Belfast witnesses night of rioting

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, JULY 28. Fresh violence broke out in Northern Ireland on Friday even as the British and Irish Governments struggled to broker a peace deal that would put an end to the deepening political crisis over the IRA's reluctance to give up its weapons.

The Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr. John Reid, met Sinn Fein leaders today after a night of rioting in North Belfast. The cause was not known but both Unionists and Republicans blamed each other for starting the riots in which one man received gunshots and police were attacked with petrol bombs, bottles and stones. Pitched clashes were reported after some 300 rioters came on the streets on Friday night and as the trouble centred around the largely Protestant Ardoyne area, Unionists alleged that it was provoked by Republicans.

This is the second major flare-up this month which has been marked by mounting political tension following the resignation of the Unionist leader, Mr. David Trimble as head of the provincial coalition government. He resigned on July 1 to force the IRA to start decommissioning throwing the peace process in a tailspin. Shortly afterwards, there were a series of clashes in the run-up to the annual marching season by the Protestant Orangemen.

The marches themselves, however, passed off peacefully, but with militants on both sides spoiling for a fight, tension has been running high and a prolonged political vacuum is likely to help them gain further ground.

Observers said it was significant that Friday's violence came as the political stalemate deepened with mainstream Unionists and Republicans virtually rejecting a British-Irish compromise peace package even without knowing its full details.

The package, which was to have been announced yesterday, has been put off until next week amid clear signals that neither side is likely to accept it. Leaked details have angered Unionists as they believe the package makes too many concessions to Republicans without addressing their own concerns on arms decommissioning. Republicans, on the other hand, feel that it falls short of their minimum conditions for them to think of decommissioning.

The British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, however, sought to keep the hopes alive saying a solution was still possible. ``We are quite convinced we have the right package of proposals - fair, reasonable - representing the best way of breaking the remaining impasse in the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement,'' he said. His Irish counterpart, Mr. Bertie Ahern described the package as ``our best effort'' to break the deadlock.

He said it was not possible to ``do everything for everyone because of conflicting positions'' but the two Governments had tried to put together a package which, they believed, would be acceptable to both sides. Their optimism, however, was drowned in hardline political rhetoric. The Ulster Unionist Party's tough- talking M.P., Mr. Jeffrey Donaldson, seen as a potential successor to Mr. Trimble, accused Mr. Blair and Mr. Ahern of ``misrepresenting'' facts and said: ``It's time for Tony Blair to come clean with the people of Northern Ireland instead of hiding behind a subterfuge of spin.''

Mr. Donaldson and another party M.P., Mr. David Burnside have already called for abandoning the peace process and re- negotiating the Good Friday Agreement.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Unionist Party has blamed the IRA for stirring up trouble in vulnerable Protestant areas, while Sinn Fein blamed Friday's violence on the Protestant Ulster Defence Association. Whatever be the truth, the flare-up has further vitiated the climate.

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Section  : International
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