to desist. Their ill-conceived campaign is setting back the cause they claim to serve.
The Cavan/Monaghan TD said he utterly deplored the bombing in Omagh. I extend deepest sympathies on behalf of myself, my constituents in Cavan/Monaghan and my party to the bereaved and injured. Those responsible for this atrocity are attempting to destroy the peace process. They clearly hold themselves accountable to no community or political constituency.
For the first time since the troubles began, the Sinn Fein leadership has broken with its historical stance of refusing to engage in what it has called the politics of the last atrocity.
Although Sinn Fein has been gradually edging closer to such a position, many political leaders in the republic remain sceptical as to whether they would ever see the day when Sinn Fein would, to quote Mr Adams, condemn without equivocation an attack of this kind.
This departure has gone a long way towards removing any lingering doubts, especially among the parties in the republic, of Sinn Fein's commitment to the peace process and exclusively democratic means.
One of Sinn Fein's most trenchant critics on this front, the Fine Gael leader John Bruton, openly acknowledged that the statement from Mr Adams did mark the crossing of a political Rubicon for Sinn Fein.
And, having crossed this frontier in circumstances of appalling human tragedy, political leaders in the south believe there is no way back to the old ways for Sinn Fein and its republican allies.
While the Fine Gael leader was still insisting that Sinn Fein and its allies can go further, there is an acceptance that the Omagh atrocity has forced the party to publicly dispel any ambiguity about its position on violence.
All the main Dail parties regard Sinn Fein's response as the clearest indication yet in public, that it is leaving behind the war.
By DOMINIC CUNNINGHAM and BRIAN DOWLING
SINN FEIN president Gerry Adams said he was horrified by the bomb attack which he condemned without equivocation. It was the strongest criticism ever delivered against an outrage by a senior republican.
Yesterday in Omagh Mr Adams repeated that he absolutely condemned the atrocity, and Sinn Fein chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin, who visited the town, said he was shocked to the core by what he had witnessed and called on the culprits to accept responsibility.
The unprecedented condemnation of the Omagh bombing by Sinn Fein marks a watershed in the peace process and the party's integration into mainstream democratic politics.
Mr Adams called on the people behind the Omagh bombing to stop their violent campaign at once and to admit responsibility for planting the massive device.
He also called on the North's First Minister David Trimble and Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon to immediately hold a meeting of leaders of all political parties to discuss a way out of this crisis.
Visiting Omagh with fellow MP Martin McGuinness, Mr Adams said: We are here to show solidarity with the families of the bereaved here in this town.
He said that all the participants in the peace process realised there were going to be difficulties. He did not want to minimise the awfulness of what happened and recognised the need to appreciate that at a human level, but also saw the need at a political level to keep building, keep moving forward and not to give up hope.
He did not want to speculate on who was behind the bombings, but said they should stop now and have the courage to admit their responsibility.
Sinn Fein TD Caoimhghin O Caolain appealed to the bombers to desist from their campaign. It is incumbent on those of us who condemn their actions, as we do, to also appeal to them to desist. Their ill-conceived campaign is setting back the cause they claim to serve.
The Cavan/Monaghan TD said he utterly deplored the bombing in Omagh. I extend deepest sympathies on behalf of myself, my constituents in Cavan/Monaghan and my party to the bereaved and injured. Those responsible for this atrocity are attempting to destroy the peace process. They clearly hold themselves accountable to no community or political constituency.
For the first time since the troubles began, the Sinn Fein leadership has broken with its historical stance of refusing to engage in what it has called the politics of the last atrocity.
Although Sinn Fein has been gradually edging closer to such a position, many political leaders in the republic remain sceptical as to whether they would ever see the day when Sinn Fein would, to quote Mr Adams, condemn without equivocation an attack of this kind.
This departure has gone a long way towards removing any lingering doubts, especially among the parties in the republic, of Sinn Fein's commitment to the peace process and exclusively democratic means.
One of Sinn Fein's most trenchant critics on this front, the Fine Gael leader John Bruton, openly acknowledged that the statement from Mr Adams did mark the crossing of a political Rubicon for Sinn Fein.
And, having crossed this frontier in circumstances of appalling human tragedy, political leaders in the south believe there is no way back to the old ways for Sinn Fein and its republican allies.
While the Fine Gael leader was still insisting that Sinn Fein and its allies can go further, there is an acceptance that the Omagh atrocity has forced the party to publicly dispel any ambiguity about its position on violence.
All the main Dail parties regard Sinn Fein's response as the clearest indication yet in public, that it is leaving behind the war.
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/014
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
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