CLINTON AND DEMOCRACY
Clinton and democracy
PRESIDENT Bill Clinton is an invaluable friend of Ireland, and he is heartily welcome here.
In his personal life, he has shown himself foolish. But that does not justify the persecution to which he has been subjected. Nor does it take away from his achievements as the leader of the United States.
Among these, his role in Irish affairs ranks high. His interest in Ireland is not sentimental, or designed merely to attract Irish-American votes and the friendship of Irish-American leaders. It is intelligent, well-informed - and fruitful.
His hand may be detected in Tuesday's statement by Gerry Adams, which amounted to a declaration that Northern violence has ended for good. And he may have helped in influencing two other moves by Sinn Fein and the IRA.
Martin McGuinness will liaise with the international body set up to supervise the disposal of terrorist weapons. The IRA will assist the relatives of the "disappeared" to find their bodies and give them decent burial. The families' suffering has been one of the most cruel twists in the whole grisly Northern saga. But more remains to be done, and we look forward with some confidence to efforts by Mr Clinton during his Irish visit to forward further, essential steps.
The chief of these is progress on decommissioning. It bears repetition that decommissioning forms part of the Good Friday Agreement. Meanwhile, a major gesture is needed to inspire unionist trust and shore up the position of the First Minister, David Trimble.
If Sinn Fein have moved, so has Mr Trimble. His decision to call together the party leaders must mean that he intends to end his refusal to speak directly to Sinn Fein.
Soon, he and they are due to sit together in the new executive. That body can work only Unionists must accept Mr Adams's good faith. Nationalists should concede that if it is right to release IRA prisoners, it must be right to release British soldiers convicted of similar crimes.
And nobody should whinge about the security measures introduced yesterday by the Irish and British governments.
Valid objections, like those raised by Deputy Alan Dukes, there may be. But the Irish legislation is designed to remain in force for only two years, and a further safeguard is the Justice Minister's promise of a special committee to review the Offences Against The State Acts.
And the purpose of the measures was summed up eloquently by Bertie Ahern yesterday. To fail to respond to the unspeakable atrocity of Omagh would have been unconscionable.
The victims, the Taoiseach said, must have justice. But more: he correctly called the bombing an indiscriminate attack on democracy. The perpetrators sought to deny the right of the Irish people to decide their own destiny freely.
In the referendums North and South which endorsed the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish people spoke conclusively. They voted for a fair settlement. It is out of the question to permit a tiny group of renegades to pull down that settlement. They must be crushed, and the legislation aimed at crushing them must be supported.
We owe that to the Omagh victims. But we also owe it to ourselves. We cannot allow a brazen challenge to the institutions which have made us one of the freest countries in the world, and to a settlement which promises real democracy and equality for the whole island.
And to all those, at home and abroad, who have laboured for peace and democracy in Ireland, we owe our gratitude. Bill Clinton has laboured in that cause, and he deserves his welcome.
PRESIDENT Bill Clinton is an invaluable friend of Ireland, and he is heartily welcome here.
In his personal life, he has shown himself foolish. But that does not justify the persecution to which he has been subjected. Nor does it take away from his achievements as the leader of the United States.
Among these, his role in Irish affairs ranks high. His interest in Ireland is not sentimental, or designed merely to attract Irish-American votes and the friendship of Irish-American leaders. It is intelligent, well-informed - and fruitful.
His hand may be detected in Tuesday's statement by Gerry Adams, which amounted to a declaration that Northern violence has ended for good. And he may have helped in influencing two other moves by Sinn Fein and the IRA.
Martin McGuinness will liaise with the international body set up to supervise the disposal of terrorist weapons. The IRA will assist the relatives of the "disappeared" to find their bodies and give them decent burial. The families' suffering has been one of the most cruel twists in the whole grisly Northern saga. But more remains to be done, and we look forward with some confidence to efforts by Mr Clinton during his Irish visit to forward further, essential steps.
The chief of these is progress on decommissioning. It bears repetition that decommissioning forms part of the Good Friday Agreement. Meanwhile, a major gesture is needed to inspire unionist trust and shore up the position of the First Minister, David Trimble.
If Sinn Fein have moved, so has Mr Trimble. His decision to call together the party leaders must mean that he intends to end his refusal to speak directly to Sinn Fein.
Soon, he and they are due to sit together in the new executive. That body can work only Unionists must accept Mr Adams's good faith. Nationalists should concede that if it is right to release IRA prisoners, it must be right to release British soldiers convicted of similar crimes.
And nobody should whinge about the security measures introduced yesterday by the Irish and British governments.
Valid objections, like those raised by Deputy Alan Dukes, there may be. But the Irish legislation is designed to remain in force for only two years, and a further safeguard is the Justice Minister's promise of a special committee to review the Offences Against The State Acts.
And the purpose of the measures was summed up eloquently by Bertie Ahern yesterday. To fail to respond to the unspeakable atrocity of Omagh would have been unconscionable.
The victims, the Taoiseach said, must have justice. But more: he correctly called the bombing an indiscriminate attack on democracy. The perpetrators sought to deny the right of the Irish people to decide their own destiny freely.
In the referendums North and South which endorsed the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish people spoke conclusively. They voted for a fair settlement. It is out of the question to permit a tiny group of renegades to pull down that settlement. They must be crushed, and the legislation aimed at crushing them must be supported.
We owe that to the Omagh victims. But we also owe it to ourselves. We cannot allow a brazen challenge to the institutions which have made us one of the freest countries in the world, and to a settlement which promises real democracy and equality for the whole island.
And to all those, at home and abroad, who have laboured for peace and democracy in Ireland, we owe our gratitude. Bill Clinton has laboured in that cause, and he deserves his welcome.
Further Information
Publisher: IRISH INDEPENDENT
Ref: II/219
Published Date: 03-Sep-98
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