LEADERS IN STEP TO DEFEAT BOMBERS
Leaders 'in step' to defeat bombers
By MERVYN PAULEY
TONY Blair yesterday shrugged off Sinn Fein criticism of his anti-terrorist crackdown, saying his Government was working in tandem with Dublin.
They were "marching in step together" on moves to crush remaining dissident republican paramilitaries and their threat to the peace deal, he said.
The Prime Minister, speaking after two hours of talks with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, insisted that despite Sinn Fein opposition to the twin security thrust, the measures were fully justified.
The Anglo-Irish summit, at a luxury hotel in Co Mayo, took place amid signals that the self-styled Real IRA - the group behind the Omagh bombing - may be poised to declare its ceasefire permanent.
In the face of the massive public backlash, the group
announced a suspension of military operations a week ago and its leaders are reported to have met secretly in Co Clare this week to consider its future.
A significant absentee, however, was the group's godfather, a former IRA quarter-master general who defected from the Provisionals over their peace strategy.
Mr Blair, who on arrival at the plush hotel was applauded by staff and its mainly-American guests, told reporters the two governments were working together to ensure their measures were complementary with one another.
Flanked by Mr Ahern, he said: "There is a small group of extremists wishing to wreck the process and the Agreement that we have all worked so patiently to build up.
"Our joint determination is that their terrorist activities should not thwart the decided will of the vast majority of people - not just in Northern Ireland and in the Irish Republic - but in the whole of the island of Ireland.
"Their desire is for the Agreement to be carried through and implemented. In those circumstances, I think the security measures we have announced - tough though they are - are justified by the nature of the situation we are confronted with today."
Politically, both leaders underscored the necessity of moving forward as quickly as possible.
The Prime Minister said that as well as security steps to bear down on the extremists, they were taking the measures necessary to try and produce the political dialogue and movement to bring the secure future they wanted to see for all the people of Northern Ireland.
But neither leader offered any firm evidence of progress on the key issues affecting a political advance - a handover of terrorist weapons and the prospects of the Ulster Unionists sharing power with Sinn Fein.
They did highlight the need for "confidence-building" among all sides of the community in the Province.
Mr Blair said: "What is important the entire time is to build confidence. And the best way of doing that is that the Agreement is implemented.
"Decommissioning is part of the Agreement. It is important that we enable a situation to develop where people have the confidence to sit down and agree to run the government of Northern Ireland in the right way for the people there."
Mr Ahern added: "We had a wide-ranging discussion about all aspects of the Agreement, and it is the view of both of us that all of those aspects have to be implemented.
"It is a comprehensive, inclusive Agreement, and all of the political and community leaders I have spoken to in the past week have said they want to see us getting on with this.
"We will follow actively on what we have discussed today over the coming weeks. I believe we can make this a tremendous success in spite of the small fringe groups who will try to defy our determination."
MPs are being recalled to Parliament next Wednesday to push through the proposed legislation - part of which will make it easier for the RUC to convict people suspected of belonging to terrorist organisations. The Dail is also being recalled.
Co-operation between the two governments, parliaments, security forces, and parties signed up to the Stormont deal could bring success, Mr Ahern said.
Tory leader William Hague said before yesterday's talks that the Government must send a clear signal that terrorist organisations should start to give up weapons and explosives before prisoners were granted early release.
He warned: "The lesson we should learn from Omagh is that public safety is still very much at risk from .the activities of terrorists. There are still those who are all too ready to use violence to bring down an agreement backed by the democratic wishes of the people."
By MERVYN PAULEY
TONY Blair yesterday shrugged off Sinn Fein criticism of his anti-terrorist crackdown, saying his Government was working in tandem with Dublin.
They were "marching in step together" on moves to crush remaining dissident republican paramilitaries and their threat to the peace deal, he said.
The Prime Minister, speaking after two hours of talks with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, insisted that despite Sinn Fein opposition to the twin security thrust, the measures were fully justified.
The Anglo-Irish summit, at a luxury hotel in Co Mayo, took place amid signals that the self-styled Real IRA - the group behind the Omagh bombing - may be poised to declare its ceasefire permanent.
In the face of the massive public backlash, the group
announced a suspension of military operations a week ago and its leaders are reported to have met secretly in Co Clare this week to consider its future.
A significant absentee, however, was the group's godfather, a former IRA quarter-master general who defected from the Provisionals over their peace strategy.
Mr Blair, who on arrival at the plush hotel was applauded by staff and its mainly-American guests, told reporters the two governments were working together to ensure their measures were complementary with one another.
Flanked by Mr Ahern, he said: "There is a small group of extremists wishing to wreck the process and the Agreement that we have all worked so patiently to build up.
"Our joint determination is that their terrorist activities should not thwart the decided will of the vast majority of people - not just in Northern Ireland and in the Irish Republic - but in the whole of the island of Ireland.
"Their desire is for the Agreement to be carried through and implemented. In those circumstances, I think the security measures we have announced - tough though they are - are justified by the nature of the situation we are confronted with today."
Politically, both leaders underscored the necessity of moving forward as quickly as possible.
The Prime Minister said that as well as security steps to bear down on the extremists, they were taking the measures necessary to try and produce the political dialogue and movement to bring the secure future they wanted to see for all the people of Northern Ireland.
But neither leader offered any firm evidence of progress on the key issues affecting a political advance - a handover of terrorist weapons and the prospects of the Ulster Unionists sharing power with Sinn Fein.
They did highlight the need for "confidence-building" among all sides of the community in the Province.
Mr Blair said: "What is important the entire time is to build confidence. And the best way of doing that is that the Agreement is implemented.
"Decommissioning is part of the Agreement. It is important that we enable a situation to develop where people have the confidence to sit down and agree to run the government of Northern Ireland in the right way for the people there."
Mr Ahern added: "We had a wide-ranging discussion about all aspects of the Agreement, and it is the view of both of us that all of those aspects have to be implemented.
"It is a comprehensive, inclusive Agreement, and all of the political and community leaders I have spoken to in the past week have said they want to see us getting on with this.
"We will follow actively on what we have discussed today over the coming weeks. I believe we can make this a tremendous success in spite of the small fringe groups who will try to defy our determination."
MPs are being recalled to Parliament next Wednesday to push through the proposed legislation - part of which will make it easier for the RUC to convict people suspected of belonging to terrorist organisations. The Dail is also being recalled.
Co-operation between the two governments, parliaments, security forces, and parties signed up to the Stormont deal could bring success, Mr Ahern said.
Tory leader William Hague said before yesterday's talks that the Government must send a clear signal that terrorist organisations should start to give up weapons and explosives before prisoners were granted early release.
He warned: "The lesson we should learn from Omagh is that public safety is still very much at risk from .the activities of terrorists. There are still those who are all too ready to use violence to bring down an agreement backed by the democratic wishes of the people."
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/117
Published Date: 27-Aug-98
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