Clinton visit re-kindles peace hopes

By Hasan Suroor

BELFAST, DEC. 13. In what is seen as the ultimate test of his diplomatic skills, the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, sat down with the warring factions here today to revive the Northern Ireland peace process to which he has contributed a great deal. Though no immediate breakthrough was expected, the general perception was that the very fact of his personal intervention could serve as a catalyst in giving the stalled peace efforts a new momentum.

The rousing public response to his appeal for peace in Dublin on Tuesday and the warmth with which he was greeted this morning by parties, cutting across the sectarian divide appearing to be keen to have his eyes and ears, raised hopes that Mr. Clinton's last overseas official visit might not turn to be a complete washout. He spent nearly 30 minutes in the corridors of the Stormont Castle listening intently to various shades of opinion before going inside the conference hall for more formal talks behind the closed doors.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, and the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr. Peter Mandelson, stayed in the background as he exchanged views with provincial leaders on his way to the conference hall.

Amid the general bonhomie and a conscious attempt to keep the spirits high, there were fears that in case Mr. Clinton failed altogether it could do irreparable damage to the morale all around and make an early return to normality even more difficult.

In his talks, Mr. Clinton was expected to impress upon the Sinn Fein president, Mr. Gerry Adams, the urgency of starting the process of arms deccommissioning by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The delay in decommissioning has angered the Unionists who insist that there can be no further progress on the Good Friday Agreement until the arms are put beyond physical use. Americans too are unhappy over the IRA's reluctance to cooperate with the disarmament commission set up as part of the peace agreement.

Mr. Clinton and the former U.S. Senator, Mr. George Mitchell, who played a crucial role in bringing about the agreement were expected to do some tough talking with Mr. Adams. And their message to the Ulster Unionists would be not to react provocatively or do anything that could jeopardise the peace

efforts. Specifically, the Ulster Unionist chief and the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Mr. David Trimble, would be advised to lift the ban on the Sinn Fein participation in cross-border ministerial meetings.

In Dublin on Tuesday, over 50,000 people turned up to hear Mr. Clinton's appeal for peace when he addressed a public meeting in Dundalk, the heartland of the Real IRA which was responsible for the 1998 Omagh bombing. He was cheered as he reminded them of their resolve to stand by peace even in the face of violence. ``You stared violence in the face and said no more. You stood up for peace then and I ask you to stand up for peace today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life.'' He told the perpetrators of violence that they could not gain by making their `neighbours lose.'

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Section  : International
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