CLINTON PLEDGES IRISH VISIT STILL ON AFTER BARBARIC ACT
Clinton pledges Irish visit still on after 'barbaric act'
By James Stinson
PRESIDENT Clinton has no plans to scrap his one-day visit to Northern Ireland next month in the wake of the Omagh atrocity, the White House said yesterday.
Mr Clinton called the terrorist blast "a barbaric act intended to wreck Northern Ireland's aspirations for peace and reconciliation."
He said: "I renew my pledge to stand with the people of Northern Ireland against the perpetrators of violence; they will find no friends here."
According to a White House spokesman Mr Clinton still plans to visit Northern Ireland saying: "there are no changes in his travel plans."
In a telephone call early yesterday morning British Prime Minister Tony Blair briefed Mr Clinton on the bombing which, he said, was "a crime against the whole community".
A spokesman for the prime minister said Mr Blair told the president "the perpetrators were a dissident rump who represented nobody and who were outside the peace process and whose sole aim was to wreck it".
Mr Blair emphasised that the "peace process was stronger than that" and the attack was a "crime against the whole community".
According to Downing Street the two leaders discussed the president's visit and how it could help to take the peace process onwards.
"The president said he would do anything he could to help."
White House spokesman PJ Crowley said: "Obviously we condemn this attack.
"It appears to be designed to disrupt the peace process and, as the president has said, the people in the United States will do everything that we can to support the people in Northern Ireland and Ireland in their pursuit of peace.
"Since the ratification of the Good Friday agreement and the resounding election of the representatives for the Northern Ireland Assembly are clear indicators that the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland favour peace, whoever is responsible for this attack is trying to drag them in the wrong direction."
He said national security adviser Sandy Berger had briefed President Clinton about the blast. "We are very closely in touch with authorities
there," he said.
The visit, on September 3, is to be a low-key affair compared to his last visit three years ago.
It is expected he will address the new assembly. It is also expected he will go to Armagh where he is likely to make a public address before moving on to Dublin.
By James Stinson
PRESIDENT Clinton has no plans to scrap his one-day visit to Northern Ireland next month in the wake of the Omagh atrocity, the White House said yesterday.
Mr Clinton called the terrorist blast "a barbaric act intended to wreck Northern Ireland's aspirations for peace and reconciliation."
He said: "I renew my pledge to stand with the people of Northern Ireland against the perpetrators of violence; they will find no friends here."
According to a White House spokesman Mr Clinton still plans to visit Northern Ireland saying: "there are no changes in his travel plans."
In a telephone call early yesterday morning British Prime Minister Tony Blair briefed Mr Clinton on the bombing which, he said, was "a crime against the whole community".
A spokesman for the prime minister said Mr Blair told the president "the perpetrators were a dissident rump who represented nobody and who were outside the peace process and whose sole aim was to wreck it".
Mr Blair emphasised that the "peace process was stronger than that" and the attack was a "crime against the whole community".
According to Downing Street the two leaders discussed the president's visit and how it could help to take the peace process onwards.
"The president said he would do anything he could to help."
White House spokesman PJ Crowley said: "Obviously we condemn this attack.
"It appears to be designed to disrupt the peace process and, as the president has said, the people in the United States will do everything that we can to support the people in Northern Ireland and Ireland in their pursuit of peace.
"Since the ratification of the Good Friday agreement and the resounding election of the representatives for the Northern Ireland Assembly are clear indicators that the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland favour peace, whoever is responsible for this attack is trying to drag them in the wrong direction."
He said national security adviser Sandy Berger had briefed President Clinton about the blast. "We are very closely in touch with authorities
there," he said.
The visit, on September 3, is to be a low-key affair compared to his last visit three years ago.
It is expected he will address the new assembly. It is also expected he will go to Armagh where he is likely to make a public address before moving on to Dublin.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0690
Published Date: 18-Aug-98
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